The ocean covers more than 70% of Earth's surface and supports the wellbeing of billions of people. New Zealand and Australia, as Pacific nations with vast exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and extraordinary marine biodiversity, have both unusual opportunity and unusual responsibility in ocean conservation. Philanthropic grants are a critical complement to government investment in protecting marine ecosystems, supporting sustainable fisheries, and addressing ocean pollution.
Biodiversity loss: Ocean ecosystems are under severe pressure. Coral bleaching, overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution have dramatically reduced marine biodiversity. The Great Barrier Reef — the world's largest coral reef system — has lost significant coral cover due to warming and bleaching events.
Fisheries under pressure: Many of the world's major fisheries are fully exploited or overexploited. Unsustainable fishing practices — including bycatch, bottom trawling, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing — deplete both target species and marine ecosystems.
Plastic pollution: An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year. Plastics concentrate in gyres, break down into microplastics, and are ingested by marine animals throughout the food chain. Pacific island nations are disproportionately affected by plastic pollution from elsewhere.
Ocean warming and acidification: Climate change is warming and acidifying the ocean. Warmer, more acidic water bleaches coral reefs, disrupts marine food webs, and threatens calcifying organisms — shellfish, corals, some plankton — that form the base of many marine ecosystems.
Deep sea pressures: Deep sea environments — poorly understood and rarely visited — are increasingly threatened by deep sea mining proposals and other extractive activities.
New Zealand and Australia sit at the heart of the Pacific Ocean — the world's largest ocean, home to some of its most biodiverse marine environments, and the cultural foundation for Pacific Island nations whose identities, economies, and food security depend on the sea.
Pacific Island nations: Many Pacific Island nations have small land areas but vast EEZs. Their fisheries — particularly tuna — are economically critical. But governance challenges, distant-water fishing agreements, and climate change threaten marine resources that Pacific communities depend on.
Aotearoa New Zealand's EEZ: New Zealand's EEZ is one of the world's largest. It spans extraordinary diversity — from subtropical waters in the north to sub-Antarctic environments in the south, with unique seamounts, deep trenches, and endemic species.
Te Tiriti and marine management: The relationship between Māori and the ocean is ancient and ongoing. Tino rangatiratanga over coastal and marine resources, including customary fishing rights (taiāpure, mātaitai) and kaitiakitanga responsibilities, must be central to New Zealand marine conservation.
Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge (NZ): Research programme developing integrated approaches to managing New Zealand's marine environment.
WWF-New Zealand and WWF-Australia: Marine programme focusing on protected areas, sustainable fisheries, and plastic pollution.
Ocean Watch Australia: Marine conservation for fisheries sustainability and coastal ecosystem health.
Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS): Advocacy for marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, and ocean health.
Earthrace Conservation: Ocean and wildlife conservation including anti-poaching and whale protection.
Ika Foundation / Tangaroa Blue: New Zealand ocean cleanup and marine conservation initiatives.
Reef Check Australia: Coral reef monitoring and protection on the Great Barrier Reef.
Pacific Community (SPC): Regional organisation supporting Pacific fisheries management and ocean governance.
Marine protected areas
Expanding and effectively managing marine protected areas (MPAs) is the most effective tool for ocean conservation. Grants supporting MPA establishment, monitoring, enforcement, and community engagement build the protection that marine ecosystems need. New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, and Australia's network of Commonwealth marine reserves all benefit from philanthropic advocacy and support.
Sustainable fisheries
Transitioning to truly sustainable fisheries requires investment in stock assessments, fishing industry transition support, consumer awareness campaigns, certification systems, and policy advocacy. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Marine Stewardship Council certification create market incentives; philanthropy supports the underlying science and engagement.
Plastic pollution reduction
Reducing ocean plastic at the source — manufacturing, distribution, and consumer behaviour — requires advocacy for policy change alongside community-level cleanup and awareness. Grants for plastic-free community programmes, policy advocacy for extended producer responsibility, and circular economy initiatives address the plastic problem upstream.
Coral reef protection
The Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand's Northland reefs, and Pacific coral ecosystems need urgent attention. Grants for reef monitoring, restoration trials, bleaching response, and climate advocacy for the ocean support coral reef survival.
Pacific Island fisheries governance
Supporting Pacific Island nations to manage their tuna fisheries sustainably — through regional governance bodies like the Pacific Community, monitoring of fishing agreements, and community fisheries management — helps preserve both ecosystems and livelihoods.
Community-based marine management
Locally managed marine areas (LMMAs) — where coastal communities take active roles in managing their adjacent marine environments — combine conservation and community benefit. Grants supporting LMMA development, community monitoring, and traditional ecological knowledge integration are effective and sustainable.
Ocean science and monitoring
Understanding the ocean requires ongoing scientific investment — in monitoring programmes, oceanographic research, species surveys, and climate projections. Grants for ocean science build the knowledge base that informs both policy and conservation practice.
Connect conservation with livelihoods: Marine conservation that threatens coastal fishing communities' livelihoods will face resistance. Effective ocean philanthropy connects conservation goals with sustainable livelihoods — helping communities benefit from healthy oceans rather than seeing conservation as a threat.
Indigenous and Pacific leadership: Māori, Pacific Island communities, and First Nations Australians have deep knowledge of marine ecosystems and legitimate authority over coastal and marine management. Grants should support and amplify this leadership, not bypass it.
Long timescales: Oceans are slow systems. Conservation outcomes take years to decades to manifest. Funders need patient capital and long-term commitments.
The climate-ocean nexus: Ocean conservation cannot be separated from climate action. Warming, acidification, and sea level rise are among the most significant threats to marine ecosystems. Ocean funders should also advocate for and support climate action.
Tahua's grants management platform supports ocean and marine conservation funders — with the grant tracking, geographic data management, and impact measurement tools that help funders protect ocean ecosystems effectively.