“A healthy ocean is every child’s rightful inheritance”
SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2020
Special Performance by
STING Evening Hosts
TED DANSON AND SAM WATERSTO N
“The world’s finest wilderness lies beneath the waves” — Robert Wyland
HARRIET E. PFLEGER FOUNDATION
WELCOME
Welcome! We are so excited you’re joining us for the 13th annual SeaChange, our first-ever virtual Summer Party! We are all adapting to a new normal, but we also need to stay focused on the future—one where the need for sustainable oceans is more critical than ever. That’s why we’ve re-imagined this year’s SeaChange Summer Party, bringing the excitement of a celebrity-studded evening home. Now more than ever, we’re stronger together. This year, SeaChange is highlighting Oceana’s efforts to safeguard marine life off the coast of California from entanglement in fishing gear—a campaign we could not undertake without your support. With your help, we can reduce the number of whale and sea turtle deaths in nets and buoy lines by 80% in just a few years. For the past 13 years, the generous people of Orange County have helped make the SeaChange Summer Party a tremendous success. Together, we have raised over $14 million for ocean conservation. Your support has helped Oceana grow from a small group of passionate environmentalists to a global organization that has won more than 225 policy victories and protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean. Thanks to your generous donations, Oceana continues to have an impact greater than our organization’s size. We lead uniquely targeted, science-based campaigns to achieve measurable results. In addition to public and corporate engagement we also forge local partnerships. To support the work of our partners, and to make sustainable oceans a California legacy, SeaChange has re-granted nearly half-a-million dollars to local ocean charities. At SeaChange, we say that a healthy ocean is every child’s rightful inheritance. Thank you for joining hosts Ted Danson and Sam Waterston, legendary performer Sting, Leonardo DiCaprio and our largest-ever celebrity roster as we celebrate our oceans and pledge to ensure that the next generation can enjoy clean and abundant seas. For the oceans,
Elizabeth Wahler
Elizabeth Wahler, SeaChange Chair P.S. I’m very excited you’ll be joining us! The support from our community, as well as a growing list of celebrity participants, has been truly inspiring. SEACHANGE EVENT PROGRAM 2020 | 3
SEACHANGE 2020 SIGNATURE COCKTAIL
O-SEA-ANA Hugo INGREDIENTS 1 Ounce Nolets Gin 1/2 Tbsp St. Germain 6 Ounces Prosecco 1 Tbsp Sparking Water 1/4 Fresh Lime Juice Mint Leaves Spirulina or Blue Curaรงao
DIRECTIONS Fill a large wine glass with ice. Add all ingredients. Rub 3-6 mint leaves together and add to the glass. Garnish with mint and lime wedges. For blue color mix 1 teaspoon spirulina (Color Kitchen natural food color powder) with 1 teaspoon of water OR 1 teaspoon of Blue Curaรงao.
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BIOGRAPHIES
Sam Waterston As a member of Oceana's board of directors, Waterston brings to the organization a wealth of talent and resources in support of Oceana's programming and mission. "I've loved the ocean all my life," explained Waterston. "As a New Englander, I've seen the nasty effects of fisheries collapse on the life of seaside towns. Scientists now warn us that unless we do something, the world is on a path to global fishery collapses by midcentury, a calamity of mindboggling proportions we can still avert. The time to act is now, which is why I'm very happy to be working with an organization as effective as Oceana." Waterston was born in 1940 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where his father was a language teacher and his mother was a landscape painter. He attended preparatory schools Brooks and Groton before earning a scholarship to Yale University, where he graduated
with a Bachelor of Arts in 1962. Later that year, Waterston made his New York debut at the Phoenix Theater in “Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad.” Over the next four decades, Waterston's career includes a plethora of film and television credits as well as repeated returns to the stage. His trophy case features television awards such as the Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild plus OBIE and Drama Desk theater awards. Other accolades include an Academy Award nomination for his role as journalist Sydney Schanberg in 1984's “The Killing Fields” and six Emmy Award nominations for his roles in “I'll Fly Away” and “Law & Order.” "We are very grateful for Sam's help," noted Oceana's chief executive officer Andrew Sharpless. "He gets it. He has closely followed the drumbeat of scientific reports about the rapid depletion of life in our oceans. Everyone recognizes and trusts him. He is a huge help for our campaigns to bring the world's oceans back from the brink of irreversible collapse."
Ted Danson To most, Ted Danson is known for TV and movie acting roles, but for those in the conservation movement, he is famous for his work as a passionate ocean advocate and Oceana spokesman. The son of an archaeologist and anthropologist, Ted grew up understanding that cultures leave an imprint on the Earth and that some legacies are indelible, for better or for worse. Despite growing up in landlocked Flagstaff, Arizona, Ted developed an affinity for the water during years of routine pilgrimages to visit family in California. His call to action came later, during his tenure as Sam Malone on “Cheers,” when he saw a sign on the Santa Monica beach warning, “Water polluted, no swimming.”
