Obtaining proprietary rights to ocean and coastal lands and resources is a relatively new and unexplored strategy. While in some limited circumstances it has taken place for several years, in most cases the strategy is nascent or not applied at all. More than likely, proprietary rights to oceans and coasts have been acquired by private commercial entities for purposes that do not protect and ultimately degrade the environment. Given this scenario, The Nature Conservancy is reaching out through several avenues to relevant management agencies and private conservation organizations to explore and promote proprietary conservation opportunities. Recognizing that numerous ocean and coastal conservation strategies exist, it is not TNC’s assumption or goal that proprietary rights can be applied in all places under all circumstances. TNC’s goal is to understand where and under what conditions proprietary rights can and should be used to conserve ocean and coastal lands and resources. Proprietary rights can then be used to establish a stakeholder interest in comprehensive efforts to conserve the oceans and coasts.