olympic and world surf league legend joins roster of sports and entertainment “team ocean captains” in the lead-up to ocean conservancy’s 40th annual international coastal cleanup
Today, Ocean Conservancy announced that three-time world champion surfer and sailing aficionado John John Florence — a long-time advocate of ocean conservation born and raised in Hawaii — has joined the Protect Where We Play initiative as a “Team Ocean Captain” to rally fans worldwide to protect our ocean.
“It’s an honor to join the Protect Where We Play initiative, and to partner with Ocean Conservancy, who have an incredible 50-plus-year history of protecting our ocean,” said Mr. Florence. “The ocean has been my life’s greatest gift, and it’s my goal to help take care of it for future generations.”
Ocean Conservancy’s Protect Where We Play initiative aims to leverage the reach of athletes, artists and events to mobilize millions of fans in support of ocean conservation. Mr. Florence, a three-time World Surf League champion and 2020 and 2024 U.S. Olympian, joins fellow Team Ocean Captains — WNBA’s Napheesa Collier, NFL’s Kelvin Beachum, MLB’s Brent Suter, Paralympian Ezra Frech and American ballerina Katherine Barkman — to raise awareness about the ocean’s vital role in our lives and to inspire fans to take action. Earlier this month, Ocean Conservancy announced the first individual teams to join Protect Where We Play, including the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, the United States SailGP Team and Team USA Artistic Swimming.
“Surfers have long been on the front lines of ocean conservation, leading countless efforts to protect the beating heart of our blue planet,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Chief Brand and Communications Officer Jenna DiPaolo. “No matter where we live, the health of our ocean plays a central role in our lives, shaping the places we play and the sports, music and entertainment we love. Fans have real power to drive change. By uniting through Team Ocean, we can turn passion into a global movement to protect our planet for future generations.”
The ocean is vital to life on Earth, producing 50% of the oxygen we breathe, capturing 90% of human-made excess heat and helping to keep our planet cool and our weather patterns predictable, thereby supporting and shaping the places we live and play. But the ocean is under constant threat from rising temperatures, plastic and other pollution, and the loss of critical habitats and wildlife.
“Long before I studied the impacts of plastic pollution as a career, I learned to love the ocean through surfing,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President of Conservation for Ocean Plastics Nicholas Mallos. “I’m ecstatic to see not only an iconic champion surfer, but also an all-around ocean champion like John John Florence join us in bringing greater awareness to how the ocean influences our lives and in inspiring fans everywhere to protect it.”
The announcement comes in advance of Ocean Conservancy’s 40th International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) event, held every September. Since 1986, the ICC has mobilized nearly 19 million volunteers to remove more than 400 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways worldwide. Notably, plastic beverage bottles and cups are a common pollutant according to ICC data.
On June 5, Ocean Conservancy and its partner GOAL launched the Protect Where We Play Tour to reduce the plastic footprint of sports and entertainment venues, aiming to prevent 1 million single-use cups from entering the waste stream. Other tour stops include:
- June 6-7: Coldplay at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
- July 19: WNBA All-Star Weekend at Gainbridge Field House, Indianapolis, Indiana
- September 27: Lumineers at Enmarket Arena, Savannah, Georgia
- October 25-26: Billie Eilish at UBS Arena, Belmont Park, New York
In August, Protect Where We Play was shortlisted for both “Campaign of the Year” and “Purpose-Led Partnership With A Non-Profit” for the Sport Positive Awards, which celebrates organizations and individuals working to tackle issues related to the climate and biodiversity crises. Award winners will be announced on Oct. 7, 2025.
Learn more about Protect Where We Play HERE.
You can find the Protect Where We Play media kit HERE.
ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY
Ocean Conservancy has been working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.
ABOUT PROTECT WHERE WE PLAY
Protect Where We Play is Ocean Conservancy’s bold, new initiative that aims to inspire a new wave of fan engagement and action by leveraging the sports and entertainment industries as a first entry point to activate a broader and more diverse array of “Team Ocean” advocates. You can watch the sizzle reel here, read Forbes’ coverage of the launch here, and Pollstar’s Earth Day coverage on the origin story of this initiative here. For more information, visit protectwhereweplay.com.
