Oceanic Society is a California-based
501(c)(3)
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
dedicated to conserving marine wildlife and habitats by deepening the connections between people and nature. The organization was founded in San Francisco in 1969 by George C. Kiskaddon, founder of Marine Chartering Company, and Dr. Jerold M. Lowenstein, director of the Pacific Institute of Nuclear Medicine.
Early history
After its foundation in 1969, Oceanic Society grew rapidly in the San Francisco Bay Area through membership drives, citizen science programs involving Bay Area yacht owners, and an Expeditions program. The organization's initial focus was on environmental issues in the Pacific Ocean, but the Bay Area chapter simultaneously sought to create a model that would be re-created by chapters worldwide.
In 1974, Christopher du Pont Roosevelt, grandson of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, took on the leadership of Oceanic Society and served as the organization's president, CEO, and trustee until 1985. Under Roosevelt's leadership the organization moved its headquarters to Stamford, Connecticut and expanded nationally to more than 60,000 members in 5 chapters.
Oceanic Society Patrol
One of Oceanic Society's most important programs in its early years was the Oceanic Society Patrol, which was established In 1972 as a way to engage Bay Area yacht owners and pilots as volunteer participants in research and monitoring for ocean conservation. The Boat Patrol enlisted and trained private boat owners to monitor water quality, collect oceanographic data, monitor marine mammals and other species, transport biologists to the Farallon Islands (through the Farallon Patrol), document pollution events, and perform other tasks as volunteers at their own expense. Similarly, the Air Patrol of light plane flyers monitored enforcement of environmental regulations and pollution events, industry and shipping activity, and collected data on marine mammals. The Patrols also participated in education and outreach through lectures and by inviting volunteer participants aboard their craft.
Oceanic Society Expeditions
The Oceanic Society Expeditions program was formally established in 1972 to support the organization's efforts to ″create a more oceanic society.″ The Expeditions program allowed Oceanic Society's members to participate in ship-based expeditions around the world, sometimes accomplishing specific research objectives. Early Expeditions included New Zealand, Australia, Europe, the Caribbean, South and Central America, and the California coast. As Oceanic Society's membership grew, so did the demand for Expeditions, and the program was expanded to include many more destinations and departures.
The Oceanic Society Expeditions program continues to this day, and includes
eco-tourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...
programs and
volunteer vacations
International volunteering is when volunteers contribute their time to work for organisations or causes outside their respective home countries. International volunteering has a long association with international development, with the aim of brin ...
to global destinations that include the
Galapagos Islands,
Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
,
Raja Ampat
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested fr ...
,
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
,
Kenya
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, the
Polar Regions
The polar regions, also called the frigid zones or polar zones, of Earth are the regions of the planet that surround its geographical poles (the North and South Poles), lying within the polar circles. These high latitudes are dominated by float ...
, and more.
California Whale Watching
Public interest in whale watching grew dramatically in the early 1970s as the
″Save the Whales″ movement brought global attention to the plight of these animals. Oceanic Society ran its first
whale watching
Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins ( cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. 2 ...
trip to the
Farallon Islands
The Farallon Islands, or Farallones (from the Spanish ''farallón'' meaning "pillar" or "sea cliff"), are a group of islands and sea stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. The island ...
in 1975 aboard a former Coast Guard Cutter, M/V Alert, and soon began to offer regular whale watching trips out of Sausalito, Pillar Point, and Bodega Bay, California, and eventually to Baja California out of San Diego. Oceanic Society continues to offer whale watching in the San Francisco Bay Area, with two separate whale watching seasons: 1) Gray whale watching from January through May, and 2) Farallon Islands whale watching from May through November.
Oceans Magazine
From 1974 to 1989, Oceanic Society published the popular and widely distributed ''Oceans'' Magazine, that featured articles, images, and maps pertaining to ocean research, exploration, and conservation issues, as well as updates about the work of Oceanic Society's chapters.
''Oceans'' Magazine was founded by Jack C. Reynolds and originally published by Trident Publishers, Inc. of San Diego, CA in January 1969. In the editorial of "Oceans" Magazine Volume 1, Number 1, publisher Jack Reynolds wrote, ″To effect a better world, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves in all facets of living, to be creative in philosophy, exploring, enterprise and leisure. On these premises, I launch Oceans Magazine.″ Oceanic Society took over the publication in 1974, publishing at first five, then six issues a year until April 1989 when publication ceased after the release of Volume 22, Number 1.
Current work
Turneffe Atoll, Belize
Oceanic Society maintained a field research station at Blackbird Caye in
Turneffe Atoll
Turneffe Atoll is located southeast of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, off the coast of Belize in Central America, from Belize City. It is one of three atolls of the Belize Barrier Reef, along with Glover's Reef and Lighthouse Reef. It is appro ...
, Belize, from 2001 to 2016. The station served as a base for marine research, principally on
bottlenose dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the common ...
,
Antillean manatee
The West Indian manatee (''Trichechus manatus''), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the eastern US to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it feeds on un ...
s,
sea turtles
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...
,
American crocodile
The American crocodile (''Crocodylus acutus'') is a species of crocodilian found in the Neotropics. It is the most widespread of the four extant species of crocodiles from the Americas, with populations present from South Florida and the coasts ...
s, and other species, as well as long-term coral reef monitoring.
Ulithi Atoll, Micronesia
Since 2004, Oceanic Society has been assisting community-based marine conservation efforts in
Ulithi Atoll
Ulithi ( yap, Wulthiy, , or ) is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about east of Yap.
Overview
Ulithi consists of 40 islets totaling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest i ...
in the
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise a ...
. Oceanic Society's involvement in Ulithi began through support to a local sea turtle research and conservation program, and subsequently expanded to include a broader effort to sustainably manage Ulithi's marine resources.
References
External links
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Marine conservation organizations
Nature conservation organizations based in the United States
Environmental organizations based in California
Ecotourism
Volunteering in the United States
Organizations based in Marin County, California
1969 establishments in California