Dustin Cranor

Vice President, Global Marketing and Communications

Executive Committee

Dustin Cranor serves as Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications at Oceana.

Over nearly two decades with the organization, he has played a central role in shaping Oceana’s global influence — building teams, strengthening organizational capacity, and supporting hundreds of policy victories that protect and restore the world’s oceans. He is known for translating complex ocean science and policy challenges into compelling public narratives that drive engagement and action.

A member of Oceana’s executive committee, Cranor leads the organization’s global communications, marketing, and creative strategy. He oversees a 25-person team responsible for international and U.S. public relations, strategic marketing and digital communications, internal communications, creative production, and Sailors for the Sea — Oceana’s sailing and boating engagement initiative.

His team supports Oceana’s advocacy campaigns across 10 countries and the European Union and engages with more than 9.2 million supporters worldwide. Under his leadership, Oceana’s global brand, media relations, digital platforms, publications, supporter programs, and direct response fundraising efforts have expanded in reach and impact, while also strengthening communications with major donors and foundation partners.

Working closely with the CEO and senior leadership, Cranor helps shape Oceana’s long-term positioning and public image. He has also played a key role in advancing the organization’s global strategy — elevating the importance of protecting fisheries not only in countries that catch the most fish, but also where fish matter most for food security and livelihoods.

Cranor also oversees Oceana’s relationships with many of its prominent public advocates, guiding communications and engagement with supporters including Ted Danson, Sam Waterston, Kate Walsh, and Alexandra Cousteau, among others.

During his tenure, Cranor has secured extensive local, national, and international media coverage that elevates ocean issues, advances policy campaigns, and reinforces Oceana’s position as a global leader in ocean conservation. His work has generated coverage in leading outlets including The New York Times, BBC News, Reuters, The Associated Press, CNN, ABC News, NBC News, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among many others.

He led communications for Oceana’s campaign exposing seafood fraud in the United States, which generated widespread national attention and contributed to new federal seafood traceability requirements designed to combat illegal fishing and mislabeling.

Cranor also oversaw the award-winning public launch of the Global Fishing Watch mapping platform — the first free, global view of industrial fishing activity — and coined Oceana’s tagline, “Save the Oceans, Feed the World.”

Prior to joining Oceana in 2007, Cranor worked at TheWadeGroup, Inc., a public affairs firm in Washington, D.C., where he developed strategic communications campaigns for corporate and nonprofit clients.

Originally from southeast Kansas, Cranor is a graduate of the University of Arkansas. Today, he splits his time between Washington, D.C., and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.