History & Mission

COMPASS is a collaborative effort to advance marine conservation science and communicate scientific knowledge to policymakers, the public, and the media. Launched in 1999, COMPASS' mission is to accelerate the pace of solutions to important marine environmental problems. COMPASS is helping marine conservation science mature into a discipline that is less fragmented, better-communicated and better-connected to, and informed by, policy. We do this by:

Catalyze and support the development of marine conservation science to address policy needs, such that scientists are asking questions that are of immediate societal importance and relevance.
Ensure that scientific findings and insights are accessible, relevant, and communication-ready.
Create and facilitate strategic communication and outreach opportunities for scientists to inform decision-making through dissemination of credible, up-to-date marine conservation science. We tailor our communications outreach primarily to the media and policy-makers, as well as to others engaged in advancing marine conservation.

COMPASS is funded by a number of private charitable foundations, including the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, and Meyer Memorial Trust.