40% of the world's population lives within 100km of the coast, and most of the ocean's degraded environments are on the coasts.   Since large concentrations of people consume the most goods and services and produce the most waste, it is our coastal cities that most directly endanger the oceans, but they can also have the biggest positive impact on ocean ecosystems. 

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Smart Ocean Cities can improve waste-water treatment to prevent algae blooms and restore oxygen to coastal dead zones. They can use microorganisms to transform the nitrates and phosphates in farm runoff into fertiliser and fish food. Cities can reduce plastic use and invest in making waste management more efficient, instead of exporting solid waste abroad, where it often ends up in the ocean. They can support ocean innovation incubators to advance solutions that restore natural resources like coral reefs, shellfish beds, fisheries and sea-plant farms. And city governments can pass municipal bonds to provide new funding streams for local ocean improvements with global impacts.

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The Ocean Data Alliance is working with a global network of cities to develop comparative Smart Ocean City Action Plans that put open ocean data to work to fix the ocean and address the climate crisis.

Join us and make a difference in the world.

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