“Trying to explain that to my kid was hard,” he remembers, “It got me questioning a lot of things.” Shortly thereafter, Ted met environmental lawyer Bob Sulnick and become involved in a movement to prevent drilling for offshore oil in Santa Monica. Buoyed up by the victory, Danson helped create the American Oceans Campaign in 1987, which eventually became Oceana in 2001. Over the last two decades, Ted’s stellar acting career has been complemented by his staunch ocean advocacy, appearing in public service announcements, appealing to donors and testifying to the government on the condition of our oceans. He currently sits on Oceana’s Board of Directors where he and his wife, actress Mary Steenburgen, continue to fight on our oceans’ behalf. SEACHANGE EVENT PROGRAM 2020 | 5
SPONSORS
Oceana wishes to thank our Sponsors, Auction Donors, and Underwriters for their generosity and support of OCEANA’S 2020 SeaChange Summer Party.
PACIFIC OCEAN SPONSORS
BMW and The Southern California BMW Centers Dropps AUCTION DONORS
Camilla South Coast Plaza Chopard South Coast Plaza Gabe Serrato and Byron Rabin Montage International Ritz-Carlton Kapalua
Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort, Montecito Triology Excursions, Maui Versace South Coast Plaza Wailea Beach Resort
GIFT SPONSORS
Bialetti Dropps Nautica
The Sak Elizabeth Wahler Valaree Wahler UNDERWRITERS
Commerce Printers Brite Ideas WINE SPONSORS
Starborough Wine Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc Talbott Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir 6 | SEACHANGE EVENT PROGRAM 2020
PARTNERS
We wish to thank our Partners for their generous support of OCEANA’S 2020 SeaChange Summer Party. Proceeds from the event will help OCEANA in its important work to protect and restore the oceans. Sea Turtle Partner Harriet E. Pfleger Foundation Sea Otter Partner Monique Bär Jean and Tim Weiss
Sea Horse Partner Tricia and Michael Berns Crevier Family Foundation Karen Jordan Anne Earhart
Gretchen and James Sandler Elizabeth Wahler Valaree Wahler
Seashell Partner Bree Cox and Cary Hayden Laura and Lou Rohl South Coast Plaza Valarie Van Cleave and Uwe Waizenegger
Sea Grass Partner JoAnne Artman Gallery
Maralou and Jerry Harrington
Bank of America
Suzie and Dave Kaplan
Cindy and Jay Blasingame
Barbara and Greg MacGillivray
Jeff Blasingame
Susan and David Rockefeller
Cambridge Companies SPG LLC
Laurie Rodnick and Sir Thomas Moore
Leslie and Dino Cancellieri
Nancy and Simon Sidamon-Eristoff
Sally and Randy Crockett
Barbra Streisand
Dior
Nancy and Michael Thompson
Bhadra and Mark Gordon
Susie and George Wood SEACHANGE EVENT PROGRAM 2020 | 7
2020 COMMITTEE
Vice Chair Event Chair Elizabeth Wahler Jeff Blasingame
SeaChange Founder Chair Emeriti Ted Danson & Chair Emeriti Julie Hill Valarie Van Cleave Eve Kornyei Britt Meyer
Host Committee
Keith Addis Miranda Cosgrove Ted Danson
Taran Killam Angela Kinsey Katharine McPhee
Austin Nichols Oscar NuĂąez Keri Selig
Cobie Smulders Sam Waterston Ursula Whittaker
Sally Crockett Kathryn Glassmeyer Cenci Julie Hill Lori Kenyon Farley Suzie Kim Robert L. Kollar, Esq. Eve Kornyei Bonnie Lee Slane Lightburne
Trish Mangold Diana Martin Janet Nolet Tawnie Olson Brad Pivar Nicole Polizois Laura Rohl Gabe Serrato Linda Stites
Dr. Danni Sun Alicia Thompson-Tarman Valarie Van Cleave Ashley Wahler Elizabeth Wahler Jean Weiss
Jennifer Durham Christine Dwight Anne Earhart Linda Edwards Patricia and Jim Edwards Susanne Elstein Natalie and Christian Fanticola JoAnn and Anthony Fanticola Kathy and Marc Fanticola Lori and Richard Farley Cindy and Steve Fry Esther Gallant Bhadra and Mark Gordon Debra Gunn Downing Kelly and Jim Hallman Patricia J. Hansen Maralou and Jerry Harrington Sara and Paul Heeschen Michelle and James Jaeger Karen and Jon Jaffe Michelle and Paul Janavs Lynne and Dennis Jilot Michele Johnson Annemarie and Fletcher Jones, III Suzie Kim and Michael Silvers Melissa and Scott Knode Laurie Krause and Don Crevier Amy and Ed Leasure
Delphine Lee Mandy and Christopher Lee Bonnie Lee and Justin Pham Sara and Jack Lowell Barbara and Greg MacGillivray Twyla Martin Dr. Anne Marie McNeill Lilly and Paul Merage Lisa and Richard Merage Arden Montgomery Sir Thomas R. Moore Mark Murray Debbie and Paul Naude Martha and James Newkirk Janet and Carl Nolet Tawnie and Dr. Mark Olson Natalia and Derek Ostensen Dr. Jacinthe Paquette Dr. Hannah Lui and Dr. John Park Mitra Parsa Teresa and Doug Pasquale Mary Philips and Mert Wallen Gena Reed Marisa and Stephen Robbins Susan and David Rockefeller Laurie Rodnick Mishel and Greg Rohl Laura and Louis Rohl
