Mission Statement: To safeguard the vitality of the oceans and our coastal waters. AOC is committed to scientific information in advocating for sound public policy. We are equally committed to developing partnerships with all entities interested in protecting the environment. AOC seeks to ensure healthy sources of food and coastal recreation as well as protect the ocean's grandeur for future generations.
Business Office:
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 210
Washington, D.C. 20003
Phone: 202-544-3526
Fax: 202-544-5625
E-mail: aocdc@wizard.net
Web site: www.americanoceans.org
Corporate Office:
6030 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: 323-936-8242
Fax: 323-936-2320
E-mail: aockm@wizard.net
Formed: 1987
Membership Cost: None really, but $25 a year for monthly newsletter/action alerts
Executive Director: Barbara Jeanne Polo
From the Beach: 100% from special events, membership contributions and grants
To the Beach: programs, 84%; administration, 16%
Roots | Past Victories | Present Battles
Roots
AOC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that was founded by Hollywood film and television actor Ted Danson in 1987. As founding president, Danson has kept the focus of AOC concentrated primarily on the deep-water marine environment. At the outset, the real strength of AOC was its Hollywood connection and ability to garner press and media instantly to raise awareness of ocean and coastal issues. This media power is still available, but AOC has also built solid programs around ocean fisheries, offshore oil development and, since 1990, increased its focus on estuary and beach water quality issues.
While not a chapter or membership-driven organization, AOC has effectively built a coalition with other environmental groups such as the Clean Water Network and is currently looking at ways to boost its membership base to improve the grassroots structure. Its re-focus on beach water quality programs has brought them into an area only Surfrider Foundation had been engaged in. This combination of forces has improved the battle for beach protection (two heads are better than one), but has also caused some friction in the area of fundraising for its respective environmental programs (two heads, one pie).
Even though there has been a dedicated presence of AOC in Washington, D.C., it is the Los Angeles-based operations that drive the organization. AOC has been in L.A. since its inception, due mainly to the fact that Ted Danson lives there, as well as most of the AOC Board of Directors. This California connection has also helped link AOC with both Hollywood and the huge local surfing industry. Even with these key AOC connections to the Hollywood stars and surfing industry -- and their deep pockets -- there seems to be dwindling funding for beach water quality and coastal protection programs. This is a mystery that AOC would like to solve to lock onto the big donor dollars needed to support its programs.
In an effort to broaden its outreach, AOC activities have established four beach water quality initiatives that should appeal to and garner support surfers and beach lovers:
--Healthy Beaches Campaigns
--Congressional Initiative
--Clean Water Network
--Health Ocean Business Alliance (HOBA)
Since the Hollywood connection seems to be more of a hindrance lately, it is not known whether the above initiatives will provide the kick-start necessary to achieve the grassroots support and mainstream environmental non-profit status AOC desires. Only time will tell.
Past Victories
(1994) Worked to ban oil drilling in state waters off California permanently.
(1996) Provided funding for UCLA School of Public Health.
Mainly for research to identify toxic pollutants in the Santa Monica Bay contributed by storm drains
(1996) Worked on an agreement with Exxon on future seismic exploration in the Santa Barbara Channel that would collect scientific data and document exploration effects.
(1989-1999) Worked at the federal appropriations level to block additional oil leasing.
In federal waters off the coasts of California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington
(1999) Worked with Surfrider Foundation, NRDC and others to promote the BEACH bill in Congress.
The BEACH bill was passed unanimously by the House of Representatives on Earth Day 1999 and was finally signed by the president in early October.
Present Battles
Creating management plan for Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary.
Working with the Sanctuary staff to develop and implement a revised Management Plan, which was originally created in 1983
Working to protect fish habitat.
Fighting the regional councils of the National Marine Fisheries Service to protect essential fish habitat in ocean and marine waters in the United States -- predominantly to mitigate effects of bottom trawling.
Acting to clean up polluted runoff.
Working to get the Phase II National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and getting the polluted runoff provisions (funding) in the Coastal Zone Management Association reauthorization. --Darryl Hatheway
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