Current Research

The Ocean Project provides its Partner network with the latest conservation communications research, resources, and recommendations for effectively engaging your target audience for conservation education and action.

NEW: The first ocean and climate tracking survey has been completed and results online. We will be conducting these tracking surveys every six months, to measure changes and test messaging.

These tracking surveys nicely complement the comprehensive research that we completed in 2008 on public awareness, attitudes, and behaviors concerning the ocean, climate change, and related issues. This national survey is the largest ever on any environmental issue, with 22,000 American adults surveyed. We also have some data on youth, as well as Canadian adults.

To access the latest survey findings, click on the image below.
 

 
In 1998/99 The Ocean Project completed what was at the time the most comprehensive opinion research on public attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge of the ocean ever conducted. This survey provided our Partners and the ocean community with the tools to be more effective educators and communicators for conservation. Approximately 10 years later, we are increasing our understanding of how people relate to the ocean, and how to help communicate more effectively about and for conservation. The current also provides a more comprehensive metric for future evaluations. These data will be essential as the institutions, agencies and organizations of the ocean community work together and independently to engage people, inform decision-makers, and enhance ocean literacy.

We plan to regularly update and strategically expand our research to develop a growing and highly detailed database of public awareness, knowledge, and attitudes, and develop recommendations for our Partner network. Every six months in 2009 and 2010, we will conduct ocean tracking surveys.

As part of this initiative, we continue to monitor and synthesize the latest conservation communications literature, qualitative and quantitative opinion research, and related market research and visitor studies. Much of this information can be found on our Conservation Communications Resources page.

As part of our initiative we are conducting both qualitative and quantitative research. The qualitative research will help us better understand the motivations, psychology, and emotions behind segments of the public's attitudes toward the ocean. The quantitative research will provide more quantifiable data related to people’s attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors related to the ocean, and conservation more broadly.

Dissemination of the results: We focus on getting this type of strategic information to our Partner network, as well as the broader ocean conservation community including agencies and organizations. Fostering the integration of the findings into our Partners’ programs is vital to helping develop a more ocean literate society. The Ocean Project works intensively and proactively to communicate with our Partners and engage them in integrating relevant findings and recommendations into their educational and communications efforts with their visitors, and the public, at their facility, in their communities, and online.

Our plan is to advance ocean conservation by increasing the capacity of our Partner network and the wider ocean community to develop into more effective voices for the ocean, the environment, and conservation, and to assist them in building a more environmentally literate and sustainable society.

Thanks to our funders: This national research and dissemination project is funded largely through the Environmental Literacy Grants program at NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). We have other key funders who make all our work possible. We also gladly accept voluntary Sustaining Partner contributions and Supporting Partner contributions.

The Ocean Project's 1999 Research

Title		Author	Description
In the Spirit of Collaboration: A Presentation of The Ocean Project (1999)		The Ocean Project	(Zipped PowerPoint Presentation, 731KB)
Summary Analysis of Six Focus Groups (1999)		The Ocean Project	(14 pages, PDF document, 232KB)
Communicating About Oceans: Results of a National Survey (1999)		The Ocean Project	(72 pages, PDF document, 2.21MB - additional copies only available for Ocean Project Partners)
Review of Existing Public Opinion Data on Oceans (1999)		The Ocean Project	(11 pages, PDF document, 2.27MB)
About Ocean Health and Protection: An Analysis of Research (1999)		The Ocean Project	(32 pages, PDF document, 576KB)
Ocean Project: Highlights of National Survey (1999)		The Ocean Project	(3 pages, PDF document, 130KB)

Develop Communications Strategies and Tools

Over the last few years, The Ocean Project has identified and developed an important communications framework to increase ocean awareness and education among people who visit aquariums and zoos. Based on major public opinion research we conducted, our communications strategy incorporates several key elements into an effective conservation message that will help engage the public and increase concern for the health and protection of our ocean planet.

• Element 1: Appeal to, and promote, positive emotional connections to the ocean that most people possess;
• Element 2: Convey information through an "interconnectedness of life" framework that conveys the importance of the interconnectedness of all life, which holds high credibility with most people;
• Element 3: Emphasize the importance and power of individual responsibility in protecting oceans for the future.

The following downloadable presentation was created for our partners to enable them to better implement The Ocean Project's message strategy. By working with our partners to integrate this model into all exhibits, activities and education programs, we hope to successfully create a sea change in society about ocean conservation.

New case studies from our partners are continually being sought, so if you have a case study that you would like The Ocean Project to share with our partner network, please let us know.

See The Ocean Project's currrent and completed public opinion study reports.

Ocean Project Reports

The Ocean Project is continually seeking ways to improve communication for conservation. We are refining and developing strategies and tools, including making our website an even better resource, in order to help all our partners' efforts. If you have suggestions, please contact us.