World Ocean Day

What World Ocean Day does

World Ocean Day is a nonprofit global awareness initiative that coordinates ocean conservation activities across 180+ countries on June 8 and year-round. It operates under the fiscal sponsorship of The Ocean Foundation (EIN 71-0863908) and is independently coordinated by The Ocean Project with a Youth Advisory Council launched in 2016. The initiative originated from Canada's 1992 Earth Summit proposal, achieved UN General Assembly recognition in December 2008, and is currently powered by a 30-person core team plus a Youth Advisory Council of 173 members and alumni from 75 countries.

The core product is the worldoceanday.org platform, which functions as a coordination hub for 2,000+ partner organizations globally. Built on a decentralized event-driven model, the platform provides free downloadable resources (posters, toolkits, social media assets, materials for children), an interactive events calendar and submission system, multilingual support across 70+ languages, and free virtual Youth Leadership Training delivered via Zoom with YouTube archives. Supporting programs include the Rising Blue Network monthly newsletter, the 12 Months of Action year-round campaign, and the Youth Advisory Council pipeline. There is no proprietary technology moat; the platform is a standard web/content coordination stack.

The revenue model is a nonprofit hybrid of individual donations (processed via Zeffy) and corporate sponsorships (aquariums, zoos, foundations, lifestyle brands, and other businesses), with no commercial products sold and no pricing model. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: thousands of organizations independently organize events under the World Ocean Day banner, amplifying reach through organic social media and partner networks. Strategic advocacy priorities include the 30x30 campaign (protecting 30% of lands, waters, and ocean by 2030) and the High Seas Treaty, both of which contributed to major policy victories in 2023.

Name

World Ocean Day

Legal name

World Ocean Day

Website

https://worldoceanday.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

World Ocean Day is a nonprofit global initiative that coordinates ocean conservation events and resources across 180+ countries, serving youth leaders, event organizers, educators, and corporate sponsors through a free website platform, youth leadership training, and the UN-recognized June 8 awareness day.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ocean Conservation Advocacy

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Ocean conservation awareness
• Marine advocacy coordination
• Environmental event coordination
• Youth leadership training
• Global nonprofit campaign

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations: World Ocean Day accepts donations directly through their website via Zeffy platform. Donations support ocean and climate awareness activities in June and year-round, as well as youth leadership empowerment programs.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from organizations across sectors (aquariums, zoos, foundations, businesses) that share commitment to ocean protection. Sponsors gain global recognition as leaders in safeguarding the ocean and supporting youth leadership. Partnership opportunities are customized at national, regional, or global levels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

World Ocean Day is a nonprofit global initiative that coordinates and unites millions of people across 180+ countries around June 8th and year-round to protect the ocean. It operates a free website platform (worldoceanday.org) that serves as a global hub for event registration, resource distribution, and an events calendar/map, while providing free downloadable resources, youth leadership training, and advocacy campaigns such as 30x30 and the High Seas Treaty.

