10 Ways You Can Help Protect The Ocean: Even if you don’t live near it!

I don’t think I’ll ever fully have the words for what the ocean means to me. I still remember the way I used to run toward the ocean as a kid in San Diego. There was no question, no hesitation. I just knew I belonged there. The water has always been where I felt most alive, free, and fully myself!

That feeling never left. From Mexico to Turks and Caicos and Tahiti, getting to explore her depths over the years has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. It's a connection I can feel in my whole body, even when I'm thousands of miles away. Maybe especially then.

And the more I've come to know her, the more I understand: the ocean is not just breathtaking. She is essential for all life on Earth - and something I feel deeply called to protect.

She helps regulate the planet’s climate, produces much of the oxygen we breathe, and supports entire webs of life. She provides so much nourishment, connection, play, wonder, and joy. She is our greatest teacher and healer.

And right now, she is in trouble.

Rising temperatures are pushing marine species beyond their limits, fueling mass coral bleaching events and collapsing ecosystems that took thousands of years to build. Pollution, especially plastic, has reached the most remote corners of the ocean, breaking down into microplastics that enter the food chain and into our own bodies. Overfishing is depleting populations faster than they can recover, while coastal development and destructive industries contribute to widespread habitat loss.

All of these pressures intersect, creating a compounding effect that marine ecosystems were never meant to carry.

I know it's easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless in the face of all of that - especially if you don't live near the coast. What could you possibly do? More than you think.

Because here's what most people don't realize: the ocean is not separate from you. It never was. Rivers flow into the sea. Chemicals travel through storm drains. Plastics find their way into waterways. Everything that happens on land eventually finds its way to her. Every single choice ripples outward, whether we see it or not. And small choices we make create BIG impacts over time.

There's a quote I keep coming back to:

“What can one plastic bottle hurt?” - said 10 billion people.

Distance may change how we experience the ocean, but it does not change our connection to her - or our responsibility.

So in honor of Earth Day, I want to offer something real and actionable for my fellow mermaids (and landlocked mermaids) who feel this in their bones, and for anyone who wants to be part of the solution, wherever you are. Because the most powerful changes don't begin at the water's edge. They start at home, in our habits, and in the small, intentional choices we make every single day.

Here are 10 ways you can help protect the ocean, no matter where you live:

1. Learn about your local water systems

This one might surprise you. What does your local water system have to do with the ocean? 

More than you might realize.

We live in a world that makes it very easy not to think about water. We walk to the nearest sink or fridge, turn on the tap at the perfect temperature, and it’s there whenever you want it. Need to get rid of something? Pour it down the drain, and it disappears. Out of sight, out of mind.

But what we often forget is that water is never really “gone.” It always goes somewhere.

Every town and city on Earth, no matter how far from the coast, sits inside a watershed. A living network of rivers, lakes, groundwater, and storm drains, all flowing into one another. The water that leaves your home travels through treatment systems and tributaries, through creeks you may have never noticed and rivers you've crossed a hundred times. And eventually, one way or another, it finds its way to the sea.

That means the fertilizers on your neighbor's lawn, the chemicals someone poured down a storm drain, the microplastics rinsed off synthetic fabrics in the wash - none of it stays local. It all has a pathway outward.

When you truly understand that connection, something shifts. The ocean stops feeling distant or abstract. It becomes part of a living system you are already inside of. Not out there, but woven into the very ground beneath your feet.

So here’s your first act of ocean stewardship: get curious about your local water supply.

Start by asking:

• Where does your freshwater come from? A river, a lake, an aquifer?

• Where does that water go after it leaves your home?

• Which waterways is it connected to, and how far do they reach?

• How is your local body of water doing? What threatens it?

• Where is your nearest water treatment plant, and what does it actually filter out?

And then go a little further:

• What would it take to better protect this system individually and collectively?

• Who is responsible for its health, and are they doing enough?

• How do you use your voice to advocate for cleaner, more responsible water standards in your community?

