Scientists estimate that at least two-thirds of the world’s marine species are still unidentified.
With so many underwater wonders yet to be discovered, it becomes even more essential that we work to conserve our oceans and the marine life they hold. In fact, it’s vital to our survival: “The ocean, and the life therein, are critical to the healthy functioning of the planet, supplying half of the oxygen we breathe,” according to a United Nations assessment.
That’s why for the third year in a row, we’re proudly supporting exceptional ocean-conservation causes with our festive Holiday Collection. This year, for every purchase of our adorable Sea-Life Conservation Set, we'll donate $10 to a nonprofit supporting the marine animal of your choice: penguins, polar bears, or whale sharks and other sea life in the Mesoamerican reef.
Read on to dive into how two organizations are making a big splash in the effort to save sea life.
Global Penguin Society: Helping the World’s Coolest Birds Waddle On
The Global Penguin Society (GPS) is the first and only international organization dedicated solely to the conservation of the world’s 18 penguin species and their habitats. In 2018, GPS won both a National Geographic/Buffet Award for Leadership and Conservation and a gold award from the Whitley Fund for Nature — an award so respected that it’s also known by conservationists as the “Green Oscar.” You can learn more about its mission and the people driving it in the following inspiring video.
Ocean Critters Conserved
All 18 species of penguins, including the Emperor, King, Royal, Adelie, Macaroni, Gentoo, Galapagos, Magellanic, Humboldt, African, Snares, Fiordland, Little Blue, Yellow Eye, Erect Crested, Northern Rockhopper, Southern Rockhopper, and Chinstrap.
Seaworthy Projects
🐧 The work of GPS has already protected 32 million acres in marine and coastal areas and helped 2.4 million of our tuxedoed, flightless friends in the Southern Hemisphere.
🐧 Also thanks to GPS, more than 6,500 kids have learned about penguins in their natural habitats through talks, trips, and thousands of donated books about wildlife and conservation.
🐧 Every year, before penguins arrive from their annual winter migration, GPS leads about 100 teens to collect garbage and debris from the beach and nesting areas of colonies in Patagonia, Argentina.
Fun Penguin Facts
Tuxedoed Torpedoes: Penguins have flippers instead of wings. So while they must clumsily hobble their way across land, gentoo penguins can gracefully soar through water at up to 22 miles per hour. Emperor penguins can speedily dive down 1,500 feet for a fishy treat.
Parenting with Pride: Same-sex penguin couples are often star parents. Take Marama and Rocky, which have successfully nested eggs in London; Thelma and Louise and their baby chick in New Zealand; and Rio and Eduardo, winners of the “best dads” award at the San Francisco Zoo.
Penzilla: An ancient penguin species that lived some 60 million years ago reached a height of 6 foot 5 inches from beak tip to toes — taller than most humans.
MarAlliance: Tackling Marine Conservation in the Tropics
Based in Belize, MarAlliance focuses on understanding and conserving threatened marine species and their habitats, especially sharks and rays on the Mesoamerican reef. As MarAlliance founder Dr. Rachel Graham explains, “The canaries in the coal mine for how our reefs are actually doing are the large marine wildlife, like sharks and rays.”
Check out this quick video to see MarAlliance in action:
Ocean Critters Conserved
Sharks, including endangered whale sharks, rays, deep-sea fish, sea turtles, and many other animals living in tropical seas in the Americas, as well as in Micronesia and Cape Verde, Africa.
Seaworthy Projects
🦈Harnessing the popularity of whale-shark encounters, MarAlliance has engaged “citizen science” to better identify and track these mysterious fish.
🦈 MarAlliance engages small-scale fishers to help track and tag sea turtles so they can better protect them from poaching.
🦈 Ongoing research and surveys by MarAlliance help identify multiple species’ diversity and abundance, growth rate, habitat, range, and vulnerability to overfishing. This information leads to conservation of key habitats that are specific to that species’ needs, while still allowing humans to thrive.
🦈 MarAlliance encourages local communities to take part in conservation through several programs: The Children of the Sea program introduces kids to sharks and rays in the classroom and in the field; public events in Belize and beyond help change attitudes about big fish; and meetings between fishers and high-level decision-makers to help create broader understanding and drive conservation.
Fun Whale Shark Facts
The Big Chill: The largest fish on the planet, whale sharks can grow to nearly 60 feet in length. But this enormous shark is a gentle giant that eats mostly plankton (never people).
More Floss for the Fish Boss: Whale sharks have hundreds of tiny teeth — even on their eyeballs.
Going Deep: Whale sharks have been tracked diving to depths of almost 6,600 feet, making them the most extreme surface-to-depth animals in the world.
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Get your pearly whites blissfully bright with Cocofloss and support the health of our seas with Cocofloss Sea-Life Conservation Sets. For every set you purchase, we'll donate $10 to a nonprofit supporting the marine animal of your choice: penguins, polar bears, or whale sharks and other sea life in the Mesoamerican reef.