Darlene and Steven Rudkin Eve and Mike Ruffatto Gloria and Jack Sage Julie Schmitz and Eric Albert Yvonne Schroeder and Mike Lake Elizabeth T. Segerstrom Jennifer and Anton Segerstrom Alexis Self and Jim Hedgecock Dr. Cherilyn Sheets Heather and Paul Singarella Cyd and Steven Swerdlow Sharon Thompson Twila and Alan True Susan and Charles Van Cleve Amy and Jeffrey Vieth Deidra Wager and Dr. Richard Munsen Valaree Wahler Valarie Van Cleave and Uwe Waizenegger George J. Wall Shirley and Walter Wang Jean and Tim Weiss Sandra and Ray Wirta Susie and George Wood
Executive Committee Lace Alexander Julie Anderson-Leonardo Tricia Berns Jeff Blasingame Karen Cahill Leslie Cancellieri Mary Carrington Judy Chang Bree Cox Event Committee Janis Agopian Bette and Wylie Aitken Jens Albers Toni Alexander Elizabeth An and Gordon Clune JoAnne Artman Toni and Steven Berlinger Patricia and Michael Berns Carol and Dennis Berryman Deborah and Larry Bridges Lisa and Steve Briggs Karen and Bruce Cahill Junmei Cai Leslie and Dino Cancellieri Mary and John Carrington Kim and Andrew Castellano Judy and Jin Chang Mei Yen Chang Tania and Steve Chao Leslie and Gene Chase Alison and Lang Cottrell Sally and Randy Crockett Kim and Steve Davis Lynn De Logi Ishani and Micky Dhillon Stephanie Domzalski and Rick Aversano Deborah Drucker and Lee Rocker
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THANK YOU
VALARIE VAN CLEAVE
for your vision, outstanding leadership, and dedication over the last 13 years. Because of you, the SeaChange Summer Party has raised over $14 million to help protect and restore our oceans.
The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park “is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100-meter perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons, and two coral islands,” according to UNESCO. © Shutterstock/AlexRoseShoots
Climate change is hurting the ocean and planet.
OCEANA IS HELPING THE OCEAN FIGHT BACK. There was a time when Australia’s Great Barrier Reef was great in every sense of the word. In 1981, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) signed off on a plan to make the reef a UNESCO World Heritage Site, writing in its evaluation that the area “comprises some 2,500 individual reefs of all sizes and shapes, providing the most spectacular marine scenery on earth.”
J
ust 35 years later, a massive heatwave swept through the sea and wiped out more than a quarter of those spectacular corals, leaving pallid skeletons where multicolored polyps once stood. The forecast for the Great Barrier Reef’s future is equally dismal: In a recent report, the Australian government described the reef as “an icon under pressure” with a “very poor” long-term outlook. How did one of the seven natural wonders of the world decline so quickly? Climate change, primarily. The ocean has absorbed 90% of the extra heat in our atmosphere and, consequently, it saw the hottest temperatures on record last year. Additionally, the
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ocean has absorbed 20 to 30% of our carbon emissions since the ‘80s, triggering chemical changes that make waters more acidic. Combined, excess heat and increased acidity can precipitate the collapse of entire marine ecosystems, including the mass bleaching of coral reefs. If the planet heats up by 2°C, nearly all of the world’s coral reefs will die. And yet, even in an increasingly hostile ocean, pockets of resilience can still be found. Across the equator from Australia, in another part of the Pacific, the corals of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park are in comparatively good shape. Within this protected park in the Philippines, you can find snapper and sweetlips
intermingling with whale sharks, tiger sharks, sea turtles, and marble rays against a kaleidoscopic backdrop of 360 different coral species. By preserving places like Tubbataha, coral reefs can become more resilient in the face of climate change. At the same time, the ocean itself can be used as a tool for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Ocean-based solutions could provide 21% of the emissions reductions needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2050, according to a report released last year by the High Level Panel for A Sustainable Ocean Economy, a group of 14 world leaders. The only question is: How do we do it? Oceana has answers. Using a three-pronged approach, Oceana is attacking climate change by protecting carbon-sequestering habitats, supporting sustainable fisheries, and campaigning against expanded offshore drilling. Here's how.
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Oceana protects carbon-sequestering habitats like mangroves and kelp forests.
