Heal the Bay

Description

Heal the Bay is an environmental nonprofit that works to keep the coastal waters and watersheds of Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy and clean.

It uses science, education, community action and advocacy to pursue this mission. It runs beach cleanup programs such as Coastal Cleanup Day and Adopt-a-Beach, and it operates Heal the Bay Aquarium, an education center in the area. It publishes an annual Beach Report Card grading water quality at beaches along the West Coast, along with weekly water quality grades and a River Report Card.

The organization has led campaigns for plastic reduction policies, including restrictions on single-use plastic bags and straws, and it sponsored legislation requiring California public schools to offer an environment-based curriculum. It has also advocated for measures funding clean water programs in Los Angeles County. Heal the Bay was founded in 1985 by a group of citizens and is based in Santa Monica, California, focusing on the Santa Monica Bay and southern California’s coastal waters.