Ocean Champions

Ocean Champions is a United States environmental advocacy organization established in 2003 by marine biologist David Wilmot and environmental attorney Jack Sterne. It was created as a national political organization devoted specifically to ocean conservation and marine wildlife, rather than as a broad environmental group covering land, climate, and other ecological issues. The organization has described itself as a “blue group,” emphasizing the ocean-centered nature of its work. The organization operates as a 501(c)(4) advocacy group and is connected with the Ocean Champions political action committee. Its stated objective is to make protection and restoration of the oceans a national governmental priority. Rather than primarily delivering consumer products or conservation services, Ocean Champions works through electoral advocacy, congressional engagement, issue lobbying, and public-policy campaigns. It supports congressional candidates regarded as favorable to ocean protection and works against candidates whose positions or voting records are considered harmful to marine ecosystems. Its policy agenda has included ending overfishing, strengthening fisheries management, addressing harmful algal blooms and ocean dead zones, reducing coastal water pollution, protecting coral reefs, limiting offshore oil drilling, responding to ocean acidification, and developing a coordinated national ocean policy. The group has also advocated proposals for a national endowment supporting oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes. Its work has combined direct engagement with members of Congress and electoral activity through endorsements and campaign support. Ocean Champions became involved in debates surrounding the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and opposed measures it regarded as likely to worsen overfishing. It also supported maintaining restrictions on new offshore oil drilling and participated in efforts to hold BP accountable after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The organization has been associated with efforts that contributed to the adoption of a federal National Ocean Policy, as well as a House-passed proposal concerning toxic algal blooms and hypoxic ocean dead zones; the latter did not clear the Senate during the period described in the available reference material. Electoral work has been a central part of the organization’s model. Reference material states that Ocean Champions supported more than 50 members of Congress beginning with the 2004 election cycle and worked with candidates from both major U.S. political parties. It reported an 86 percent success rate for endorsed candidates between 2004 and 2014, although the underlying methodology and complete candidate list are not provided here. In 2014, the organization stated that it had helped defeat Representative Steve Southerland, whom it had identified as an “Ocean Enemy,” and that 68 endorsed or aligned “champions” served in the 114th Congress. The organization was headquartered in Capitola on California’s central coast and later added an East Coast office in Delaware. In 2011, it was recognized as a certified Monterey Bay Area Green Business. In 2016, Ocean Champions and co-founder David Wilmot received the Excellence in Policy Award at the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards; the available material describes this as the first time an organization had received that award. Publicly documented information in the supplied references is concentrated on the group’s work through the mid-2010s, so its current operating status, leadership, office structure, and website cannot be confirmed from the available sources.

Ocean Champions was founded in 2003 by marine biologist David Wilmot and environmental attorney Jack Sterne as a national organization dedicated solely to ocean and marine-wildlife policy. Its formation reflected an effort to create a political advocacy institution focused on oceans rather than a general environmental organization. Wilmot later characterized the group as a “blue group,” distinguishing its ocean-centered mission from the broader “green” environmental movement. The organization’s core theory of change combined electoral politics with legislative advocacy. Through its associated Ocean Champions PAC and its broader 501(c)(4) activities, it supported candidates for Congress who favored ocean conservation and opposed candidates whose positions were viewed as damaging to marine ecosystems. The group worked with Democrats and Republicans and reported supporting more than 50 members of Congress from the 2004 election cycle onward. For the 2004–2014 period, it reported that 86 percent of its endorsed candidates won their elections, although the available material does not provide a full accounting of the endorsements or the calculation. Its federal policy agenda covered fisheries, coastal protection, marine pollution, and ocean governance. Ocean Champions participated in efforts surrounding a stronger reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens fisheries law and worked against a farm-bill amendment that it believed would intensify overfishing. It also advocated action on harmful algal blooms, ocean acidification, coastal water pollution, coral-reef protection, and the creation of a national endowment for oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes. Offshore energy and oil-spill accountability became additional areas of activity. The organization supported congressional efforts to preserve a moratorium on new offshore oil drilling in 2006 and 2007. Following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, it was involved in advocacy seeking accountability from BP. In the same period, Ocean Champions supported the development of a federal National Ocean Policy and led advocacy for House legislation addressing toxic algal blooms and ocean dead zones. The legislation passed the House but, according to the supplied reference, fell short in the Senate. By 2011, the organization was headquartered in Capitola, California, on the West Coast, and had added an office in Delaware on the East Coast. At that time, the available reference identified Wilmot as president and Mike Dunmyer as executive director. Ocean Champions was also certified as a Monterey Bay Area Green Business on Earth Day 2011. The group continued to present its work through congressional scorekeeping, endorsements, and targeted election campaigns. In 2014, it reported helping defeat Representative Steve Southerland, whom it labeled an “Ocean Enemy,” and described 68 ocean-policy champions as serving in the 114th Congress. In 2016, Ocean Champions and Wilmot received the Excellence in Policy Award at the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards. The supplied sources do not establish the organization’s current leadership, active programs, financial position, or operating status, so those details remain unconfirmed.