Mangroves are coastline-hugging trees that thrive in warm, shallow, salty waters. Their waxy leaves peek out above the water, but below the surface is where the magic happens. There, you’ll find a tangle of roots and, below that, a thick layer of soil capable of capturing roughly four times the amount of carbon that tropical forests store. This is because mangrove soils tend to be deeper than other forest soils, and their low levels of oxygen help store carbon more efficiently. These trees are the true superheroes of the sea. They act as nurseries for baby fish and provide shelter to a variety of marine animals, many of which hold commercial value. They trap sediments and filter wastewater before it is discharged into the ocean. They even act as a natural shield, protecting people from the worst of the storms that have been plaguing coastal communities with greater frequency and intensity as oceans heat up. “Communities with more extensive mangrove forests experience significantly lower losses from exposure to cyclones than communities without mangroves,” the High-Level Panel concluded in its report. Mangroves are strong, but they aren’t invincible. It’s estimated that up to half of the world’s “blue carbon ecosystems” – a category that includes mangrove forests, salt marshes, and seagrass beds – have been degraded or converted for other uses, like carbon-intensive shrimp farms or rice fields. In the Philippines’ Manila Bay, the devastation has been far greater; nearly 99% of the mangroves in this area have been decimated since the beginning of the 20th century. Mangroves
store carbon that may have built up over hundreds or even thousands of years, and yet, when they’re destroyed, it takes mere decades for greenhouse gases to seep back out into the environment. To protect what’s left of the Manila Bay mangroves, Oceana is campaigning to prevent a development project that would mow down hundreds of mangroves and convert part of the bay into land. San Miguel Corporation – the largest company in the Philippines by revenue – wants to build an airport in Bulacan province, just outside of Manila. This development, called the New Manila International Airport, would displace hundreds of coastal families, and cause irreparable damage to habitats, fisheries, and the livelihoods of local artisanal fishers. Oceana’s team in the Philippines is building a groundswell of opposition to the project by collaborating with local allies and scientists that want to protect Manila Bay. Oceana has also launched an online petition to stop land reclamation along the coast. These “dump-and-fill” infrastructure projects threaten marine biodiversity and disturb fragile coastal ecosystems. Like mangroves, seaweeds like kelp also sequester carbon. As a partner of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Vibrant Oceans Initiative, Oceana is working in Chile to stop the overexploitation of brown kelp, a type of seaweed that’s typically used in food additives and cosmetics. As the largest artisanal “fishery” in Chile, kelp supports thousands of jobs, but the industry could come crashing down if extraction continues at current unsustainable rates. Oceana’s goal is to get the Undersecretary of Fisheries to adopt a management plan by 2023 that keeps kelp extraction within healthy levels. This will help preserve harvesters’ jobs in the long-term while also keeping more kelp in the ocean, allowing the algae – and the carbon it sequesters – to naturally sink to the seafloor.
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Oceana supports sustainable fisheries that yield low-carbon seafood.
In the context of climate change, science-based fisheries management is more vital than ever. Warming waters are creating a refugee crisis in the ocean, causing fish to go where they normally wouldn’t. At times, when commercially important species have crossed geopolitical boundaries, “fish wars” have been fought over who owns the rights to these resources. Tropical fish from the Caribbean have been spotted off the U.S. coast of Georgia. Blue whiting from Iceland are increasingly popping up closer to Greenland. And zooplankton – a major food source for many sea creatures – have been shifting poleward by at least 25 miles per decade since the mid-1800s.
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Oceana is also working to end bottom trawling, the most fuelintensive and destructive fishing method that exists. In November 2019, NOAA Fisheries issued final regulations to protect more than 140,000 square miles of living seafloor habitat off the U.S. West Coast from destructive bottom trawling, following campaigning by Oceana and allies. With this victory, 90% of the seafloor in U.S. waters off the West Coast is safe from bottom trawling. To date, Oceana has protected millions of square miles of ocean habitat around the world from this harmful type of fishing .
Bits of coral can be seen amongst the rubble in Queensland, Australia. “Climate change is escalating and is the most significant threat to the [Great Barrier Reef] Region’s long-term outlook,” the Australian government wrote in its Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report last year. © Shutterstock/Pascal Vosicki
“Temperature is one of the most pervasive factors affecting a wide range of species all around the world,” said Oceana Science Advisor Dr. Malin Pinsky. He added, “Warming makes it harder, in effect, for fish and other marine animals to breathe. As temperatures go up, their metabolism and heart rate goes up, and they demand more oxygen.” To make matters worse, warming waters are compounded by other problems like pollution, overfishing, habitat loss, and higher acidity and lower oxygen levels in the water. When oxygen and food are limited, heat can stunt the growth of fish and make them less resilient. There’s a link between sustainable fisheries and climate change adaptation: By campaigning to reduce overfishing, Oceana is helping marine life withstand a harsher environment. “Overfished species are particularly vulnerable to climate change,” Pinsky explained. “Reducing overfishing and giving species a chance to recover may be our best chance of ensuring that fisheries are still viable in the future.” In addition to supporting sustainable fisheries management, Oceana endorses the Paris Agreement, which has the potential to protect 3.6 million tons of ocean catch – more than the average annual catch of Norway – as well as $4.6 billion in fishing revenue, according to a study led by Oceana Board Member Dr. Rashid Sumaila.
