Our approach is simple: mobilize surf communities on a global scale by protecting areas where outstanding surf breaks overlap with biologically diverse marine and coastal ecosystems.
We start locally: empower communities, create sustainable impact, and then expand our network.
Establishing
Surf Protected Area Networks.
Across Indonesia, surfing is critical to local economies and has vast potential to support conservation — in the Uluwatu surf area in Bali, for example, the surf break contributes US$ 35.3 million annually. But Bali and other popular surf locations are also plagued by plastic pollution, sewage and overfishing. We are creating a Surf Protected Area network across the country to address these issues.
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The Surf Conservation Partnership is creating the world’s first network of protected areas that is centered on world class surf breaks to conserve much larger surrounding ecosystems. One of our first Surf Protected Areas includes over 30 surf breaks, 30 miles of coastline and over 100,000 acres of reef and forest. By combining the ecosystem conservation expertise of Conservation International and the experience of Save The Waves in protecting surf ecosystems, we are creating a new and powerful conservation approach.
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The Advantage
of Surf Protected Areas
With roughly 7,000 visitors a year, Morotai Island — the Surf Conservation Partnership’s first site — is home to intact forest, reefs and more than 30 high-quality uncrowded waves. But a new plan for rapid tourism development could change all by that increasing pressure on the environment and local communities.
01 DemandSurfing communities and government are calling for this approach because it protects waves that they value, conserves resources that they depend on, and offers opportunities for sustainable tourism.
02 SpeedSurfing communities are deeply connected to the ocean, know that it is threatened and are motivated to conserve it, making the process to establish Surf Protected Areas move quickly.
03 SustainabilityThe Surfonomics methodology has shown that surfing generates millions of dollars for local economies and that visiting surfers are willing to pay for long-term conservation of surfing waves and nature.
The Surf Conservation Partnership is establishing a global network of Surf Protected Areas, advancing key policies and developing sustainable financing to strengthen conservation in some of the world’s most biodiverse and wave-rich countries including Costa Rica, Fiji, Hawai'i, and many more.
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To address these threats, the Surf Conservation Partnership is supporting local partners to create a Surf Protected Area to conserve 50 kilometers (30 miles) of coastline, 100,000 acres) of coral reef and coastal forest and the area’s more than 30 waves. The Surf Protected Area will also promote sustainable tourism development that balances the need for income from tourism with conservation of the environment.
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These networks protect the ecological, economic and social value of surf breaks and their surrounding environments.
Surf Protected Area Networks
Building on the first Surf Protected Area in Morotai, SCP is working to establish Surf Protected Areas on: Biak island, Papua Province; Sumba island, East Nusa Tenggara Province; and Bali to create an Indonesia-wide Surf Protected Area Network. In time, we will create similar networks in Fiji, Costa Rica, Columbia, Brazil, Liberia and other countries.
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These networks protect the ecological, economic and social value of surf breaks and their surrounding environments.
Surfonomics
Healthy coastlines and quality surf breaks have immense social and economic value to local communities. Surfonomics is a key part of the Surf Protected Area approach and helps experts determine the economic value of surfing to help decision-makers make better choices to protect their coastal resources and waves.
The Surf Conservation Partnership is the cutting edge of conservation.
We want you to be a part of it.
Support the Surf Conservation Partnership today.
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Our Partnership
Key to this partnership is our collaboration with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IoES) and the Anderson School of Management. Based in one of the world’s epicenters of surfing in Southern California, this world-renowned university is lending its academic expertise and business acumen to strengthen our Surf Protected Area initiatives.
This Indonesian NGO assists communities across eastern Indonesia to protect their vital ecosystems and natural resources by creating locally managed marine areas (LMMAs). Primarily working as fishers and farmers, local people depend directly on nature for their daily survival. LMMAs empower villages to create their own protected areas that remove threats and greatly increase the abundance of fish, and the health of reefs and forests to make sure people have abundant food and income and a high quality of life.
The Indonesian NGO empowers isolated coastal communities that are undergoing marine tourism development, with a particular focus on helping women and girls through experiential learning programs in communication, technology, creative and social media, water sports, and sustainable marine stewardship and tourism development.
Surf Conservation Partnership Advisory Board Members
These are our Advisory Board members, who are generously offering their advice, engaging their network in the initiative and providing critical funding and support.
Sarah Argyropoulos
Nico Argyropoulos
Scott K. Atkinson and Ashley Kleckner
Maddie and Dave Bauer
Kristina Brittenham and Jesse Sisgold
Joe Chrisman
Justin Havlick
Tom Larkin
David Joshua Levy
Laurel Marshall
Annie McBride
Shannon and Bryce Skaff
Al Ramadan
Shaun Tomson
Thayer Walker
Brad Warga
Surf Conservation Partnership Advisory Board Members
These are our Advisory Board members, who are generously offering their advice, engaging their network in the initiative and providing critical funding and support.
Sarah Argyropoulos
Nico Argyropoulos
Scott K. Atkinson and Ashley Kleckner
Maddie and Dave Bauer
Kristina Brittenham and Jesse Sisgold
Joe Chrisman
Justin Havlick
Tom Larkin
David Joshua Levy
Laurel Marshall
Annie McBride
Shannon and Bryce Skaff
Al Ramadan
Shaun Tomson
Thayer Walker
Brad Warga
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