• 2016

  Receives Peter Benchley Ocean Award for policy

  [1]Ocean Championsen.wikipedia.org

  Ocean Champions and co-founder David Wilmot receive the Excellence in Policy Award at the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards.

• 2014

  Reports electoral victories and congressional representation

  [1]Ocean Championsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization reports an 86 percent success rate for endorsed candidates from 2004 to 2014 and identifies 68 ocean-policy champions in the 114th Congress.

• 2011

  Receives Monterey Bay Area Green Business certification

  [1]Ocean Championsen.wikipedia.org

  Ocean Champions is recognized as a certified Monterey Bay Area Green Business on Earth Day.

• 2010

  Advocates national ocean policy and ocean-health legislation

  [1]Ocean Championsen.wikipedia.org

  Ocean Champions participates in advocacy connected with a federal National Ocean Policy and supports House legislation addressing toxic algal blooms and ocean dead zones.

• 2006

  Supports offshore-drilling restrictions

  [1]Ocean Championsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization supports congressional efforts to preserve a moratorium on new offshore oil drilling.

• 2004

  Electoral advocacy begins in the 109th Congress cycle

  [1]Ocean Championsen.wikipedia.org

  Ocean Champions begins the period in which it reports supporting pro-ocean congressional candidates and working against candidates it considers harmful to ocean interests.

• 2003

  Ocean Champions is founded

  [1]Ocean Championsen.wikipedia.org

  David Wilmot and Jack Sterne establish Ocean Champions as a national U.S. organization focused exclusively on ocean and marine-wildlife policy.

A specialized U.S. “blue group” using electoral politics and federal policy advocacy to make ocean and marine-wildlife protection a national priority.

• Environmental advocacy · 2003

  Ocean-policy advocacy

  Ocean Champions develops and promotes federal policies intended to protect marine ecosystems and wildlife. Its agenda has included fisheries management, national ocean governance, ocean acidification, coastal pollution, harmful algal blooms, coral reefs, and funding mechanisms for oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes. This is an advocacy program rather than a commercial product.

• Political advocacy · 2004

  Congressional candidate advocacy

  Through endorsements, campaign support, and its connected political action committee, Ocean Champions promotes congressional candidates whose positions are considered favorable to ocean conservation. The organization has worked with candidates from both major U.S. political parties and has also opposed candidates it identifies as threats to ocean policy.

• 2014Ocean Champions congressional election campaign

  United States

  Ocean Champions supported candidates it designated as ocean champions and worked to defeat Representative Steve Southerland, whom it classified as an ocean opponent.

  Outcome. The organization reported Southerland’s defeat and 68 ocean-policy champions serving in the 114th Congress.

  Source
• 2010Toxic algal blooms and ocean dead zones campaign

  United States

  The organization led advocacy for federal legislation designed to reduce toxic algal blooms and hypoxic ocean dead zones.

  Outcome. The bill passed the House but did not pass the Senate during the period covered by the reference material.

  Source
• 2010National Ocean Policy advocacy

  United States

  Ocean Champions advocated coordinated federal ocean governance and played a role in efforts associated with the President’s Executive Order on National Ocean Policy.

  Outcome. A federal National Ocean Policy was established through the executive-order process described in the reference.

  Source
• 2006Offshore drilling moratorium advocacy

  United States

  Ocean Champions supported congressional efforts to maintain the moratorium on new offshore oil drilling along U.S. coasts.

  Outcome. The reference identifies the organization as a participant in efforts that protected the moratorium in 2006 and 2007.

  Source

• 2010

  Prioritizes federal ocean governance and ecosystem legislationStrategy

  Background

  Ocean policy debates included fragmented management, ocean pollution, harmful algal blooms, and marine ecosystem degradation.

  Action taken

  The organization supported a National Ocean Policy and promoted legislation addressing algal blooms, dead zones, fisheries, and ocean funding.

  Aftermath

  The National Ocean Policy effort advanced, while the House legislation on algal blooms and dead zones did not pass the Senate according to the reference.

  Source

• 2003

  Adopts an ocean-only political advocacy modelStrategy

  Background

  The founders established the organization to focus national political attention specifically on oceans and ocean wildlife.

  Action taken

  Ocean Champions combined 501(c)(4) advocacy with a connected PAC, congressional lobbying, and electoral endorsements.

  Aftermath

  The organization developed a specialized “blue group” identity distinct from broader environmental advocacy organizations.

  Source

1. 1Ocean Championsen.wikipedia.org