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As an added benefit, the safer and more sustainable a fishery is, the more ethically a low-carbon source of protein can be provided to a growing global population. Compared with other sources of protein, like beef and pork, most seafoods have a significantly lower environmental impact. “In comparison to land-based agriculture, wild fisheries produce a modest amount of greenhouse gases and require virtually no freshwater or arable land,” Alexandra Cousteau, senior advisor to Oceana, said while addressing government officials, business leaders, and scientists at the Our Ocean conference in Norway last fall. “At Oceana, we know that if we rebuild ocean abundance, we can feed the world.”
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Oceana campaigns against expanded offshore oil and gas drilling.
It’s no secret that offshore drilling takes a toll on the environment. It’s a sizable contributor to carbon dioxide emissions, and an underreported generator of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Not to mention, there’s the constant threat of oil well blowouts. An Oceana report showed that at least 6,500 oil spills occurred in U.S. waters between 2007 and 2017, but despite their frequency, clean-up methods are generally ineffective and have remained largely unchanged since the late 1980s. This means that oceans and marine wildlife are no safer than they were when BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, unleashing the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. Belize recognized the seriousness of these dangers. In December 2017, following years of campaigning by Oceana, the country made history by passing an indefinite moratorium on offshore drilling in national waters. This secures greater protections for the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second largest reef in the world, after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. This was an enormous victory for Oceana and Belize. However, the threat of offshore drilling looms elsewhere in
the world, including the U.S., where President Donald Trump announced plans to open nearly all federal waters to oil and gas development. If the President’s plan moves ahead, the fallout would be disastrous: An additional 50 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be discharged into the atmosphere, according to an assessment by the Center for American Progress (CAP). “Put another way, such an increase is the equivalent of the yearly emissions from nearly 10 billion cars – nine times as many cars as are on the road worldwide today,” CAP wrote. Last April, the state of New York issued a loud and clear rebuke to that plan when Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill to prohibit offshore oil drilling and associated infrastructure in state waters. Cuomo isn’t the only one taking a stand, either. Nine states have laws on the books against offshore drilling, and every East and West Coast governor – including Democrats and Republicans alike – has opposed expanded offshore drilling along their coasts. “If we are to avert the worst impacts of climate change, we cannot afford open season for oil drilling on our oceans,” said Diane Hoskins, campaign director at Oceana. “Along the coast, citizens, businesses, and elected officials are united in opposition to offshore drilling, including over 380 communities that have passed formal resolutions.” Until President Trump’s offshore drilling plan is completely revoked, Oceana will continue to campaign against it to prevent the damage before it’s done.
The future of coral reefs and our oceans is in our hands. In the Philippines, where 90% of surveyed corals range in condition from poor to fair, the colorful corals of Tubbataha Reef are faring better. This may come as a surprise, considering that the reef and its residents suffered the effects of “blast fishing,” a destructive, dynamite-detonating method that kills everything within a 30- to 100- foot radius (9 to 30 meters). In the 1980s, at the height of blast fishing in the region, the seafloor was left scarred and coral reefs were reduced to rubble. But the reef managed to make an impressive comeback, thanks to the area being declared a no-take zone in 1995. With time, several fish populations recovered, causing a “spillover effect” into areas outside of the reserve, where fishing is permitted. In turn, both the fishers and the fish benefited. While Tubbataha is now well protected, other areas in the Philippines are still vulnerable to future harm. That’s why Oceana, with the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Vibrant Oceans Initiative, is looking to establish a marine protected area (MPA) in
a coral-rich region of the Philippines within the next few years. By protecting the diverse array of corals and fish that live in healthy reefs, the damage caused by global warming and other stressors can be lessened. In some cases, carefully designed MPAs can help corals evolve to withstand higher temperatures over time, according to other research led by Timothy Walsworth at the University of Washington and coauthored by Pinsky. “Corals are facing a gauntlet over the coming years and decades from warming oceans, but we found that reef conservation in general can really boost corals’ ability to evolve and cope with these changes,” Pinsky said. “There is strength in diversity, even when it comes to corals. We need to think not only about saving the cooler places, where corals can best survive in the future, but also the hot places that already have heat-resistant corals. It’s about protecting a diversity of habitats; which scientists hadn’t fully appreciated before.” The Great Barrier Reef is a cautionary tale of the harm that climate change can inflict, but the story doesn’t have to end there. This latest research paints a picture of what marine ecosystems can look like when we act to preserve habitats, restore abundance, and inject some color and life back into our oceans. Together, we can tell that story and give the ocean the happy ending it deserves.
