Yesterday Oceana launched an exciting initiative leading up to World Oceans Day on June 8. And it’s all about everyday ocean heroes.

First, starting today you can be an ocean hero by pledging to help protect the oceans. For every pledge made, Oceana receives $1 toward our campaign work -- up to $100,000!

And secondly, today is the official start of voting for the Ocean Heroes Contest. After you pledge, you'll have the chance to vote on this year's Ocean Hero. With more than 300 nominations, we’ve narrowed it down to six adults and five juniors, all with incredible stories.

And once you have pledged and voted, you can encourage others to do the same. By placing our pledge widget on your blog or website, you can help us reach the $100,000 mark. And if there’s an ocean hero finalist you really want to win, you can help them garner more votes with our campaign badges.

So pledge, vote and start spreading the word!