The David and Lucile Packard Foundation announced today it is intending to commit $480 million over the next five years to advance bold action for people, the ocean, and climate. The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the annual Our Ocean Conference, hosted in Athens, Greece, where governments, intergovernmental organizations, academia, the private sector, and civil society organizations came together to discuss and address key ocean challenges – including accelerating climate change, illegal and unsustainable fishing, and habitat loss – for a more sustainable future. 

This new funding will address three of the greatest threats to ocean health —unsustainable fisheries, climate change and habitat loss.

“We see these threats as deeply interconnected,” said Nancy Lindborg, President and CEO of the Foundation. “We value working urgently, in partnership, and at the intersections of these issues to meet the challenge of protecting the ocean for the long-term health of the ocean, people and nature.” 

This commitment is aligned with the Foundation’s ocean grantmaking which centers the communities who depend most on a healthy ocean and engage them in developing and implementing solutions that protect and restore marine biodiversity, achieve equitable and sustainable fisheries, and harness ocean-based climate solutions.   

This announcement coincides with the United States Government’s unveiling of $103 million in ocean commitments, further highlighting the significance of collaborative action in tackling ocean conservation issues on a global scale.