This photo of mangroves in Florida’s Crystal River was taken in October 2010 during Oceana’s Gulf of Mexico expedition, which was carried out to assess the long-term impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. Mangroves are highly sensitive to oil, and some cleanup techniques can cause even more damage. © Oceana/Carlos Minguell
2019-2020 Victories 2019 September • For the first time, Mexico provides public access to fishing vessel tracking data, making it easier to expose illegal fishing. October • California adopts a management plan for herring, a key part of the food chain that supports bigger fish, marine mammals, and seabirds. November • Fishery Council blocks return of West Coast longlines, safeguarding sea turtles, marine mammals and sharks. • More than 140,000 square miles of U.S. West Coast seafloor habitat protected from destructive bottom trawls. December • New U.S. rule requires shrimp trawls in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico to use Turtle Excluder Devices, saving 1,150 sea turtles a year.
2020 January • Belize phases out single-use plastics and styrofoam. February • U.S. government finalizes protections for whales, sea turtles and dolphins from death by entanglement in California swordfish drift nets. April • Chile prevents new salmon farming concessions in Patagonia. • New York bans plastic foam food containers and packaging. July • Brazil modernizes fisheries catch data with online reporting.
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Oceana’s Pacific Coast Campaign Victories With your help, Oceana has won many exciting victories from the Arctic to Southern California since our last SeaChange Summer Party in 2019.
2020 Whales, Sea Turtles, and Dolphins Saved from Drowning in Drift Gillnets — Following extensive legal action by Oceana, the National Marine Fisheries Service implemented strict limits — known as hard caps — on the number of whales, sea turtles and dolphins that can be injured or killed in the California-based swordfish drift gillnet fishery. The fishery will close if these caps are reached or exceeded. This fishery kills more dolphins than all other observed U.S. West Coast and Alaska Fisheries combined. Oceana is campaigning to fully phase out this gear type, but in the meantime, these hard caps will help save vulnerable sea life. More than 140,000 Square Miles of U.S. West Coast Seafloor Habitat Protected — Following a decade of scientific input, expeditions, and advocacy by Oceana, the National Marine Fisheries Service protected more than 140,000 square miles deep sea habitat off the U.S. West Coast from destructive bottom trawling. The protections safeguard diverse and delicate seafloor habitats, including corals, sponges, and rocky reefs. These provide nurseries, food, and shelter essential for important commercial and sportfish species, including more than 60 different species of rockfish. Ninety percent of the West Coast seafloor is now off limits to bottom trawls. These new seafloor protections include over 16,000 square miles off Southern California.
2019 California Protects Whales and Sea Turtles from Entanglement in Crab Gear — After years of advocacy, discussion, and collaboration between Oceana, fishermen, and policymakers, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife implemented the closure of specific areas to Dungeness crab fishing when whales and sea turtles are present. Vertical lines from Dungeness crab gear can entangle whales and sea turtles, but strategic closures can minimize entanglements, while still allowing for crab fishing throughout the season. Oregon Prohibits Offshore Oil Drilling in State Waters — Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 256 into law, which indefinitely extends Oregon’s moratorium on offshore oil drilling in state marine waters (0 to 3 miles from shore) and prohibits activities or new infrastructure that would support oil drilling in federal waters offshore Oregon (3 to 200 miles from shore). Sea Turtles, Marine Mammals and Sharks Protected from Pelagic Longlines — After a decade of campaigning by Oceana and our allies, the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted overwhelmingly to not permit pelagic longline fishing off the U.S. West Coast. Pelagic longlining is a harmful fishing method that has been linked to the excessive unintended catch of marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds, marlins, sharks, and other ocean animals. California Protects Pacific Herring, an Important Food for Marine Animals — The California Fish and Game Commission adopted a first-of-its-kind Fishery Management Plan for Pacific herring, small fish that are a critical source of food for other marine animals, seabirds and marine mammals. This plan comes after seven years of Oceana working with allies and government officials to create a new, ecosystem-based fishery management framework that includes catch limits and closes the fishery if the stock declines below critical levels. Alternative to “Walls Of Death” off the U.S. West Coast Approved — Following more than eight years of advocacy by Oceana, the Pacific Fishery Management Council unanimously voted to authorize deep-set buoy gear — an innovative fishing gear that has been proven to successfully and sustainability catch swordfish off the U.S. West Coast while avoiding deadly harm to marine mammals and sea turtles.
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JUNIOR OCEAN CHAMPION
Oceana’s 2020 Junior Ocean Champion Award: Miles Fetherston-Resch From Kids Saving Oceans, meet founder, ideas guy, and author: 8-year-old Miles Fetherston-Resch. Miles started this organization in 2018, at the age of six, donating the entire contents of his piggy bank to help save the oceans. His goal is to contribute $1,000,000 by the time he’s 18 years old. After watching countless hours of Shark Week, Miles spent a LOT of time thinking and talking about the challenges facing our oceans and the critters that call them home. He resolved to do more for ocean conservation than make a single donation. He creates and sells t-shirts, hats, and stickers and he recently wrote a book with his friend Ms. Tori McGee. Called Kids Saving Oceans: Olivia Makes a Difference, he hopes it inspires kids his age to learn how one person can make a difference. Miles lives in a house where marine conservation is a frequent dinnertime topic and feels strongly about his obligation to help save the ocean. He’s a Florida kid whose ocean accomplishments include finding dozens of shark teeth on Amelia Island, boogie boarding the Florida East Coast, and snorkeling the Dry Tortugas.
