Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition

Non-profit OrganizationsDistrict of Columbia, United States11-50 Employees

ASOC is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization that works full-time to preserve the Antarctic continent and its surrounding Southern Ocean. It operates as a coalition of more than 30 environmental non-governmental organizations and represents the environmental community at Antarctic governance meetings, advancing conservation goals. Founded in 1978, ASOC treats Antarctica and its adjacent marine environment as shared natural heritage that should remain protected.

Its campaigns aim to create a network of large Marine Protected Areas, including progress toward Marine Protected Area status for the Ross Sea, in collaboration with partners such as the Antarctic Ocean Alliance, and to negotiate a legally binding Polar Code for vessels operating in the Southern Ocean. The organization monitors a broad range of issues affecting the region, including climate change, tourism, fisheries management, biological prospecting, and pirate fishing. In 2025 ASOC was awarded the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity in recognition of its advocacy work.

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