World Ocean Celebration 2023

A fun recap of the 2023 World Ocean Weekend Celebration. Courtesy of Tanya Manfrediz

We're thrilled to announce the roaring success of the third edition of the World Ocean Weekend celebration, once again organized in partnership with Blue Scholars Initiative and presented by the W South Beach.

The 2023 event, held on June 3 and 4, 2023, smashed attendance records with a whopping 4000+ people flocking to the beach at 21st St. on Saturday morning, rocking the W South Beach Great Room on Saturday evening for the Sheroes of the Ocean panel and film screening, and turning up the heat at the Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science on Sunday.

30+ artists, scientists, activists and organizations joined Blue Scholars Initiative and ARTSail to collectively form a powerhouse alliance that is working tirelessly to safeguard our precious ocean. 431 pounds of trash was collected and more than 200 sea oats were planted in the dune.
200+ people joined us on Saturday evening at the W South Beach Great Hall for an inspiring panel discussion with five exceptional Miami-based Ocean Sheroes, followed by a captivating 90-minute screening of award-winning films.

Art Flags design for *Become Ocean* by Marina Zurkow in collaboration with Una Chaudhuri,

Two art projects were featured at the weekend event:

Art Flags: BECOME OCEAN: the 2023 art flags installation was created by Marina Zurkow, in collaboration with Una Chaudhuri. This series of carnivalesque flags invite us to think expansively about human responses to climate change. Oceanic realities call for us to exercise buoyancy, flexibility, and unflinching visions in our search for resilience and revival. Experimenting imaginatively with new modes of being in the world, we must cultivate planetary relationships that mitigate or adapt to climate change, while advocating for policies that prioritize the health of the planet — including the thriving of our essential oceans.

Ocean Murals, by Linda Cheung and Jamie Nolan of Before it’s Too late: for the World Ocean Weekend project, the artists conducted a series of workshops with students from Breakthrough Miami, The Motivational Edge, and Overtown Optimist Club during which they taught students basic elements of wall mural painting technique, and discussed their practice in relationship to marine ecology and the threats posed to its welfare by climate change and man-made pollution. Over the course of three months they worked with students to create three large-scale paintings that were featured on the beach during the Saturday morning activities on June 3 and at the Frost Science on Sunday.

Saturday Day activities include a one mile ocean swim with Full Circle and D&R swim groups and youth swim instruction with Mermaid Merle Liivand:

Ceremonial paddle-out with Surfrider and Pilates on the beach:

Community engagement, art and education with Oceana, Frost Science MUVE, Blue Water Task Force, Plastic Free 305, learning water and micro-plastic testing and much more:

Milly Milton, Maddie Kaufman, Arianna Trapp.jpg

Beach clean-up and dune restoration with Clean Miami Beach, SeaKeepers International Society and Surfrider:

Amanda Gomez, Homero Gallardo, Liliana Gomez03.jpg

Saturday evening - Impact Speakers and Film Screenings with Sheroes of the Ocean panel and International Ocean Film Festival:

Sheroes come from all walks of life, all ages, and all nationalities. Our speakers shared an incredible display of talent and commitment, from turtles and sharks to youth advocacy, art, community engagement, and new visions for sustainable fisheries. Jamora, Linda, Carlee, Jennifer, and Rumya inspired us with the depth of their knowledge and the breadth of their passion to ensure a brighter future for our oceans. We are fortunate to count them as friends, and look forward to continuing our journey along them to safeguard the precious bodies of water that surround us.

The inspiration carried on throughout the night, with lively conversations during the cocktail reception followed by a diverse International Ocean Film Festival screening program that moved, entertained, and informed us through the masterful storytelling abilities of the filmmakers.

Speakers: Jamora Arroyo-Jefferson, Youth Environmental Advocate, Miami Waterkeeper Junior Ambassador Program; Linda Cheung, Artist and Founder/ED of Before it’s Too Late; Carlee Monique Jackson Bohannon, Director of Communications, Minorities in Shark Science; Jennifer Jaquet, Visiting Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy - Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science; Rumya Sundaram, Operations Manager and Director of Environmental Science, Key Biscayne Community Foundation. Moderated by Ombretta Agro’ Andruff, ARTSail.