APS has compiled a list of organisations for those looking to support giving across marine ecology and conservation. While the entities listed below are all known to APS, we do not conduct a detailed analysis of their financial position and governance ahead of their inclusion in this list.
All charities’ audited financials are available to view on the ACNC website.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Marine Science program | James Cook University
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Marine Science (ATSIMS) Program is an outreach initiative designed to provide First Nations Year 10 students in North Queensland with immersive opportunities in marine science, marine management, citizen science, and the stewardship of Sea Country. Their hands-on, experiential excursions are supported by leading reef conservation, science, and education entities in North Queensland, including the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF).
Since the program was established, it has also expanded through the Beyond ATSIMS initiative, which continues to build opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students pursuing marine science and related fields.
Australian Marine Conservation Society
Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) was established in 1965 and is dedicated to protecting Australia’s coastal and marine environment. AMCS continually advocate for real, evidence-based solutions based on the best available science, working closely with research centres across the world. They employ conservation experts to drive their work safeguarding the future of Australia’s oceans.
AMCS works on the issues that pose serious risks to ocean wildlife. They have protected critical ocean ecosystems with marine reserves around Australia, including Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef. AMCS also successfully led the movement to ban whaling, stop supertrawlers, and protect threatened and endangered species like the Australian Sea Lion.
Australian Marine Mammals Conservation Foundation
Australian Marine Mammals Conservation Foundation (MMF) is a small organisation working in research, education, and conservation; conducting internationally recognised scientific research on marine mammals and environments across Victoria. They apply their research learnings to educate and inspire communities as well as advise management authorities to assist with marine environment management decisions. MMF began in 2013, after their Founding Director and Head of Research Dr Kate Charlton Robb discovered, named, and formally described a new species of dolphin in south-east Australian waters: the Burrunan dolphin. There are currently 120 Burrunan dolphins resident to Port Phillip Bay.
Australian Ocean Laboratory
The Australian Ocean Laboratory (AusOcean)’s mission is to help our oceans through the effective use of technology. They design, build and deploy open-source ocean technology designed to be low-cost and scalable. Their technology has been taken up through partnerships with both Australian and global not-for-profits for use in marine conservation research and implementation. Their approach of democratising ocean data for science and conservation fast-tracks marine ecosystem restoration
Innovations to date include:
- networked sea surface platforms, known as “rigs”, as well as custom sensors (e.g., underwater cameras, hydrophones, environmental sensors, etc. where data is transmitted straight to the “cloud”, where it is stored, analysed and shared.
- Underwater speakers – acoustic enrichment devices which mimic the sound of a healthy ecosystem and thereby encourage positive ecosystem development by attracting species that live in functioning ecosystems.
In addition to the development of new technology, AusOcean provides a STEM program in schools where students actively participate in building, deploying, and monitoring an AusOcean Rig. Also, their AusOcean TV program allows the community and scientists to track the impact of harmful algal blooms. Each location of the monitoring rigs streams live underwater video and continuously logs environmental data.
Dolphin Research Institute
The Dolphin Research Institute (DRI) works through four key impact areas to deliver long-term outcomes to protect Victoria’s dolphins, whales and their environment:
- Dolphins & Whales
- Marine Environment
- Education & Community – including their ‘i sea, i care’ and Ambassador programs
- Strong Organisation – including building citizen scientist networks and research on port developments and wind farm detrimental impact on marine life
DRI’s education of the next generation of environmental leaders focuses on behaviour change and not just awareness. With the organisation currently exploring a funding opportunity to expand DRI school education programs across Victoria’s coastline.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific
Greenpeace’s mission is to secure the ability of the earth to nurture and sustain life in all its diversity – specifically by phasing out fossil fuels and protecting biodiversity. Accordingly, they work on the most urgent environmental issues including climate change, the depletion of marine and terrestrial wildlife, large scale deforestation, plastic pollution and threats to regions such as the Pacific Islands. Greenpeace is working on ways to protect marine life through the reduction of plastic pollution and as such the growing number of microplastics in the fish and sea salt that humans consume.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s current and upcoming campaigns include:
- Save Scott Reef – their main focus for the remainder of 2026 is protecting the pristine reef from Woodside’s gas drilling
- Offshore gas drilling – campaigning against other offshore gas projects, with both a nature-protection and a climate focus
- Marine Parks – the government is undertaking a review of Australia’s marine parks, and as such Greenpeace are campaigning for stronger protections and the removal of industrial fishing and fossil fuel drilling from these areas
- High Seas Sanctuaries – away from Australian protected waters, Greenpeace are calling for 30% of the high seas to be protected by 2030. The South Tasman Sea and Lord Howe Rise area is their current priority in this area
- Deep Sea Mining – calling for a moratorium on deep sea mining
- Great Barrier Reef – linked to their land-based campaigns, Greenpeace are calling for better protections for the Great Barrier Reef and the damage flowing out to the reef, caused by deforestation and land clearance
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies | University of Tasmania
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) is a centre for marine and Antarctic research, where research cuts across traditional science and social science boundaries; with three research centres:
- Ecology & Biodiversity – research and teaching spans marine biology and ecology, conservation, sustainable development, climate change mitigation, ecosystem restoration and management, and the assessment of threats and impacts on marine ecosystems.
