Giving Compass' Take:

• Charity Navigator provides a list of the top 10 organizations that are doing work to protect the oceans. 

• How can other organizations collaborate to make these types of the lists together? 

• Read about how to navigate data and organizations that are funding work to help clean the ocean. 

Each week Charity Navigator publishes a new Top 10 list of highly-rated charities working on a particular cause or issue. With a heatwave impacting much of the country, there seems like no better time to feature a few of the awesome organizations that are working to protect and defend our oceans for the animals and people who rely on them.

Here are the first five:

Clean Ocean Action is a broad-based coalition of 125 active boating, business, community, conservation, diving, environmental, fishing, religious, service, student, surfing, and women’s groups. Together, these “Ocean Wavemakers” work to clean up and protect New York and New Jersey’s coastal marine waters.

Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches through a powerful activist network.

Coral Reef Alliance unites the diving community around conservation, Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) has grown from a small, grassroots alliance into a world-renowned organization with a history of successfully working with local communities in coral reef regions around the world to protect their coral reefs.

Ocean Discovery Institute addresses a national crisis in science education--one particularly acute in underserved communities.  Their solution is to deliver rigorous educational, scientific research, and environmental stewardship experiences that build curiosity, scientific understanding and skills, and leadership in underserved young people from kid to career.

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences investigates the microbial drivers of global ocean processes through basic and applied research, education, and enterprise. Their findings are essential to conservation work and determining guidelines for responsible ocean use.

Read the full article about protecting and defending oceans at Charity Navigator