VIEW THE FINAL #TEAMSEAS CAMPAIGN VIDEO HERE

WASHINGTON – Today, Ocean Conservancy announced that it has removed 34,080,191 pounds of trash from the ocean, beaches and rivers, in partnership with fellow environmental NGO The Ocean Cleanup, as part of YouTubers MrBeast and Mark Rober’s #TeamSeas campaign. Launched in October 2021, the campaign raised $30M in just 65 days from over 400,000 individual donors to support three years of cleanup efforts around the world. More than 40,000 channels across every social platform shared #TeamSeas content, including several hundred of the internet’s top creators, like Marques Brownlee, AzzyLand, Sofia Nygaard, Dhar Mann, LinusTechTips, Alan Walker, The Infographics Show, Colin & Samir and TommyInnit. Altogether the campaign amassed over 1.3 billion views from #TeamSeas-tagged videos and generated donations every single day since launch.

“I can’t tell you how many times over the past three years I’ve mentioned to new acquaintances what kind of work we do, and their eyes pop when they recognize us from the #TeamSeas campaign,” said Nicholas Mallos, vice president of Ocean Conservancy’s plastics program. “The reach has been phenomenal, and it’s a testament both to the power of creators, as well as how much this issue resonates with people. No matter where you live in the world, you can be sure that plastic pollution is impacting you, and the ocean is ground zero for this crisis.”

As the official Ocean and Beaches partner of the campaign, Ocean Conservancy conducted nearly 2,000 beach, underwater, and ghost gear (abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear) cleanups, mobilizing more than 172,000 volunteers across 73 countries. The organization, which has led the annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) since 1986, relied on its extensive, longtime network of trusted ICC coordinators as well as members of its Global Ghost Gear Initiative to reach these impressive figures. Ocean Conservancy-led cleanups took place on every continent apart from Antarctica, including such remote and ecologically important spots as Anegada, The British Virgin Islands; Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles; Cape York, Australia; Haines, Alaska; and the Florida Keys.

“#TeamSeas was one of the craziest things I’ve ever attempted and it’s awesome that the YouTube community came together to make it happen,” said #TeamSeas co-founder and YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, a.k.a. MrBeast. “If everyone keeps up the momentum, we can make a huge difference.”

“I’ve always been driven by finding solutions to tough problems, and plastic pollution is a massive one, especially for our oceans,” said #TeamSeas co-founder and NASA-engineer-turned-YouTuber Mark Rober. “Cleanups are a crucial part of the solution, and I’m super proud of how Ocean Conservancy, The Ocean Cleanup, and all the #TeamSeas supporters stepped up and took action.”

Scientists estimate that 11 million metric tons of plastic pollution – much of it single-use plastics – enter the ocean every year from land-based sources alone. That’s more than a garbage truck’s worth of plastics every minute. Plastics, which never biodegrade in the environment but rather break up into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics, have been found everywhere from the deepest ocean trench to the shores of remote islands. Animals who encounter plastics in the ocean are at risk of entanglement, suffocation, and lethal injuries, among other impacts; and a growing body of research has shown that humans regularly breathe, drink and eat plastic particles. Scientists at Ocean Conservancy and University of Toronto published research earlier this year showing that American adults could be consuming up to 3.8 million microplastics per year from protein sources alone.

“#TeamSeas shows the ever-growing power of digital creators to create change,” said co-founder and campaign director Matt Fitzgerald. “The campaign has engaged millions of young people around the world to shift culture and take action.”

While solving the plastic pollution crisis will require a dramatic reduction in the amount of plastics we produce as well as improvements in waste collection and recycling, cleanup efforts are critical to protecting wildlife and communities in the immediate term. Every September, volunteers with Ocean Conservancy do just that, collecting millions of trash items from beaches and waterways worldwide as part of the International Coastal Cleanup. 2024 marks the ICC’s 39^th year, and volunteers are invited to learn more at www.signuptocleanup.org.

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NOTES

Photos and videos from Ocean Conservancy-led #TeamSeas cleanups are available here.

ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY

Ocean Conservancy envisions a healthier ocean protected by a more just world. Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, 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.