On September 17, 2022, eight organizations worldwide will team up to clean some of Earth’s most important coastal and ocean habitats as part of the 2022 Global Ocean Cleanup organized by Oceanic Society. The cleanups are scheduled to coincide with International Coastal Cleanup Day, a global day of action to fight ocean waste.
Beyond cleaning coastlines, each organization will create a unique piece of artwork from the waste they collect in order to help further awareness about the global ocean pollution problem. Artworks will be judged by an international panel of renowned artists, activists, and ocean conservationists as part of a friendly competition.
An accompanying digital multimedia campaign led by Oceanic Society will showcase the important work of each participating project and the campaign’s collective impact, and will encourage audience participation in fighting ocean plastic pollution from home.
Participating Projects and Locations
After a global call for participation, Oceanic Society selected seven organizations to join the 2022 campaign. Each group has received a $2,000 grant from Oceanic Society to support their local cleanup efforts on September 17 and beyond. Oceanic Society will also lead a cleanup in its hometown of San Francisco, CA. The participating organizations will be cleaning coastal areas that include sensitive habitats and threatened marine biodiversity including coral reefs, mangrove forests, sea turtle nesting beaches, albatross rookeries, marine mammal habitats, and more. Locations were also selected based on the amount of marine pollution that is present and the overall need for cleanup efforts, with some organizations anticipating they will collect as much as a ton of waste. Other factors, including the proposed level of community involvement and the ability of organizers to properly dispose of collected waste, were also considered.
Participating projects and cleanup locations are:
- Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii — Kahuku Beach, O’ahu, Hawai’i, U.S.A.
- Asociación Ambiente Europeo — Playa del Rafal, Murcia, Spain
- Semillas del Océano — Sipacate-Naranjo National Park, Guatemala
- Ocean Sole — Kilifi, Kenya
- Young Environmentalists Programme Trust — Kadmat Islands, Lakshadweep, India
- Paddling Palau — Orchid Cove, Rock Islands, Palau
- Big Blue & You — Watson Island, Miami, Florida, U.S.A (sponsored by Seiko)
In addition, Oceanic Society will lead a community cleanup of Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California, U.S.A., sponsored by Seiko. Each organization will convene at least 20 people to participate in their cleanup, and will collect data on the quantity and types of trash collected. Learn more about the organizations and cleanup locations here.
Art Competition and Judges
Following each cleanup, participating projects will create and document a piece of artwork using the waste they collect for entry into a friendly art competition. The artworks will be reviewed by a panel of judges that includes renowned artists and ocean conservationists including: Sylvia Earle, Taylor Griffith, Ben J. Hicks, Pamela Longobardi, Courtney Mattison, Cristina Mittermeier, and Wishulada Panthanuvong.
These expert judges will work together to review and rate the artworks submitted to determine a Winner and Runner-Up, each of which will receive an additional $500 toward their ocean conservation work. Oceanic Society will also host an online vote to determine an Audience Choice winner, which will also receive an additional $500 toward their work.
Learn more about the Global Ocean Cleanup Art Contest and Judges here.
Campaign and Cleanup Sponsors
The 2022 Global Ocean Cleanup is made possible through the generous support of Planet Oat Oatmilk, Seiko, and private donations.
Support from Planet Oat will go towards the global cleanup campaign and is made as part of their Planet Oat Project, the brand’s pledge to support organizations that better the world we live in. Oceanic Society has been receiving support from Planet Oat since 2020—learn more here.
Support from Seiko will go towards the cleanup events at Watson Island, Miami, Florida, led by Big Blue & You, and at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California, led by Oceanic Society, as well as the digital campaign. With this sponsorship, Seiko, a leader in diver’s watches, is continuing their long-term commitment to ocean conservation—learn more here. Oceanic Society has been receiving support from Seiko since 2021—learn more here.
Follow Along and Get Involved
You can be a part of the growing global movement to fight ocean pollution by taking part in this campaign in the following ways:
- Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter
- Lead a cleanup in your community
- Take our 7-Day Fight Plastic Waste Challenge
- Choose one new action for ocean health
Join us, and be part of the growing Oceanic Society!
