Stance KB Ocean Impact
Investing in a living ocean
Provide US equity exposure by investing in those companies that lead their industries in managing their ocean and marine biodiversity risks.
The Stance KB Ocean Impact Strategy offers targeted exposure to companies demonstrating leadership in ocean biodiversity management, marine risk, and dependencies on healthy ocean ecosystems. The ocean has absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat generated by climate change since the industrial era,¹ making its health inseparable from the stability of the global climate system and the economies that depend on it. Companies that manage their ocean-related risks and dependencies responsibly are, we believe, better positioned to sustain long-term business performance.
The strategy employs a proprietary, bottom-up research process designed specifically for ocean-linked industries. Companies are benchmarked using industry-specific models built around key performance indicators spanning marine biodiversity, ocean pollution, habitat stewardship, water use, and climate-related ocean impacts. This analysis produces a rigorous assessment of each company's exposure to marine risk and the quality of its stewardship practices.
Fundamental financial analysis is then applied to evaluate growth prospects, balance sheet strength, and valuation. The result is a focused equity portfolio of companies we believe combine credible ocean stewardship and sound investment fundamentals.
How the portfolio is built.
Industry Identification
Stance analysts apply exclusionary screens to constituents of the developed markets to eliminate those industries determined to have categorically harmful societal impacts (e.g., cruise lines.
Proprietary Benchmarking
Companies in industries with material impacts are benchmarked using proprietary models with key performance indicators for biodiversity-related policies, practices, and performance.
Controversy Review
All industry leaders are systematically screened and graded for controversies, with those involving ecosystem destruction, biodiversity harm, and violations of indigenous land rights weighted most heavily.
Financial Analysis
Each security passing the financial screen is subject to a fundamental review across growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation criteria. Position sizes are capped at 5% and industry concentration limited to 15%.
WHY THE OCEAN?
Human activities have degraded two-thirds of the ocean, with monitored marine species declining nearly 50% since 1970 due to overfishing, pollution, and climate change. Scientists have identified five primary drivers behind the crisis, each directly influencing how we evaluate companies.
The ocean is also an economic foundation. It generates an estimated $2.5 trillion in goods and services annually,² supports the livelihoods of more than three billion people,³ and absorbs roughly 25% to 30% of global carbon emissions each year.⁴ Companies that degrade marine ecosystems are not simply creating environmental harm. They are eroding the natural systems that underpin supply chains, food security, and long-term economic stability.
For investors, this translates into material risk. Regulatory pressure on ocean-linked industries is accelerating, consumer expectations are shifting, and the physical consequences of marine degradation, from fishery collapse to coastal infrastructure damage, are beginning to affect corporate balance sheets. We believe that identifying companies with meaningful exposure to these risks, and those positioned to benefit from more sustainable practices, is essential to sound portfolio construction.
Land & Sea Use
Conversion of forests and wetlands is the single largest driver of species loss.
Resource Exploitation
Direct exploitation is the leading driver of biodiversity loss in oceans. Over a third of global fish stocks are now overfished, and more than 33% of shark and ray species face extinction
Climate Change
Rising temperatures destabilize ecosystems globally, threatening one in six species at current warming trajectories.
Pollution & Invasive Species
Chemical runoff, plastic waste, and the spread of invasive species have contributed to nearly 40% of all recorded animal extinctions.
The right fit for the right client.
The Stance KB Ocean Impact Strategy gives advisors a research-rigorous equity offering for clients who want to align capital with ocean health outcomes without sacrificing investment quality. As marine biodiversity moves toward a mainstream risk factor, advisors who can offer this exposure will be ahead of client demand.
Endowments with long investment horizons are uniquely positioned to benefit from strategies that price in risks the market has not yet fully recognized. For endowments with environmental or conservation missions, the Stance KB Ocean Impact Strategy also offers alignment between the investment portfolio and institutional values in a form that is analytically defensible, not merely aspirational.
Family offices investing across generations understand that the economic systems underlying long-term wealth creation are inseparable from the marine systems that support them. As ocean resources come under increasing pressure and ocean-related regulations tighten, the companies best managing their marine dependencies and impacts are those best positioned to navigate that transition.
Available where you already work.
30 minutes.
An honest assessment.
We’ll ask about your client base, your platforms, and the situations you’re trying to solve. We’ll tell you directly whether this strategy is the right fit.
Contact Stance CapitalPerformance data & strategy documentation
Complete performance history, portfolio characteristics, risk metrics, and compliance disclosures are available in the strategy documents below.
Documents coming soon
Why is ocean health a distinct strategy rather than part of Stance KB Global Biodiversity?
Marine ecosystems present a distinct risk profile from terrestrial biodiversity. The data is sparser, the supply chains are less transparent, and the financial linkages are less familiar to most investors. The Stance KB Ocean Impact strategy uses the same bottom-up research methodology as Stance KB Global Biodiversity, applied to a purpose-built framework for marine impacts. The result is a strategy with different sector exposures, KPIs, and engagement priorities.
What makes ocean-related financial risk hard to price?
Most ocean risk is embedded in supply chains investors do not see directly. A consumer goods company's exposure to overfishing, a food manufacturer's reliance on healthy coastal fisheries, a shipper's contribution to marine plastic load: these impacts and dependencies are real but rarely disclosed. That opacity tends to mean the risk is underpriced today.
How do you evaluate companies in industries where ocean impact data is limited?
We rely on a combination of sustainability disclosures, third-party certifications such as MSC for seafood, NGO research, and direct company engagement. Where data is limited, we weight process indicators heavily: does the company have a meaningful policy? Is it third-party verified? Has it set measurable targets? The absence of disclosure in a high-impact industry is itself a signal.
Is Stance Capital GIPS compliant?
Yes. Stance Capital is independently verified for GIPScompliance by ACA Compliance Group. Performance results are presented gross and net of management fees, and GIPS composite data is available upon request.
Go deeper on what drives this strategy.
¹ NOAA Climate.gov. "Climate Change: Ocean Heat Content." Accessed July 23, 2026. https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-ocean-heat-content.
² WWF and Boston Consulting Group. "Reviving the Ocean Economy: The Case for Action." April 2015. https://unfccc.int/news/25-trillion-worth-marine-resources-under-pressure-by-overfishing-pollution-and-climate-change.
³ United Nations. "Stressing Oceans Sustain Livelihoods of Over 3 Billion People, Secretary-General Says Humankind Must End War on Nature, in Observance Message." June 8, 2021. https://press.un.org/en/2021/sgsm20754.doc.htm.
⁴ World Economic Forum. "How Much Carbon Does the Ocean Absorb?" October 2020. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/10/oceans-absorb-carbon-seas-climate-change-environment-water-co2/.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investments involve risk, including potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The Stance KB Biodiversity Global strategy is available as a separately managed account; individual account results will vary. Stance Capital, LLC is a registered investment advisor. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.