The Marine Conservation community is large and represented from all parts of the Earth. More and more people are entering this wonderful community every day, but they aren’t sure how they can help protect the Ocean to the point that they might give up because the problems are too big and they don’t think they can bring about change. Well, I can’t have that! So I decided to list these 7 ways that you can help conserve the Ocean to prevent you from being too overwhelmed. There are many other ways that you can help conserve the Ocean, but I feel that these are good beginner steps to getting what you want and feeling good about what you are doing. Don’t Panic, take a breath I get many messages from the Speak Up For Blue Podcast audience members after they listen to a show where I describe an issue and send me an email saying that they can’t believe we, as humans, can be so stupid to treat our Oceans the way they do. They are angry and shocked and want to yell at the world! I promptly reply for then to not panic and take a breath. They don’t want to approach people who are doing something to contribute to an Ocean issue aggressively and make that person angry for being called out. This attitude will not change the way people act in their lives or towards the ocean. Marine Conservation should be conducted in a positive way and provide the chance for people to change their habits. People contribute to Ocean issues without realizing they are doing anything wrong. You and I may be doing something that contributes to the problem every day, but we are unaware. For example, I did an interview with Stu Landesberg, CEO of the Grove Collaborative (formerly epantry), who sold certified eco-friendly cleaning supplies online. He described to me the way products on a store shelf differ from products sent via online purchases. The former has to compete on a shelf with other similar products and they have to last a certain time period on the shelf. The products are often sold in large, bright plastic containers that are not easily recyclable. They also contain chemicals that act as preservatives to ensure the product doesn’t spoil on the shelf. Those chemicals may not be as good for you as you thought (you would be surprised). The point is we live in a world where we waste and consume products that are not good for us or the environment, including the Oceans. It’s good to understand the issues, but don’t get too caught up in the anger and use that anger to change behaviour for conservation. Think Globally, act locally Think Globally, act locally is a term you probably heard bused by many environmentalists around the world. It’s such a cat phrase that often people use it in jokes, but the statement is so very true especially in Ocean Conservation. After you finish panicking, it’s good to take note of the major Ocean issues that we are facing: Plastic Pollution, Climate Change, Overfishing, Water Quality and Coastal Development are just a few of the major issues we not only face, but cause. Each issue is widespread enough that the consequences extend across the Ocean having a Global impact. Breakdown the problem by thinking how you can act locally that will remedy this problem. For example, decreasing overfishing will require you to eat seafood more sustainably and responsibly to avoid fish that are overfished. The Seafood Watch program will allow you to eat seafood with a conscious as the program is updated frequently to allow you to create informed decisions on your meals. I use my Seafood Watch App for my iPhone to ask the waiter or retailer whether the seafood was caught sustainably. If they don’t know, then I tell them that I don’t want the seafood because they don’t know how it was caught. Start at home It’s always good to start conservation at home as there are so many things that we can conserve including energy, water, plastic, and cleaning supplies covering four of the major issues I mention above. Each conservation action requires a chang