Learn more at www.kidssavingoceans.com and by following Miles on Instagram www.instagram.com/kidssavingoceans
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2020 OCEAN CHAMPIONS
Oceana’s 2020 Ocean Champions Award: Carl and Janet Nolet
Thank you for being Champions and stewards of our oceans. With your incredible support of Oceana and the SeaChange Summer Party, you are ensuring that future generations enjoy the legacy of healthy, sustainable oceans. Your remarkable generosity for the past decade has helped us immensely—and both fueled and inspired our work, protecting the oceans and the beautiful creatures within. SEACHANGE EVENT PROGRAM 2020 | 17
OCEANA
Congratulations on the 13th SeaChange Summer Party! I am so proud to be part of this amazing team, and to help Oceana with its mission to defend, protect, and restore our oceans.
Thank you to everyone who works tirelessly to make SeaChange a success - our amazing partners, donors and supporters - who have helped us raised over $14 million since 2008. And a very heartfelt thank you to Oceana’s leadership team, staff, and board for your incredible work and advocacy. — ELIZABETH WAHLER
We salute Oceana for championing biodiversity in our oceans and safeguarding its health and abundance. Thank you, to the wonderful staff and volunteers everywhere that make our world a better place. — MICHAEL AND TRICIA BERNS
Michael and Tricia Berns descend to 1,000 feet, in support of a reef biodiversity and gene sequencing project at substation Curacao.
BOARD of DIRECTORS Valarie Van Cleave – Chair Ocean Advocate
Sydney Davis Designer/Activist
Ted Danson – Vice Chair Actor/Activist
César Gaviria World Lecturer
Diana Thomson – Treasurer The Nikita Foundation
María Eugenia Girón Business Leader
James Sandler – Secretary The Sandler Foundation
Loic Gouzer Ocean Advocate
Keith Addis – President Industry Entertainment Partners
Jena King Jena and Michael King Foundation
Gary “Gaz” Alazraki Alazraki Entertainment Monique Bär Arcas Foundation Herbert M. Bedolfe, III Marisla Foundation Nicholas Davis Fundación Punta de Lobos Euroamerica
Ben Koerner Arcadia Fund Sara Lowell Marisla Foundation Stephen P. McAllister Cherrywood Development LLC
Dr. Daniel Pauly The University of British Columbia David Rockefeller Jr. Sailor/Conservationist Susan Rockefeller Documentary Filmmaker Simon Sidamon-Eristoff Kalbian Hagerty LLP Dr. Rashid Sumaila The University of British Columbia Sam Waterston Actor/Activist Jean Weiss Ocean Advocate
Dr. Kristian Parker Oak Philanthropy Limited
GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20036 USA Phone: +1 (202) 833-3900 Email: info@oceana.org BELIZE BRAZIL CANADA CHILE EUROPEAN UNION MEXICO PERU PHILIPPINES UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES
www.oceana.org
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“Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.” – S A R A H K AY
Thank you, Elizabeth & Jeff for your tireless work to ensure the SeaChange Summer Party is a success.
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Sharing a love and respect for the water, Nautica is proudly supporting Oceana to protect the world’s oceans. LEARN MORE
THANK YOU
ELIZABETH WAHLER, for leading us
through our first-ever virtual SeaChange. Your foresight, tenacity, and passion for the oceans is greatly appreciated by the entire Oceana team.
Chloé ©2020 South Coast Plaza
South Coast Plaza is honored to support
OCEANA and its mission to protect and restore the world’s oceans. 250 Boutiques | 30 Restaurants | Segerstrom Center for the Arts
San Diego FWY (405) at Bristol St., Costa Mesa, CA SOUTHCOASTPLAZA.COM @SouthCoastPlaza #SCPStyle
SPECIAL THANKS to Keith Addis at Industry Entertainment Partners for your steadfast dedication to the success of the SeaChange Summer Party.
We appreciate your abiding commitment for the past 13 years. Valarie Van Cleave, Elizabeth Wahler, Pamela George, and your Oceana family
OCEANA’S BOARD AND STAFF
extend our heartfelt gratitude to
THE CAHILL FAMILY for their longstanding partnership and generous support of the SeaChange Summer Party. We look forward to returning to your beautiful home next year!
ESTABLISHED 2017
OC AND LA
Oceana Young Leaders Council
All Ages We welcome, and encourage, all ages at our beach cleanups!
We are the leaders on the ground, empowering the younger generations to make an impact.
Education
The Oceana Young Leaders is an active group based in Los Angeles and Orange County that partakes in activities such as beach cleanups, movie screenings, and more! We are focused on engaging and empowering each other to save the planet and our oceans from the ground up. Come make a difference in your community with us!
Learning about our environment while actively taking care of it is one of the best ways to make a lasting, personal, impact.
Volunteer opportunities posted on instagram @OceanaYLC
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WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED BUT DON’T KNOW HOW?
JOIN THE YOUNG LEADERS!
