CONSERVATION DEPENDS ON COLLABORATION

Collaboration. Inspiration. Influence. Three of the words Ocean Alliance CEO Iain Kerr will focus on in a talk he gives today at A.W. Hastings, who generously helped to provide the Marvin windows at our headquarters, the Paint Factory. The annual meeting is called “Sphere of Influence,” which could easily describe our metamorphosis as an organization from our former incarnation of the “Whale Conservation Institute” to Ocean Alliance.
Competitiveness will only get you so far, but collaboration will open doors in ways you never thought possible. Consider how our collaborators inspire us:

•  Innovators like Olin College of Engingeering and the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry help us to reimagine what is possible in whale research
• Scientists like the Wise Laboratory and Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas (ICB) turn what is invisible to the eye into a compelling picture of the state of the world’s oceans
• Philanthropists like the Annenberg Foundation keep us afloat, literally and figuratively
• Educators like Maritime Gloucester, Endicott College and Gloucester High School inspire students to want to carry on the task of caring for the oceans
• Activists like Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Ocean Preservation Society help drive the passion of their followers to support the science that will change policy
• Communicators like North Star Multimedia, Parley, Good Morning Gloucester, and The Bridge bring our message to the world in fresh new ways to reach the widest audience
• Businesses like 7 Seas Whale Watch, Geoffrey H. Richon Co., and A.W. Hastings recognize that supporting conservation and education will only strengthen their following and add value to their work
• Artists like the Rocky Neck Art Colony  surround us with visual inspiration and use the Paint Factory as visual inspiration
• Performers like Patrick Stewart and Lisa Harrow use their talents to help us deliver the information

And finally, we are inspired by all of the individuals who show up in person and encourage us, and show up online and share our work. You are an integral part of the collaboration.