Product overview

World Ocean Day operates primarily as a coordination and advocacy platform rather than a commercial product company. The core offering is the World Ocean Day Website and Event Platform, which serves as the central hub for global ocean conservation activities. Supporting programs include the Youth Leadership Training Program (a free virtual training course), the Rising Blue Network Newsletter (monthly youth-focused communications), the 12 Months of Action Program (year-round monthly campaigns), and the Youth Advisory Council (youth leadership network). The platform also includes an Events Calendar system and provides free downloadable resources including posters, toolkits, and materials for children. All resources and programs are offered free of charge to support global ocean conservation efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• World Ocean Day Website and Event Platform The primary website platform that serves as a global hub for World Ocean Day celebrations, providing event organization tools, resource downloads, event calendar submission, and coordination of ocean conservation activities across 180+ countries. Available in 70+ languages.
• Youth Leadership Training Program A free four-week online training program run twice annually, designed to build leadership and advocacy skills in youth for ocean-climate conservation action, covering policy, campaign organizing, communications, and event planning.
• Rising Blue Network Newsletter A monthly email newsletter connecting youth from around the world with events, opportunities, and updates for education, engagement, advocacy and action on ocean conservation.
• 12 Months of Action Program A year-round campaign providing monthly action focus areas aligned with ocean-climate policy moments, offering resources and guidance for individuals and organizations to take consistent conservation action.
• Youth Advisory Council A youth leadership program launched in 2016 that helps shape and amplify World Ocean Day impact, with members and alumni numbering 173 from 75 countries as of 2026.
• Events Calendar and Submission System An online platform allowing users to submit, browse, and find World Ocean Day events globally, with filtering by category, country, and format.
• Free Event Resources Library Complimentary downloadable materials including posters, event planning toolkits, social media assets, and educational materials for children to support event organizers worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70,000+ individuals signed petition supporting 30x30 over three years
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• High Seas Treaty AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Coalition of organizations working to advance ratification and implementation of the High Seas Treaty for biodiversity protection beyond national jurisdiction. Treaty entered into force January 2026 after reaching 60 ratifications.
• Campaign for NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership launched in 2020 to advance the 30x30 campaign: protecting at least 30% of lands, waters, and ocean by 2030. This campaign contributed to major policy victories including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• United NationsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2008Following a four-year petition drive with international network partners, the United Nations General Assembly officially recognized 8 June as World Ocean Day in December 2008. The UN continues to designate annual themes for World Ocean Day.
• The Ocean ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002The Ocean Project launched global coordination of World Ocean Day in 2002, collaborating with global partners to expand outreach and event coordination worldwide.
• World Ocean NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner network that co-developed and circulated petitions urging UN recognition of World Ocean Day, along with The Ocean Project from 2004-2008.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Plastic Pollution Coalition: Plastic Pollution Coalition is a global alliance working to stop plastic pollution, aligned with World Ocean Day's multi-year plastic pollution action theme. Comparable as a coalition-based advocacy network driving behavior and policy change.
• SeaLegacy: SeaLegacy is a newer ocean conservation organization using storytelling, media, and expeditions to drive ocean protection. Comparable as a global advocacy nonprofit targeting public engagement and marine protected area policy.
• Surfrider Foundation: Surfrider Foundation is a grassroots ocean conservation organization with volunteer-led chapters and beach cleanup networks. Comparable as a community-driven nonprofit leveraging decentralized volunteer networks for ocean protection.
• Marine Conservation Institute: Marine Conservation Institute focuses on establishing and strengthening marine protected areas globally. Directly aligned with World Ocean Day's 30x30 and Marine Protected Areas advocacy themes.
• 5 Gyres: 5 Gyres is a nonprofit focused on plastic pollution research and education, including the TrashBlitz and ambassador programs. Comparable as a smaller mission-aligned ocean nonprofit emphasizing youth engagement and citizen science.

Direct peers

• The Ocean Project: The Ocean Project is the operational coordinator of World Ocean Day since 2002 and shares the same mission of advancing ocean conservation through communication and youth engagement. Effectively a sibling organization with overlapping staff, mission, and networks.

Broad incumbents

• Greenpeace Oceans: Greenpeace runs global ocean campaigns focused on overfishing, plastic pollution, and deep-sea mining. Comparable as a global advocacy organization with significant ocean-focused programmatic and policy work.
• WWF Oceans Practice: WWF operates one of the largest global ocean conservation programs spanning policy, fisheries, and marine protected areas. Comparable as a major institutional ocean advocacy and conservation player, though operating across many other environmental domains.
• Oceana: Oceana is the largest international ocean conservation advocacy organization, focused on policy campaigns for marine ecosystems. Directly comparable as a global ocean advocacy nonprofit, though Oceana operates with a significantly larger budget and full-time staff rather than a coordination/network model.
• Ocean Conservancy: Ocean Conservancy runs the International Coastal Cleanup and advocates for ocean policy. Comparable as a major US-based ocean conservation nonprofit with global campaigns, though focused more on direct action (cleanups) than awareness/coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WorldOceansDay
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@worldoceanday2269/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/WorldOceanDay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-ocean-day
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldoceanday

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about World Ocean Day