Endangered Coast believes that our planets coastal shores must be sustained if future generations are to succeed culturally, spiritually, and economically.

Our mission is to promote conservation of the Earth’s coastal shores, and to demonstrate that human societies, when informed, will make choices that propagate a beneficial coexistence with nature.

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A New York City - based organization, Endangered Coast (EC) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

EC’s commitment extends to plant and animal diversity and native cultures in those coastal regions that are underrepresented in the mainstream media and major environmental organizations.

To promote conservation of the Earth's coastal shores and all they encompass, EC applies innovations in:

• Science
• Photojournalism
• Community participation
• Education
  

It is currently focused on the northeast coast of Brazil in South America.

Board of Directors:

President / Paul Lima
Treasure / Ilona Oeffner
Secretary Sara Bizaro

Advisory Committee:

There are many ways in which concerned citizens can help preserve the Earth’s coastal shores.

We can complain or we can make changes!

If we disagree with government policies that harm our rivers, oceans and pollute our beaches then we need to let them know. But before we start complaining to our leaders, we need to take a little responsibility ourselves. Go ahead and take a look on the menu of your favorite restaurant. Chances are swordfish or some other threatened species is served.

Tell them to take it off the menu!

Swordfish are not only in danger of extinction but the manner in which they are caught kills endangered sea turtles as well. Wielding your consumer power is just one way to help. Click on the below menu:

Our Ocean    |    Our Beach    |   Seafood   |     Tourism

Even though many of us live miles from the ocean, we affect its health every day. Streams run into rivers, and rivers empty into the sea. How we use or abuse water has far-reaching effects. Five things we can do to save our oceans.

1. Buy organic, locally grown produce when you can. Agricultural runoff introduces thousands of pounds of fertilizers and pesticides into the ocean every year. Encourage farmers to reduce their use of hazardous chemicals.
2. Don't buy marine wildlife products such as coral or shark teeth, especially in other countries.
3. If you fish, fish responsibly. Don't throw trash overboard, and remember that many fish species are suffering from over fishing.
4. Conserve water as much as possible to avoid overloading your local sewage system. (Overloading can cause overflows of raw sewage and debris into local waterways, especially when it rains.)
5. Use baking soda, vinegar, and borax for cleaning jobs that used to require bleach, ammonia, and detergents. If you must use harsh chemicals, don't pour them down the drain or into storm sewers. Keep them in their original containers, tightly sealed and wrapped, and put them with your regular trash. Many communities have special collection days for such materials; find out if yours does.

Five Simple Steps To Improve Beach Water Quality

1. Do not let the water run unnecessarily when brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing dishes. This saves several gallons a day!

• Install a displacement device in your toilet, such as a small plastic bottle, or install a low-flush toilet. This will save thousands of gallons of water annually!
• Install water conservation devices on your faucets and shower. These can save up to 50 percent of the water previously used.
• Decrease toilet flushing during heavy storms, when sewage treatment systems are likely to be overflowing. Flushing increases the water entering sewer systems, increasing the likelihood of raw sewage overflowing directly into the oceans, bays and rivers.
  

2. Maintain Septic Systems. Monitor your tank yearly and have a reputable contractor remove sludge and scum every three to five years to prevent solids from escaping the absorption system, and potentially reaching our beaches.

3. Curb Your Pets. This reduces animal waste and dangerous fecal coli form bacteria in polluted storm water runoff. Also, don’t litter. Litter disposed on land often ends up on beaches.

4. Practice Proper Lawn and Home Care. Use natural fertilizers and compost on your garden, and minimize the use of pesticides and herbicides.

• Landscape your backyard with natural vegetation that requires less fertilizers.
• Keep as many large trees as possible, and use porous paving materials or gravel that allow water to soak into the ground. This reduces the amount of runoff and pollution.
  

5. Practice Proper Marine and Recreational Boating-Waste Disposal. Boating wastes discharged into coastal waters can be a significant cause of high fecal coli form concentrations.

• Dispose of your boat sewage in onshore sanitary and pump out facilities.
• Don't dump sewage or trash overboard.

Here are five things you can do to help minimize the chances that the seafood you buy is contributing to the demise of ocean fisheries and marine life...

1. When buying seafood at the market or ordering seafood from the menu, ask WHERE does this fish come from? HOW was it caught? HOW was it farmed? If the seafood products they offer are NOT caught or produced by sustainable fisheries, or if this information is UNKNOWN, ask them to start carrying them!
2. To find out which fish species and seafood products are likely produced in a sustainable manner and those which are not, consumers and seafood merchants can link to the website listed below and download updated seafood guides: The Audubon Guide to Seafood www.spc.int/Coastfish/Asides/papers/Audubon.htm? .It's easy to vote a preference with our pocketbooks and it sends a powerful message to the marketplace that we will reward fisheries that are not over-fishing, or damaging critical marine habitat, or excessively wasting non-targeted marine life.
3. On our Links page you can visit the sites of a variety of organizations that are working to implement sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices.
4. U.S. citizens can ask their Congressional representatives what they are doing to implement the policies called for in the Sustainable Fisheries Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). Citizens of all nations can urge their governments to participate in effective fisheries management by ratifying the U.N. Agreement on the Conservation and Management of Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks.
5. Your generous contribution will support the work of Endangered Coast. Please email us at info@endangeredcoast.org

“Ecotourism or nature based tourism can generate revenue and employment for local populations and provide incentives for protecting natural ecosystems”
-World Resource Institute

So where you stay, eat and drink on your vacation can actually hurt or help the local culture and the environment in which you enjoy and they depend on.

Keep these 5 bits of advice in mind the next time you vacation.

1. Stay at native owned hotels and restaurants and avoid foreign establishments unless it is clear that a significant portion of their revenue is reinvested back into the local community not a foreign bank account.
2. Buy locally made food, drink and other items in preference to expensively packaged imported goods. Fresh food from local markets is best of all.
3. Respect the fragility of dunes, beaches, coral reefs, and mangroves. Treat them with care.
4. Find the genuinely local-made souvenirs.
5. Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.

IF YOU SEE ANY ABUSE of the environment by a company or a destination, report it to us by taking note of our Contact Details.

Endangered Coast, ltd
P.O. Box 1239
New York, NY 10009
Tel: (212) 714-8096

To support EC's work through a charitable gift or to find out more about EC please email us at:
info@endangeredcoast.org.