Awareness is where it starts, but it doesn't have to stop there. Understanding your local water system opens the door to asking better questions, demanding higher standards, and advocating for the health of your waterways. Not just for yourself, but for everything living in and around them, including the ocean!

2. Reduce (or completely stop) meat and seafood consumption

I know. This is the part where your eyes start to glaze over. But hear me out…

I'm celebrating 8 years of being vegan this month, and supporting a plant-based lifestyle is something I'll always advocate for. I stopped eating meat, fish, and dairy because of my love for the ocean, the planet, and all the life within it. And before you skip this part, I'm not here to judge your diet, but rather to offer you a new perspective to consider:

What you eat and the health of the ocean are deeply and directly linked.

Our modern system of mass seafood production is not sustainable. Fish are caught in staggering quantities to keep up with global demand, disrupting entire food chains and unraveling entire marine ecosystems. The truth is, we don't need fish in our diets, but ocean ecosystems do. Sharks, larger fish, and countless marine species depend on those relationships to survive.

We hear a lot about "sustainable seafood" as a solution, and it sounds great. Look for the right label, make the responsible choice at the fish counter, and you're doing your part. If only it were that simple.

The truth is, "sustainable seafood" is far more marketing than it is reality. The certifications most people trust, like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label you see at Whole Foods and on restaurant menus, have faced serious criticism from marine scientists and conservationists for certifying fisheries that are anything but sustainable. Certified fisheries have included declining populations, destructive fishing methods, and significant bycatch: the accidental capture of non-target species like sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, and seabirds, which are hauled up and discarded, often dead.

Fish farming, or aquaculture, is often held up as the cleaner alternative, but it comes with its own serious problems. When thousands of fish are packed into netted enclosures, disease spreads rapidly and can jump to wild populations nearby. Waste, antibiotics, and excess feed pour into surrounding waters. Farmed salmon, for example, require enormous quantities of wild-caught fish just to produce their feed, creating a demand loop that puts even more pressure on ocean ecosystems. And escaped farmed fish can interbreed with wild populations, weakening the genetic resilience species need to survive.

But it goes beyond seafood.

Earlier this year, I completed a course on Large Marine Ecosystem Management, and it really opened my eyes to how human activity, even far inland, directly shapes the health of our oceans. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the most threatened marine ecosystems on Earth, and a significant driver of that damage is agricultural runoff from large-scale livestock farming traveling down the Mississippi River and emptying into the sea. That runoff depletes oxygen, creates massive dead zones, and causes ecosystem collapse across hundreds of miles of open water.

A direct line from a feedlot in the Midwest to a dying reef in the Gulf.

I could go down a whole rabbit hole on this (and trust me, it’s very deep) but I’ll keep it simple:

Where you spend your money matters!

Every time you choose a plant-based meal, you reduce demand for systems that are quietly dismantling the ocean. Less industrial fishing pressure. Less agricultural runoff. Less strain on ecosystems already pushed to their limits.

You don't have to overhaul your entire life overnight; even occasional, intentional shifts in what you eat send ripple effects further than you might realize.

You don't have to be perfect. But it starts with being aware.

3. Vote with the ocean in mind

Your vote is one of the most powerful tools you have to advocate for the ocean, whether you live by the coast or hundreds of miles inland. Policy shapes protection. The decisions made by leaders at every level influence everything from water quality and pollution control to fishing regulations, wildlife protection, and climate action.

And it’s not just about national elections.

Local and state decisions matter just as much - sometimes even more! Wastewater management, agricultural practices, plastic bans, and conservation funding often start at the community level, yet their impact flows far beyond it…eventually reaching our rivers, our coastlines, and the ocean itself.

When you research and support leaders who prioritize environmental protection, you’re helping create systems that protect marine ecosystems on a much larger scale.

You’re also using your voice to support policies that:

• Reduce pollution before it reaches our waterways

• Protect vulnerable marine habitats

• Regulate overfishing and unsustainable practices

• Address climate change, one of the biggest threats to ocean health

It's easy to feel like one vote doesn't make a difference. But collective action is what drives real change, and this is one of the most impactful ways to be part of it.

