Moore Foundation Commits Another $152 Million to Protect Oceans

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation on Thursday said it plans to spend $152 million over the next seven years to protect the ecology of North American oceans.

The commitment builds on the $260 million the California foundation has spent since 2004 on marine-conservation projects. Through 2024, the grant maker plans to focus on the North American Arctic and the waters off of British Columbia and U.S. West Coast.

Among other things, the foundation will support the recovery of commercial fisheries, development of fisheries-management systems, and drafting of regional ocean-conservation plans.

The foundation said the funding commitment reflects the urgency of mitigating human impact on the oceans, including that of global warming.

“We must acknowledge that North America’s marine health is declining — along with its ability to produce food, protect against storms, buffer our changing climate, and provide so many other services critical to humans and other species who depend on our shared ocean,” the foundation said in a statement.

The new commitment follows a pledge last year to dedicate $90 million to promote the use of market incentives to improve agriculture and aquaculture practices.