A global campaign to fight plastic pollution.
The 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup took place on June 15–16, 2024 in partnership with Sea Turtle Week and organizations worldwide. Thousands of people came together to clean important ocean and coastal habitats globally, and 7 partners created artwork from their collected waste to inspire change. Together we removed 78,744 pounds of waste from 54 miles of ocean and coast globally! See the full results here.
Ocean Cleanup Locations & Partners
We are proud to showcase the official cleanup partners for the 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup. Thanks to our generous sponsors, Oceanic Society supported each organization with $1,500 to help them clean up an ecologically important and polluted coastal or ocean habitat on June 15-16, 2024. Each partner also created a piece of artwork using their collected waste as part of a friendly art competition, with the chance to earn additional funding.
In addition to the cleanups below that are sponsored by Oceanic Society, dozens more were planned during Sea Turtle Week (June 8-16) as part of the 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup.
Location: La Union, Philippines
Partner: Coastal Underwater Resource Management Actions (CURMA)
CURMA cleaned a beach in La Union, Philippines that is an important nesting site for olive ridley sea turtles, with feeding and developmental areas for green and hawksbill sea turtles just offshore. The area is also a popular tourist destination that receives more than 2.8 million visitors per year. Due to rapid commercial development, the beach and nearby waterways are heavily polluted with plastic and non-biodegradable waste. Many sea turtles brought to CURMA’s rehabilitation center show signs of plastic ingestion. CURMA is a non-profit organization focused on sea turtle conservation through activities like nesting patrols, hatchery management, wildlife rescue, and research. Learn more about CURMA.
Location: Kwale, Kenya
Partner: Kenyan Youth Biodiversity Network
As a significant tourist destination, the Diani-Chale Marine Reserve is under immense pressure from tourism, overfishing, and plastic pollution. Within the reserve, Diani Beach, the cleanup site, hosts nesting green and hawksbill sea turtles, with more than 100 nests laid annually. But high levels of plastic debris on the beach endangers newly hatched turtles and impacts nest success. The Kenyan Youth Biodiversity Network is a national membership organization that empowers youth at a grassroots level to tackle biodiversity loss through projects on marine plastic pollution, ecosystem restoration, education, and advocacy. Learn more about Kenyan Youth Biodiversity Network.
Location: Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area, Vietnam
Partner: Phu Quoc Sach & Xanh
The Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area encompasses a 9,740-hectare coral conservation area that is home to more than 260 coral species. The cleanup was held in the core protected zone in the island's south, spanning 757 hectares of coral reef. The area hosts a variety of threatened marine species including dugongs, sea turtles, and dolphins. Phu Quoc city faces waste management challenges due to local, tourist, and ocean-bound plastic waste from neighboring countries, as well as discarded fishing nets and gear from local operations. Phu Quoc Sach & Xanh, a non-profit, has led 260 community projects, removing 187,000 kg of waste with 8,700 volunteers in 8 years. Learn more about Phu Quoc Sach & Xanh.
Location: Vava'u, Tonga
Partner: Vava'u Environmental Protection Association (VEPA)
VEPA led cleanups in the Ovaka, Olo'ua and Neiafu communities of Vava’u, Tonga, organized and led by the organization’s designated community youth ambassadors in each community. These communities actively manage their fishery resources and are committed to reducing pollution and minimizing land-based impacts. The selected sites feature expansive seagrass beds along the beach and intertidal areas, as well as shallow coral reefs within 80-200 meters of the communities. VEPA is a locally-based NGO that leads community-based environmental programs driven by local initiatives, supported by science, and rooted in traditional knowledge. Learn more about VEPA. This cleanup was made possible by Oceanic Society's Expeditions Impact Fund.