Because protecting the ocean doesn’t stop at picking up litter and wearing reef-safe sunscreen, as important as those things are. It’s also about the systems and policies we choose to support!

If something concerns you, say something. Call your representatives. Sign petitions. Stay informed. Share and amplify the voices that are advocating for our oceans. Every time you vote with the ocean in mind, you're helping shape a future where it's protected, respected, and able to thrive!

4. Support organizations doing meaningful ocean work

There are so many incredible people and organizations dedicating their lives to protecting our oceans, from restoring coral reefs to advocating for stronger environmental policies and protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems.

And they can’t do it alone!

Large nonprofits and NGOs are creating real, tangible change by helping establish Marine Protected Areas, funding critical conservation research, supporting coastal communities, and pushing for the policy shifts that will protect our oceans for generations to come.

If you're in a position to donate, even small contributions make a difference. These organizations run on collective support, and every dollar helps.

But support doesn't have to be financial. Following and engaging with their content, joining mailing lists, sharing their message, signing petitions - all of it matters. Awareness is powerful, and the more people who care, the more momentum builds for real change.

Here are some ocean conservation organizations I personally love and support:

• Ocean Conservancy: Protects ocean ecosystems through science-based solutions, policy advocacy, and global efforts like coastal cleanups and reducing marine pollution

• Oceana: The largest advocacy organization in the world focused solely on oceans, campaigning to restore marine biodiversity by fighting overfishing, pollution, and harmful policy

• Coral Gardeners: Grows and replants corals to restore damaged reefs, while partnering with local communities to protect and regenerate these ecosystems from the ground up

• Future Swell: Uses storytelling, media, and creative partnerships to inspire action around ocean conservation and environmental issues

• Coral Reef Alliance: Protects coral reefs through research, community partnerships, and on-the-ground conservation programs tackling threats like climate change and declining water quality

• Surfrider Foundation: A grassroots powerhouse protecting oceans, waves, and beaches through local activism, clean water initiatives, and plastic reduction campaigns

Each of these organizations is doing meaningful, impactful work in different areas of ocean conservation, and they’re a great place to start if you’re looking to get more involved (this is by no means an exhaustive list, and there are SO many amazing conservation organizations out there!)

There’s a global community of people who care deeply about protecting the ocean, and by supporting them in whatever way you can, you become a part of that ripple effect!

5. Get involved in local community activism and use your voice to raise awareness

Protecting the ocean doesn’t always start at the shoreline - it often begins right in our own communities.

Even if you live far from the coast, there are so many ways to get involved locally. Rivers, lakes, and streams all flow into the ocean, which means caring for your local environment is caring for the ocean.

There's a good chance more is happening near you than you realize. Local aquariums, conservation groups, and environmental organizations regularly host cleanups, educational workshops, sustainability events, and community-led initiatives. My local aquarium organizes Community Action Days along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan throughout spring, summer, and fall, where we pick up trash, remove invasive plant species, and restore native ones in their place. These kinds of events are such a beautiful reminder that collective, hands-on action really does make a difference. It's also just a beautiful way to connect with people who care as deeply as you do.

A quick search for local environmental groups or cleanup events in your area might surprise you!

Jane Goodall said it best, "You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."

And just as powerful as showing up is speaking up.

You don't have to be an expert to care. You don't need all the answers to start a conversation. Share what you're learning. Talk about the ocean in your own way. Post about it, write about it, bring it into your everyday conversations. The more we normalize caring, the more it spreads.

Awareness is often the first ripple. And that ripple can turn into action, inspiration, and real change. Your voice matters more than you think, and it might be the reason someone else starts to care, too!

6. Consume less, be mindful of waste, and reduce (or stop using) single-use plastics

This one is big and increasingly urgent.

We’re living in a culture of overconsumption. From fast fashion, trend cycles, home décor hauls, and impulse online shopping, it’s become normal to buy more than we need and discard things just as quickly. But the environmental cost of this cycle is often hidden from view.

