FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Ocean Project Becomes World Ocean Project
Sharpens its Focus on Building the Next Generation of Leaders
for a Healthy Ocean and a Stable Climate
PROVIDENCE, RI – October 6, 2026 – The Ocean Project, the nonprofit behind World Ocean Day since 2002, today announced it is entering a new era, changing its name to World Ocean Project. The new name, changing just one word, preserves nearly three decades of credibility built through strong collaboration for conservation and effective partnerships around the world, while more clearly connecting the organization to the campaign most people already know it for.
The rebrand also reflects a steady evolution of its mission: Since 2009 the organization has focused on empowering youth worldwide to lead and catalyze collective action for a healthy ocean and a stable climate.
“For nearly 30 years, we’ve worked mostly behind the scenes, conducting unprecedented market research, strengthening the community’s communications for conservation outcomes, and co-developing campaigns with partners across sectors to build a stronger movement for our blue planet,” said Bill Mott, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor of World Ocean Project. “That was intentional; we’ve always focused on lasting, long-term change. But our work has evolved, and since 2009, our central focus has been mobilizing a largely untapped and powerful constituency: youth worldwide.”
“Our new name reflects who we’ve become and makes the connection clear between our organization and World Ocean Day, the global campaign so many people already know and love,” stated Mott. In the years ahead, with youth at the helm, and the right partners, we expect to significantly increase engagement with World Ocean Day across all sectors and build stronger youth leadership worldwide for a better future.”
A Global Network of Youth-Led Hubs
At the center of World Ocean Project’s work is a growing network of youth-led regional hubs that conduct leadership training, strengthen regional policy action, and coordinate World Ocean Day activities in their communities. The organization’s free Youth Leadership Training program has already engaged approximately 6,000 young people from 170 countries over the last six years, and new location-specific hubs are launching in key regions this year.
Alongside youth leadership, World Ocean Project continues to build national and international policy partnerships with the leading organizations, integrated into year-round “12 Months of Action” campaigns that extend the momentum of World Ocean Day beyond a single day in June. World Ocean Day is a moment powering a movement.
Why Now
The new name and renewed focus are designed to:
Increase recognition of the organization’s work and support its ability to scale;
Elevate the youth-focused mission, moving from a behind-the-scenes role to visible leadership – while continuing to also prioritize collaboration with partner organizations;
Re-energize World Ocean Project’s global network of 2,000+ partner organizations in 200 countries around a shared focus: youth leadership year-round, with World Ocean Day as the unifying annual campaign for collective action.
A brief history of World Ocean Project’s nearly 30 years of conservation collaboration, from its founding in 1997 to today, is available at www.WorldOceanProject.org.
Looking Ahead
World Ocean Project is inviting individuals, foundations, and businesses to join this next chapter to scale youth leadership programming, advocacy, and World Ocean Day celebrations and community action around the world.
“This isn’t a new organization. We’re the same organization with an evolved mission, something we have been working hard on for the past 30 years,” said Jihyun Lee, Director of Programs. “What’s new is that we’re telling that story clearly and inviting more people to help us scale it. And our lean team is largely youth-led, with a median age of 26. We are here for youth and led by youth.”
About World Ocean Project
World Ocean Project (formerly The Ocean Project) is building the next generation of leaders worldwide for a healthy ocean and stable climate. Founded in 1997, the organization is the nonprofit behind World Ocean Day, the global campaign marked annually on the 8th of June — officially recognized by the United Nations starting in 2008, co-led with the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council since 2016, and now celebrated in 200 countries throughout the ocean month of June. Through year-round free youth leadership training, regional youth action hubs, and regional and global policy engagement, World Ocean Project has engaged approximately 6,000 young people in just the last six years with plans to double that number in the next two years. Learn more at WorldOceanProject.org and WorldOceanDay.org.
One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together
Media Contact
Kate Insley
Creative Director
[email protected]
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