The Peter Benchley Ocean Awards™ was founded on the idea that individuals across every field of marine discipline are doing outstanding work—providing solutions to the challenges faced by our ocean, coastlines, and wildlife—and they need to be acknowledged and honored.

Co-founded by Wendy Benchley and David Helvarg and named in honor of Peter Benchley, author of Jaws and lifelong shark and ocean advocate, the Benchley Awards were established to recognize and celebrate the work and dedication of these individuals and to foster cross-discipline collaboration to expand innovative ocean solutions.

In 2018, Wendy Benchley decided to retire the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards™ after a decade of honoring remarkable individuals across various marine disciplines for their outstanding contributions to ocean conservation.

In collaboration with the Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP), a coalition of 29 aquariums across the U.S. dedicated to marine conservation that reaches more than 35 million visitors yearly, the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards will return annually, celebrating with its first gala at the Nation Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 8th, 2025.

The Benchley Awards has assembled a stellar and diverse group of marine experts and advocates to form our Awards Selection Committee. Their role is pivotal in choosing our exceptional honorees from the hundreds of nominations we receive each year.

This marks the beginning of a new era and is a testament to our unwavering dedication to honoring and celebrating individuals who champion ocean excellence at every level.