A huge portion of what we buy doesn’t simply “go away” when we throw it out. Most of it ends up in landfills, or worse, it travels. Through storm drains, rivers, and waterways, our waste slowly makes its way into the ocean. What we consume inland is deeply connected to the health of marine ecosystems far beyond where we live.

And the ocean feels it.

Plastic pollution, microplastics, and packaging waste accumulate in ways that devastate marine life, smother coral reefs, and disrupt entire ecosystems. What feels like a single discarded item in our hands becomes part of a much larger system the moment it leaves them.

This is why mindful consumption matters so much.

Before buying something new, pause for a moment and ask yourself: Do I really need this? Will I still value it a year from now? Five years from now? Choosing quality over quantity, reusability over convenience, and longevity over trend cycles can significantly reduce unnecessary waste.

Small shifts add up:

• Choose reusable water bottles, coffee cups, and shopping bags instead of single-use plastics

• Carry a reusable straw - it takes up almost no space and eliminates one of the most common sources of ocean plastic

• Repair, reuse, or repurpose items before replacing them

• Be intentional with purchases, especially fast-consumption goods like fashion or décor

• Dispose of waste properly and pick up litter when you see it, even when it’s not yours

These actions might feel small in isolation, but collectively, they create ripple effects that extend far beyond what we can see! Every choice is a small vote for the kind of world we want to live in.

7. Choose Sustainable Travel Options

When you travel, your choices have a direct impact on the places you’re experiencing. Tourism can either help protect ecosystems and support local communities or contribute to their degradation. The difference often comes down to where you stay, who you book with, and how consciously you move through a destination.

I wrote an entire blog post on this if you want to dive deeper, but choosing eco-conscious hotels, dive shops, and tour operators helps ensure your money is supporting businesses that have made real commitments. This can include places that reduce plastic use, conserve water and energy, have proper waste management systems (and aren’t dumping straight into the ocean), protect wildlife habitats, support local employment, and actively participate in conservation efforts. Opting for reef-safe excursions, avoiding wildlife exploitation, or choosing locally owned accommodations can make a huge impact!

And just as important: speak up when something isn’t right. If you see operators anchoring on coral reefs, crowding or stressing wildlife, or ignoring environmental guidelines, say something if it’s safe to do so. Record it. Report it. Share it. Accountability matters, and change often starts with awareness and pressure from travelers who care. 

It also means being mindful of your own footprint while you’re there. Respect marine life, avoid activities that damage coral reefs, and follow local guidelines that are designed to protect fragile ecosystems. The places we travel to are often the very environments we’re hoping to experience and remember, so treating them with care is essential.

Travel can be one of the most powerful ways to connect with the ocean and the planet, but only if we approach it with intention. The goal isn’t to stop exploring, but to do so in a way that leaves places better, or at the very least, no worse than we found them.

8. Choose ocean-friendly products and daily essentials

What we buy every day has a bigger impact than most of us realize.

From cleaning supplies and personal care products to clothing and sunscreen, many common items contain chemicals, synthetic materials, or microplastics that don't just disappear after we use them. While sewage and water treatment facilities do a great job of filtering what flows through them, some particles are too small to catch, and they eventually make their way into waterways and, ultimately, the ocean.

For example, some conventional sunscreens contain ingredients that can harm coral reefs, while many personal care products (like exfoliants, body washes, and toothpaste) still include microplastics, microbeads, or plastic-based additives. Even household cleaning products can carry harsh chemicals through wastewater systems that impact aquatic life long after they leave your home. And clothing made from synthetic fabrics sheds microfibers every time it’s washed, contributing to the growing problem of microplastic pollution in our oceans. 

Even with wastewater treatment systems in place, not everything is fully filtered out. Some chemicals, microplastics, and residues can still make their way back into waterways over time. And the reality is, there are many things we routinely rinse down sinks, flush, or send into storm drains that can be harmful to aquatic ecosystems.

The good news is that alternatives exist for nearly all of it, and choosing them reduces the impact at the source.

