Surfrider Foundation

www.surfrider.org

Founded in 1984

Mission: to protect and enjoy the world’s ocean, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network.

The Surfrider Foundation focuses efforts on 5 key areas: water quality, plastic pollution, beach access, coastal preservation and sustaining marine and coastal ecosystems. It is the only non-profit organization who is 100% focused on the coasts. Recognizing the challenges ocean faces from pollution, offshore development and climate change, the California-based group’s volunteers test the ocean waters all year long in order to make sure that the public is educated on their local water quality. Further, under its Ocean Friendly Gardens program, they also make beautiful landscapes that collect runoff before it reaches the ocean.

The Surfrider Foundation was started in Malibu by a handful of surfers to protest threats to their local surf break at Malibu Point. The organization continued on for several years as a loose advocacy group until 1991, when the first chapters were founded. At that point the Surfrider Foundation transitioned into a grassroots activist organization. Today the Surfrider Foundation maintains over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide.