If you could make one small shift in your daily routine to help safeguard the home for over 80% of Earth’s life, would you do it? Summer beach season is a perfect time to explore how our household decisions can ripple out to protect creatures we seldom encounter but that play critical roles in our planet’s health.

Marine ecosystems face tremendous threats from destructive fishing practices and pollution. As consumers, we wield remarkable power to drive positive change. We can demand that corporations make sustainable products, improving supply chains worth billions of dollars.

The rise of reef-safe sunscreen alternatives happened because beachgoers learned that traditional formulas contain harmful chemical pollutants. From the food you eat to the products you buy, here are ways to make a positive impact, whether you’re taking your first steps or ready to dive deep into ocean advocacy.

Quick start: Ocean-friendly swaps

Download the Seafood Watch app – The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s science-based guide has influenced over $2 billion in sustainable seafood purchases. The app provides real-time ratings for fish at your local grocery store or restaurant, helping you avoid species that are overfished or caught using methods that harm marine ecosystems.

Switch to “reef-safe” sunscreen – Covering up with loose-fitting long sleeves and pants is the most eco-friendly option. But if you want to expose your skin, look for mineral-based sunscreens containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide instead of oxybenzone, octinoxate or octocrylene — chemicals that bleach coral reefs and disrupt marine food chains. “Reef safe” isn’t regulated, so study the ingredients.

Conduct a microplastic audit – Examine your bathroom and laundry area for single-use plastics and synthetic clothing. Every load of synthetic clothing releases up to 700,000 microplastic fibers, many ending up in the ocean. Consider microplastic-catching laundry bags or washing synthetic clothes less frequently.

Join virtual beach cleanups – Pick up trash during neighborhood walks. Download the Clean Swell app and log your results, contributing valuable data that helps identify pollution sources and support policy changes.

Intermediate: Deeper ocean protection

Select sustainable seafood – Beyond the basic app, look for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification or Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) labels. Consider joining a community-supported fishery program to support local, sustainable fishing operations directly.

Reduce chemical runoff – Switch to plant-based cleaners and organic lawn-care products. Excess nitrogen from synthetic fertilizers creates ocean dead zones — low-oxygen areas where marine life cannot survive. In 2024, the Gulf of Mexico dead zone covered more than 6,700 square miles, an area the size of New Jersey.

Protect marine areas – Ocean conservation zones could generate $920 billion in annual economic benefits through fisheries recovery and tourism. Support expanding protection to 30% by 2030, and back political candidates willing to champion this issue.

Choose ocean-friendly transportation – Take public transportation or drive electric vehicles to reduce emissions that contribute to ocean acidification. Choose trains over planes when possible. Ocean acidification threatens shell-forming marine life worldwide.

Advanced: Leading ocean conservation

Organize community action – Start a local ocean conservation group or join organizations like Surfrider Foundation. Organize beach cleanups, advocate for plastic bag bans and encourage better stormwater management in your community.

Become well informed – Learn about ocean policy issues and lead voter education efforts about marine protection legislation. Environmental initiatives like protecting 30% of land and ocean by 2030 need grassroots support to become reality.

Invest in ocean solutions – Consider impact investing in companies developing ocean-positive technologies like sustainable aquaculture or renewable energy. The blue economy sector is projected to reach $3 trillion by 2030.

Support ocean science – Donate to or volunteer with marine research organizations. Citizen science programs like iNaturalist allow you to contribute valuable data about marine species distribution and abundance.

The ripple effect of ocean protection

Every choice you make sends ripples through interconnected systems. When you choose sustainable seafood, you support fishing communities that depend on healthy ocean ecosystems. When you reduce plastic use, you help protect marine animals from entanglement and ingestion.

The ocean produces half of the oxygen we breathe and absorbs much of our pollution. Your ocean-friendly practices can do more than save underappreciated species like sharks — you can help maintain the systems that sustain all life on Earth.

The ocean’s vastness can make individual efforts seem insignificant, but remember that the sea is made of drops. Your decisions contribute to the tide of change needed to protect our beautiful blue planet for future generations. Will you download the Seafood Watch app, wear a shirt instead of sunscreen or commit to one sustainable seafood meal this week? You can launch waves of change whenever you choose!

Peggy Siegle and Fred Horch are principals of Sustainable Practice. To receive expert action guides to help your household and organizations become superbly sustainable, visit www.SustainablePractice.Life and subscribe for free to “One Step This Week,” or go to suspra.com to purchase our book, “Sustainable Practices: Your Handbook for Effective Action.”