What We Do



MCBI is a nonprofit, tax-exempt scientific and conservation advocacy organization. From our headquarters in Redmond WA and our Washington DC office, we work to protect and restore marine life on the West Coast, around the United States and beyond, by:



- encouraging research and training in marine conservation biology;

- bringing scientists together to examine crucial marine conservation issues;

- doing policy research to frame the marine conservation agenda;

- lecturing, producing books and other publications to educate scientists, the public and decision makers on key issues

- building partnerships to solve problems affecting marine life and people.



MCBI`s Approach to Marine Conservation



The public and our decision makers depend on scientists to take the sea`s pulse, report its vital signs and prescribe what must be done to maintain or restore its health. MCBI`s essential approach is to be proactive - seeking to frame the agenda, rather than react to it. We view science as the basis for developing knowledge to improve public understanding and to promote needed governmental policy and management reforms. As a result, we focus on:



- developing the science of marine conservation biology;

- sponsoring scientific research that enhances the conservation of marine species and ecosystems;

- convening working groups of scientists and policy-makers to identify critical marine conservation problems and their solutions; and

- planning and carrying out advocacy work to secure better marine conservation laws, especially at the federal level.



MCBI works at the interface of the scientific and conservation advocacy communities. We`ve assembled an agile, bold, focused and close-knit team of trained experts that works collaboratively with others to reshape the marine conservation agenda in the USA and beyond. Since MCBI is not a membership organization, we don`t have to appeal to broad public sentiments. We don`t take on all problems. Rather, we can focus on accomplishing what is most important and amenable to solution, looking beyond the horizon to see what others miss. We then share our vision with the broader scientific community, our funders, our NGO collaborators, the media, Congress members and federal agency officials. This vision, our energy and our web of relationships with these "key players" undergird our efforts to protect life in the sea.