On Saturday, June 8, 2024, Miami joins cities from around the world in celebrating World Ocean Day with the 4th annual World Ocean Day Celebration, a collaborative event hosted by leading local ocean organizations, ARTSail and Blue Scholars Initiative.
As one of the country’s top oceanic metropolises, with over 7.5 miles of Atlantic coastline and nearly at level with the sea, Miami maintains an intimate relationship with the water surrounding it. Through this connection, the World Ocean Day Celebration invites the community to engage, connect, and learn from the ocean through an all-day event combining conservation with art, science, and activism.
Hosted between Miami Beach and Virginia Key, the event includes on-site and in-water family-friendly activities that immerse local students, the greater community, and tourists directly with the water. Along the sand, guests will find life-size ocean art by Maria Useche and Deborah Mitchell encouraging new reflections on the interplay between the ocean and human creation. The evening itinerary includes the presentation of a low-tide dance performance, stories and discussion from female ocean conservationists, and award-winning films in collaboration with the San Francisco-based International Ocean Film Festival.
“For the past four years, we have curated the World Ocean Day Celebration to be the intersection point for everyone’s love of the ocean. By bringing together artists, scientists, sponsors, activists, students, and families, during a global celebration, we’re able to amplify the recognition of ocean issues across the city, making a bigger impact and raising more awareness.” — Ombretta Agro’ Andruff, founder of ARTSail.
“Our vision is that anyone who attends Miami’s WOC leaves feeling empowered and ready to assert their own agency in protecting the ocean. Starting from fewer than 500 attendees in 2021, to now reaching more than 1,000, through our youth-focused outreach, we have cultivated a new generation of ocean activists, showing that ocean conservation is for everyone! The key is about changing how we interact and care for marine ecosystems every day.” — Adam Steckley, Executive Director, Blue Scholars Initiative.
Together with the help of over 30+ local and international partners and sponsors from public and private sectors, including Ocean Bank, Norwegian Cruise Line, Bausano, along with the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the City of Miami Beach, this year’s event is expected to engage over 1,000 attendees. By creating ongoing, community-focused events, the World Ocean Celebration helps to inspire everyone to participate in climate action, across Miami and beyond.
Find the complete agenda for the 2024 World Ocean Day Celebration below:
Date: Saturday, Jun 8, 2024
AM Event: 8 am-12 pm
Location: 35th Street Beach at Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
Itinerary: Action-oriented family-friendly experiences that engage with the ocean will include:
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Exhibition Swim (Full Circle Coaching)
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Ceremonial Paddle-out (Surfrider Miami)
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Pilates on the Beach (Pilates for the People)
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Youth Swim Instruction (Breathe and Splash Swim School and Mermaid Merle)
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Beach Cleanup (Clean Miami Beach and The International SeaKeepers Society)
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Dune Restoration (Surfrider Miami and Frost Science MUVE)
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Water Quality Testing (Blue Water Task Force and EarthEcho International)
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Art Flags by Maria Useche and Weaving with Water quilts by Deborah Mitchell will be on display by the shoreline throughout the morning event.
Date: Saturday, Jun 8, 2024
PM Event: 5 pm-9 pm
Location: UM Rosenstiel School SALT Waterfront and Auditorium, Virginia Key
Itinerary: Ticketed event featuring a happy hour, panel, and film premiere:
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Cocktail Reception with Ocean Art & Water Dance Performance
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“Sheroes of the Ocean” panel series in which the leading female voices on ocean conservation from different sectors will discuss their work and spark new perspectives on ocean advocacy through storytelling.
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Participants include:
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75-minute film screening from the International Ocean Film Festival to showcase the beauty and energy of the ocean through cinema– connecting viewers intimately with its remarkable inhabitants, and staunch advocates, all while inspiring us to act on their behalf.
International Ocean Film Festival
About ARTSail
Starting in 2016, ARTSail is a nomadic and multi-faceted platform that fosters collaborations between cultural creators and climate experts to address South Florida’s climate crisis and create actionable climate advocacy initiatives. Programs span from artist residencies, exhibitions, and community outreach, and bridge awareness to action by leveraging artists’ communicative power for policy advocacy. Six cultural producers completed month-long residencies between 2016 and 2022. ARTSail became a standalone entity in July 2018 and has continued growing under the direction of founder Ombretta Agro’ Andruff.
About Blue Scholars Initiative
Blue Scholars Initiative engages Miami’s youth in marine biology, marine ecology, and watershed concepts, providing a better understanding of, and connection to, the marine ecosystem. Through hands-on, experiential learning, students further investigate the rich biodiversity beneath the surface, conduct citizen science, and develop a passion for the environment, inspiring our next generation of ocean stewards to solve our most pressing and difficult issues.