Location: La Paz, El Salvador
Partner: Fundación Zoológica de El Salvador (FUNZEL)
FUNZEL cleaned two beaches in La Paz, El Salvador: one in the Toluca community, and the other in the Tasajera community, located within a protected area. These beaches are surrounded by mangroves, attracting diverse wildlife, including migratory birds and a large number of nesting sea turtles. Due to their proximity to a river mouth, the beaches accumulate a significant amount of trash, especially during the rainy season. FUNZEL is committed to the conservation of wildlife in El Salvador, with an emphasis on sea turtle and bird conservation. Protecting sea turtles on up to 32 beaches in El Salvador, they have recognized trash as a major threat to wildlife. Learn more about FUNZEL.
Location: Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives
Partner: Naifaru Juvenile & Atoll Marine Centre
Naifaru Island is surrounded by reefs that host a diverse marine ecosystem rich with corals, sea turtles, rays, sharks, and fish. This cleanup effort targeted a beach on the island where the lack of proper waste management results in waste accumulation on streets, beaches, and in the water. The area also faces a high level of microplastic pollution. Naifaru Juvenile, a prominent local NGO in the Maldives, prioritizes wildlife and environmental conservation, community education and development, drug awareness, and sports development. Their Atoll Marine Centre on Naifaru is dedicated to sea turtle rehabilitation and marine conservation advocacy. Learn more about Naifaru Juvenile & Atoll Marine Centre.
Location: Greater Accra Region, Ghana
Partner: Plastic Punch
The cleanup locations at Sakumo and Teshie-Nungua beaches provide important nesting habitats for sea turtles, yet face significant threats from plastic pollution. Plastic Punch's cleanup initiatives on these beaches engaged local communities and organizations to not only clean the beach, but also gather data on the sources of pollution, improving knowledge about this problem and promoting a sense of stewardship among residents. Plastic Punch is a non-profit organization based in Accra, Ghana, dedicated to coastal protection, plastic waste management, sustainable waste solutions, and educating the public about the harmful effects of single-use plastics. Learn more about Plastic Punch.
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Led by Oceanic Society
Oceanic Society held a cleanup of Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California, our home base since 1969. The San Francisco Bay and our offshore waters are some of the most productive ocean areas on earth and are home to a wide range whales, dolphins, pinnipeds, seabirds, and even leatherback sea turtles. Yet with the Bay Area population approaching 8 million, all types of solid waste makes its way into the sea where it has the potential to harm wildlife. Oceanic Society is America's oldest non-profit organization dedicated to ocean conservation, founded in San Francisco in 1969. Learn more about our work.
Take Action from Home
Participate in the 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup and join the millions of people worldwide taking action to fight ocean plastic pollution. Choose from one of the actions below, and share your efforts with us on social media by using #GlobalOceanCleanup.
Art Competition
To harness the power of visual storytelling and showcase the global impacts of plastic pollution, participating projects created artwork using the waste collected during their cleanup. The artworks were shared online and judged by a panel of artists and conservationists, and through an audience choice vote as part of a friendly competition, with additional funding awarded! Learn more at the link below.
Campaign Sponsors
We are grateful to the following sponsors of the 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup.
PRESENTING SPONSORS
Planet Oat Oatmilk is proud to sponsor Oceanic Society and the 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup for the third year in a row. Their support is made as as part of the Planet Oat Project, the brand’s pledge to support organizations that better the world we live in.
Seiko is proud to sponsor the Global Ocean Cleanup for the third year in a row. Their support is part of a long-term partnership with Oceanic Society. Learn more about the Seiko Prospex Mission and Seiko's commitment to ocean conservation.
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Campaign Partners
The 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup Campaign was organized by Oceanic Society in partnership with Sea Turtle Week and organizations worldwide. Learn more about the partners below.
As America’s oldest non-profit organization dedicated to ocean conservation, Oceanic Society has worked for more than 50 years to inspire and empower people worldwide to take part in building a healthy future for the world’s oceans. Learn more about Oceanic Society.
Sea Turtle Week is a network of 172 partner organizations in 45 countries working to promote the sea turtle conservation during an annual event that begins on World Oceans Day, June 8, and ends on World Sea Turtle Day, June 16. SEE Turtles is the organizer of Sea Turtle Week. Learn more about Sea Turtle Week.