DONATE YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET: TIME.
ALL AGES WELCOME.
Founded by Kira Cahill & Olivia Dahan.
“We wanted to be more involved with Oceana in a handson way and make change from the ground up.”
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Be part of the solution, not the pollution 25% off your first order with promo code OCEANA2020
Dropps® proudly supports Oceana in its advocacy work to end single use plastics and save our oceans from plastic pollution Meet Dropps Dropps is reinventing cleaning for good by eliminating everything you don’t need and shouldn’t pay for, and delivering high performance, sustainable products that make life simpler.
Our recyclable and compostable cardboard packaging is designed to reduce single-use plastic.
We believe in kindness – not in taking harmful shortcuts. No one suffers to make our products; not bunnies in labs, not fish in lakes... not even really, really expensive jeans. By choosing Dropps, since 2006 consumers have avoided buying over 1.2 million single-use plastic bottles & jugs.
One Family, One Home, One Future visit dropps.com to learn more
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CLASSIC CAR SALES & CONSIGNMENTS • CLASSIC CAR STORAGE EVENT VENUE • CREVIER SALES & LEASING (OF ALL MAKES & MODELS)
365 Clinton St. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | 714.426.0238 crevierclassiccars.com | events@crevierclassiccars.com 32 | SEACHANGE EVENT PROGRAM 2020
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THE JOURNEY TO SUSTAINABLE LUXURY
In 2013, Chopard embarked on The Journey to Sustainable Luxury, a project driven by a sense of profound humility and by an ambitious commitment to creating a positive difference. This journey is notably centered around a commitment to protecting and preserving the Earth from which the Maison sources its raw materials. Chopard is committed to demonstrating industry leadership in the responsible sourcing of gold for all collections. In July 2018, the Maison lead the watch and jewelry industry with a major and unique announcement: Chopard will use 100% Ethical Gold in its jewelry and watch creations. Since 2018, this sustainable effort has extended to our new Boutique concept, entirely made with recycled and/or sustainable materials, as seen in the newly opened London Boutique (and soon other boutiques around the world). Chopard’s new Alpine Eagle watch collection is made with recycled steel, and handbags and fragrances are made in a sustainable way as well. As a family run business, sustainability has always been a core value, and today sees the culmination of a vision started more than 30 years ago.
We are committed to reversing the tides of plastic in the ocean. ReSak is handmade from recycled ocean crochet with Oceanworks® certified yarn sourced from fishing nets.
SPE C IAL OFFE R
Use Code Oceana20 at checkout on thesak.com for 20% off your first order.* *Cannot be combined with other offers.
Bold Box is an eco-friendly subscription box company that helps you discover what aspects of sustainability are sustainable for your lifestyle! The best eco products on the market, delivered straight to your door, every season! With four amazing boxes every year, you will see how becoming the best version of yourself was truly as simple as a single subscription.
Be Bold. Be Better. Be You. A portion of sales go to Oceana, World Wildlife Fund, and the National Forest Foundation
Bold Box was created in 2019 by Oceana Young Leaders Founders, Kira Cahill and Olivia Dahan. They found that there was a gap in the market for eco-friendly products that were easy to use, easy to find, chic, and affordable. So voilĂ -Bold Box was formed! Their background with Oceana led to the founding of Bold Box, as being environmentally conscious citizens has become a way of life for both of them. USE CODE OCEANA10 for a 10% discount!
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SPECIAL GUEST THANK YOU
A BIG thank you to our special guests who have come together to support Oceana and the 13th Annual SeaChange Summer Party. STING Leonardo DiCaprio Miranda Cosgrove Alexandra Cousteau Angela Kinsey Billy Magnussen Austin Nichols Oscar Nuñez Christina Ochoa Sally Pressman Sam Trammell Kate Walsh Ursula Whittaker
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An estimated 17.6 billion pounds of plastic enters into the marine environment from land-based sources every year – roughly equivalent to dumping a garbage truck full of plastic into the oceans every minute.
#BreakFreeFromPlastic
Visit Oceana.org/Plastics to learn more
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS
On behalf of the Oceana family and the SeaChange Executive Committee, we extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your support of our first-ever virtual SeaChange Summer Party. Your participation is especially meaningful this year. — Elizabeth Wahler, SeaChange Chair
THE
SeaChange COMMITMENT:
A healthy ocean is every child’s rightful inheritance. Our goal is to raise awareness and support for OCEANA’s mission to restore the ocean’s bounty for ourselves and future generations. LOCAL INVOLVEMENT A percentage of SeaChange proceeds will be donated to local food banks and ocean conservation groups.
S E A C H A N G E S U M M E R P A R T Y. O R G | O C E A N A . O R G FA C E B O O K . C O M / O C E A N A | T W I T T E R . C O M / O C E A N A F A C E B O O K . C O M / O C E A N A S E A C H A N G E | I N S TA G R A M . C O M / O C E A N A S E A C H A N G E YO U T U B E .CO M / U S E R / O C E A N AO RG