Ocean Conservation
The Ocean Belongsto Everyone
We put underserved youth in the water, behind professional underwater cameras, and on a path to real careers in the ocean industry — while restoring the kelp forests of Southern California.
Our Mission
Why We Exist
At My Clean Ocean, we believe that protecting our coastlines requires a multi-angled approach. By combining the power of visual storytelling, community-driven research, and targeted habitat defense, we are actively working to preserve the fragile marine ecosystems of Southern California and beyond.
The ocean industry — marine science, underwater filmmaking, conservation, dive instruction, aquaculture, coastal engineering — is overwhelmingly inaccessible to youth from underserved communities. The equipment is expensive. The training is expensive. The connections don’t exist.
My Clean Ocean exists to change that. We fund real expeditions, real training, and real mentorship — not field trips. We put professional underwater cameras in young hands, connect youth with working ocean professionals, and build pathways to certifications and careers that most of these kids never knew were possible.
Your donation doesn’t fund overhead. It funds the moment a young person from an underserved community descends into a kelp forest for the first time and realizes the ocean belongs to them too.
Pillar 01
Exploration
Venturing into the deep to document what exists, what is thriving, and what is under threat. Every expedition builds a visual record of our changing oceans.
Pillar 02
Technology
Using professional Nikon Z9 cameras, Seacam housings, and Insta360 systems to capture footage that changes how the public sees and understands the ocean.
Pillar 03
Conservation
From kelp forest restoration to beach cleanups to youth empowerment programs — turning visual awareness into direct, boots-on-the-ground action.
What We Do
Our Programs
Project · 01Citizen Science
Real change happens when communities get involved.
Citizen Science bridges the gap between advanced marine technology and everyday ocean advocates. We equip volunteers with the tools and training to conduct meaningful, peer-reviewed research right from the shoreline.
Explore →
Project · 02Blue Lens
What people cannot see, they cannot protect.
Blue Lens masters the art of underwater visual storytelling — bringing high-quality imagery and filmmaking to the surface to shine a spotlight on the hidden beauty of our oceans and the urgent challenges they face.
Explore →
Project · 03Guardians of the Kelp
California has lost 90% of its kelp forests since 2014.
Our most ambitious initiative — a youth-led restoration program combining hands-on kelp out-planting, long-term ecological monitoring, and underwater documentation to bring California's kelp forests back to life.
Explore →Project · 04Ocean Expeditions
Many have never seen a kelp forest. We change that.
Real ocean access for youth who have never been in the water despite living minutes from the coast. Every expedition builds a visual record of our changing oceans — and opens a door that stays open.
Explore →Every frame captured serves a single mission — to ensure that the wildlife we marvel at today remains vibrant and thriving for the generations of tomorrow.
Field Notes
Latest from the Blog
June 3, 2026
The Ocean Changed My Life
A first descent, a camera, and the moment everything shifted — how one encounter beneath the surface rewrote an entire future.
Read the Story →June 2, 2026
What Is Citizen Science?
Real data, collected by real communities. Inside the movement putting professional marine research tools into everyday hands.
Read the Story →
June 2, 2026
The Ocean Changed Us
Stories from the crew — founders, filmmakers, and ocean leaders on the expeditions that turned a mission into a movement.
Read the Story →Ready to make an impact?
Put a Kidin the Ocean
Your donation today funds an expedition, a certification, a mentor, a career — for a young person who never thought the ocean was for them.