A few places to start:

• Sunscreen: Switch to reef-safe formulas to help protect coral ecosystems while swimming or diving

• Cleaning products: Look for biodegradable, non-toxic, or plant-based options (We use Blueland for our cleaning supplies and love it!)

• Personal care: Check ingredient labels and avoid products containing microplastics or microbeads. They’re more common than you’d think, and easy to replace (bonus points for supporting cruelty-free and vegan brands!)

• Clothing: Support brands using sustainable materials and responsible production (For everyday basics, I've been a long-time fan of Boody, a bamboo fiber brand that actually holds up)

• Lawn and garden care: Choose natural alternatives to synthetic fertilizers wherever possible. Excess nutrients from fertilizers are carried through storm drains into rivers and eventually the ocean, where they fuel harmful algae blooms that deplete oxygen and suffocate marine life

None of this has to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to happen overnight. Even a few intentional swaps begin to shift demand toward more responsible production practices. And demand, at scale, changes industries!

Once you start paying attention to what’s actually in everyday products, something shifts. You begin to see how many alternatives exist, how many small changes are possible, and how much collective power we actually hold as consumers.

What you avoid matters, but so does what you actively support. Every time you buy from a company that prioritizes safer ingredients, transparent sourcing, and environmental responsibility, you’re voting for a market that values ocean health. 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Where you spend your money matters. And when enough of us spend it differently, it changes everything.

9. Reconnect with nature (wherever you are)

Lakes, rivers, forests, oceans - they’re all part of one beautifully connected system. And even if the ocean isn't right outside your door, nature still is. Reconnecting with it, in whatever form is accessible to you, is one of the most powerful (and often overlooked) ways to deepen your relationship with the planet.

Whether you're walking along a lake, sitting by a river, wandering through a forest, or pausing to notice the trees and sky in your own neighborhood, you begin to feel that connection again. That quiet reminder that you're not separate from nature, you're part of it.

And from that place, something shifts. You become more present. More aware. More intentional. You see how nature makes a difference in your life. How a local pond becomes a gathering place where people relax, kids splash, and dogs can run and enjoy the sunshine. You feel, in a way that no article or documentary can fully replicate, what is actually at stake.

Protecting the planet no longer feels like an abstract idea - it becomes something personal. That’s where real change begins. Because we protect what we feel connected to. The more you nurture your connection to nature, wherever you are, the more naturally that care extends outward…all the way to the ocean!

That connection is not a small thing. It might, in fact, be everything.

10. Stay hopeful and connected to the bigger picture

Hope is also a form of action.

Staying connected to the bigger picture means remembering that progress doesn’t always look dramatic or immediate. It often looks like small shifts happening across millions of people, communities, and systems…awareness growing, policies changing, habitats slowly being restored, conversations turning into action.

Progress is happening, even when it feels slow.

And just as importantly, staying connected means allowing yourself to care without carrying the full weight of it all. You don’t have to do everything. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to carry the entire ocean on your own to make a difference in it. That is not what's being asked of you.

All we can do is show up. In whatever way you can, with whatever you have, wherever you are.

Remember, you are part of something much larger. A living, breathing, deeply interconnected system. A global web of people, places, and ecosystems all connected through water. And when you stay engaged, informed, and hopeful, you help strengthen that connection.

Because hope is what keeps you showing up. It’s what fuels your choices, your voice, and your willingness to keep caring, even when the scale of it all feels impossible. Don't underestimate that. The world needs people who refuse to stop caring.

Every mindful choice, every honest conversation, every small act of intention - it all adds up. More than you know!

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I hope this gave you a few new ideas and maybe a fresh perspective on how you can make a difference for our oceans, no matter where you live.

If something in here resonated with you, I’d really love to hear about it. And if you have your own ways you’re showing up for the ocean, please share them! Leave a comment below or message me on Instagram @HeyStephanieWeber 

And if this post spoke to you, share it with someone who loves the ocean as much as you do. The more we spread awareness, the more ripples we create.

💙🌊 Happy Earth Day