Clean Ocean Action (COA)

Clean Ocean Action, inc.(coa)is the only full-time coalition dedicated to improving the marine waters of the new york/new jersey region. Founded in 1984, coa brings together and empowers over 115 organizations, hundreds of businesses and thousands of citizens to protect nature's most important resource: the Ocean. The professional staff includes phd's, an attorney, and several with master's degrees. The dynamic and effective team applies research, education, and citizen Action to reduce sources of pollution and impacts from climate change with fact-based campaigns to implement environmentally-sound solutions. Coa also engages meaningful and authentic efforts to ensure environmental justice. Accomplishments: significant improvements to marine water quality by reducing sources of pollution, plastics, and climate change, including: ended Ocean dumping of eight Ocean dumpsites off the coast of nj blocked fossil fuel Ocean industrialization, including five liquefied natural gas facilities and oil and gas drilling successfully led nj campaign to pass the nation's strongest single-use plastic reduction law passed the nation's strongest state law prohibiting offshore oil and gas activities with support from 99% of nj legislature passed the nation's strongest fertilizer control law to protect nj's coastal waterways reduced sources of raw sewage, protecting swimmers from sewage established the region's largest enviromental litter reduction event, beach sweeps, collected nearly 8 million pieces of trash from nj beaches, and created a database for regional litter and plastic reduction efforts reduced the use of plastics in communities and businesses, and by individuals conducted a statewide sampling of microplastics along the entire nj coast improved the management of dredge material created a model coastal watershed protection program, called rally for the waterways that has expanded into two nj counties created a municipal pollution reduction certification program, called blue star challanging reckless Ocean industrialization expanded seaside education programs for k-12 grade students. Education programs coa created the beach sweeps - the region's longest running largest bi- annual volunteer citizen science event for all ages that puts feet on the beach and hands in the sand to reduce marine debris and collect a legacy of information that is used to identify sources of marine debris, monitor trends and promote solutions. Coa also developed "watershed mindfulness" programs to engage people in pollution reduction at the local level, as well as coordinating diverse and engaging educational programs for all ages (youth - seniors), to reduce pollution, climate change and plastics. Coa also provides mostly-free seaside education for thousands of k-12 students. Research programs coa conducts research to identify plastics, pathogens, and chemical pollution sources by engaging citizen science with rigorous oversight by the phd water quality research director. Research is coordinated with state and federal agencies, as well as with outside scientists to ensure quality. Water quality monitoring is also conducted in coa's new in-house lab. Campaigns are implemented along with municipal engagement to reduce the sources of pollution and impacts discovered through research. Coa also researches threats to Ocean resources from industrialization, such as oil and gas drilling, power plants, and aquaculture. Citizen Action defending the Ocean requires vigilance, flexibility, and tenacity, as well as being on call for swift response. Coa is the Ocean's watchdog and advocate. As a watchdog, coa responds to and investigates calls from citizens about polluting activities. Advocacy includes Action campaigns, meetings, rallies,petitions, social media and press activities, as well as letter-writing. These are coordinated with scientific, technical, and legal expertise to ensure protection of marine water quality from pollution, including from pathogens, chemicals, and marine debris. Highly rated in 2023, coa's charity navigator rating grew from 99.95% to a perfect 100%. Coa is the only marine protection nonprofit to hold these top honors for an extended time. In fact, coa has consistenly held charity navigator's highest ranking of four stars since 2016. Also, candid (formerly guidestar) awarded coa their highest ranking, platinum.