- Oceans & Cryosphere – research spans bluewater and coastal oceanography, interactions between the ice sheet, oceans and solid earth beneath, and governance in the Antarctic, Southern Ocean and temperate oceans.
- Fisheries & Aquaculture – working to address the major questions of temperate marine and Antarctic science, particularly living marine resource research and climate studies.
Ocean Impact Organisation
Ocean Impact Organisation (OIO) believes in the power of innovation and accelerating commercially scalable solutions to transform ocean health. Their mission is to support and accelerate ocean impact startups.
Since launching in 2020, OIO has supported 99 startups and entrepreneurs through a range of innovation programs and initiatives, including: the Ocean Impact Pitchfest (46 startups), the Ocean Impact Accelerator Program (12 startups), and the Ocean Impact Ideation Program (40 academics/entrepreneurs).
OIO programs include:
- WA Blue Economy Innovation Platform – to support the commercialisation and global scaling of ocean, marine and maritime technologies developed in Western Australia.
- Bluestart Aotearoa – transition of New Zealand to a blue economy
- Port of San Diego Innovation Challenge – offers startups across the APAC region an opportunity to showcase their solutions for potential entry into the Port of San Diego’s Blue Economy Incubator (BEI)
Oceans Institute | University of Western Australia
The UWA Oceans Institute was founded in 2010 to bring about a new era of collaborative, cross-disciplinary marine research at the University of Western Australia. Since then, the Oceans Institute has nurtured an ecosystem of researchers and educators to serve the needs of the ocean community of Western Australia, the Indian Ocean and the world. Their research priorities are Coastal & Ecosystem Resilience, Ocean-based Decarbonisation and Nature Positive Oceans, including projects for:
- Clean Waters – reduce plastic pollution in our oceans
- Explore the Deep – uncover the mysteries hidden in deep sea canyons
- Tracking Marine life – the movement of whale sharks, sharks and other marine megafauna, and how they respond to a changing climate
- Resilient Habitats – the effect of ocean warming on seagrass meadows
- Thriving Coral Reefs – research into artificial coral reefs
- Future Coasts – address the challenges of sea level rise and extreme marine events in the coastal zone
Ocean Lovers Alliance
A cultural and science celebration for the ocean, the Ocean Lovers Festival was born in Bondi in 2019 and expanded to a Sydney-wide Festival across the month of March. The festival is an annual celebration of Ideas, Art + Music and Actions, showcasing some of the latest innovations, science, state-of-the-art technology and cool ideas for helping the ocean.
The program engages the public in marine exploration and discovery, sharing innovation and restoration initiatives that offer hope. They also deliver year-round education through their Ocean Smart Schools programs that culminate at the festival in live learning experiences.
Ozfish Unlimited
OzFish Unlimited works with recreational fishers for better management of the health of the rivers, lakes and estuaries. OzFish partners with fishers and the broader community to invest in the protection and restoration of our waterways, counteracting decades of degradation.
Ozfish work includes:
- National Landcare Network – Landcare is a “bottom up” movement where the community applies its local knowledge and experience to deliver local solutions to local challenges, and in so doing builds community resilience and capacity. Projects include First Nations Landcare protecting Qld’s coastal ecosystem
- Shellfish Revolution –a community driven shellfish reef restoration project around Australia
- Sustainable Fishing and Waste Reduction – recycling and reuse initiatives, educational resources, workshops, and guidelines, advocating for sustainable fishing practices that ensure the long-term health and abundance of fish populations
Port Phillip EcoCentre
The Port Phillip EcoCentre believes that connected communities drive change. Their educators, scientists and community workers inspire people to join together to care for land, waterways, wildlife and community wellbeing. One of the many initiatives of the centre is a citizen science research project aimed at dealing with micro plastics pollution. Nearly a decade of community-led environmental studies has now quantified littered microplastics (smaller than 5mm) and tracked them to several key sources. Despite alarming spikes in volume, this ’emerging contaminant of concern’ still escapes enforceable action. Port Phillip EcoCentre, in partnership with Environmental Justic Australian and the Victorian EPA are looking to launch a precedent-setting case to establish and enforce new government regulations.
Port Phillip EcoCentre programs include:
- Port Phillip Baykeeper – combining projects of practical action, advocacy and education
- Beachkeepers of the Bay – Community-led conservation and citizen science across Port Phillip Bay
Updated August 2026