Harnessing Ocean's Potential: Leveraging Art, Science, and Youth Involvement for Progress

Here Comes the Tidal Wave of Change: We Are Ocean

Get ready to ride the wave of change, 'cause it's coming, and it's bringing a load of empowerment, education, and art with it! Enter We Are Ocean, a boundary-breaking, transdisciplinary art project planting roots across the globe.

From Berlin to Vancouver and Marseille to Nice, it's a global movement that's bridging the gap between artistic expression and climate science, with a focus on putting youth voices front and center. Endorsed as an official Ocean Decade action, We Are Ocean is all about addressing Challenge 10: restoring humanity's relationship with the ocean through art, cultural events, and educational campaigns.

Launched by ARTPORT_making waves in 2019, this nonprofit organization founded in New York and Valencia in 2006, with structures in Germany, France, Spain, and Sweden, is bringing together artists, scientists, students, and policymakers to put the spotlight on the deep interconnection between humans and the ocean.

With a diverse arsenal of immersive formats, including interdisciplinary workshops, art performances, exhibitions, film screenings, and scientific interventions, We Are Ocean is on a mission to inspire both educational and behavioral change.

As you may have caught wind, We Are Ocean aims to give agency to young people worldwide, arming them with Ocean Literacy tools to become leaders in ocean protection. Anne-Marie Melster, Co-Founder and Executive Director of ARTPORT_making waves, shares, "We're giving youth a chance to make a difference. We're merging contemporary art, marine and water science, and informal education through participatory workshops, co-creative art production, and events at conferences."

Since 2019, they've been tickling the imagination in Berlin, Venice, Marseille, Vancouver, Stockholm, Glasgow for COP26 Climate, Montreal for COP15 Biodiversity, Honduras, Palma de Mallorca, and recently started the WE ARE OCEAN_Blaupausen series at schools in Germany, traveling to all 16 federal states to raise awareness of "blue schools."

Global Reach, Local Flavor

Each leg of the We Are Ocean journey adapts to its local environment, embracing unique cultural and ecological contexts. From Berlin to Nice, here's the lowdown on some of their inspiring projects:

Berlin (2019 - Current, 2025): The German capital has been instrumental in launching and reactivating the initiative since 2019. One of the participating artists, Tue Greenfort, guided students in exploring the city's relationship to water through art and environmental science. The project culminated in a showcase at the first German Marine Conference in Berlin in May 2025.
Marseille (2020): A vibrant Mediterranean city, Marseille hosted activities for school-aged children in three parts: school workshops with French artist Marc Johnson, outdoor film screenings with a panel discussion, and a performance with school students.
Venice (2020): In the city known for its vulnerability to sea-level rise, students engaged in dialogue about climate adaptation and coastal communities, led by the Barena Bianca collective.
Vancouver (2020-2021): With its strong Indigenous presence, the Vancouver edition integrated Indigenous knowledge systems alongside contemporary science in a Covid-safe, outdoor-exploring experience.
Nice (2025): The newest addition, Nice's WE ARE OCEAN initiative kicked off with workshops at Collège Jules Romains, where students explored the interconnectedness of rivers and oceans.

Empowering the Future

With their innovative approach, ARTPORT has been invited to contribute a chapter to the upcoming Ocean Literacy with All anthology, a landmark publication showcasing impactful ocean education projects worldwide.

By 2030, ARTPORT will have added projects in Tanzania, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Sweden, and many more countries. Want in on the action? Whether you're interested in hosting a local event, participating in workshops, or offering support through partnerships, WE ARE OCEAN offers numerous opportunities. Visit artport-project.org to learn more and join the tide of change today!

We Are Ocean is a global movement that bridges the gap between artistic expression and climate science, focusing on climate-change education, particularly in the context of environmental-science and sustainable-living.
The project, launched by ARTPORT_making waves, aims to empower young people worldwide by providing them with Ocean Literacy tools for personal-growth and active participation in ocean protection.
With a focus on educational and behavioral change, We Are Ocean organizes immersive formats such as interdisciplinary workshops, art performances, exhibitions, and scientific interventions across various countries like Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.
By 2030, We Are Ocean aims to expand its footprint to include projects in Tanzania, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and more, contributing a chapter to the Ocean Literacy with All anthology and offering opportunities for local events, workshops, and partnerships to anyone interested in promoting learning and artistic expression within the realm of education-and-self-development and the environment.