One of Oceanic Society's most important programs in its early years was the Oceanic Society Patrol, which was established In 1972 as a way to engage Bay Area yacht owners and pilots as volunteer participants in research and monitoring for ocean conservation. The Boat Patrol enlisted and trained private boat owners to monitor water quality, collect oceanographic data, monitor marine mammals and other species, transport biologists to the Farallon Islands (through the Farallon Patrol), document pollution events, and perform other tasks as volunteers at their own expense.