Ocean Conservancy added the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, the United States SailGP Team and Team USA Artistic Swimming to its Protect Where We Play initiative. These are the first individual teams to join Protect Where We Play alongside “Team Ocean Captains” from across the sports and entertainment industry. Together, they aim to mobilize millions of fans worldwide to take action for our ocean.

“Sports have a unique way of bringing people together,” said Jenna DiPaolo, Ocean Conservancy’s chief brand and communications officer and lead architect of the campaign. “That same sense of connection is what we need to protect the ocean and the places we love. When hometown teams take a stand for something bigger than the game, it reminds all of us what’s really at stake.”

These first team movers join Protect Where We Play alongside existing Team Ocean Captains, including WNBA’s Napheesa Collier, NFL’s Kelvin Beachum, MLB’s Brent Suter, Paralympian Ezra Frech, American ballerina Katherine Barkman, and two new captains that will be announced in advance of New York Climate Week.

“The health of our ocean matters, and has real impacts on our fields, courts and stages,” said Ocean Conservancy’s vice president of ocean plastics Nicholas Mallos. “It’s easier for people to appreciate the threat of plastic pollution because it’s such a visible issue, but extreme heat, flooding, smoke from wildfires — these aren’t abstract problems anymore. Teams stepping up to be part of the solution sends a powerful message: if we want to keep enjoying the things we love, we have to protect what makes them possible.” 

The ocean is vital to life on Earth, producing 50% of the oxygen we breathe, capturing 90% of the heat from climate change, and helping to keep our planet cool and our weather patterns predictable. But it is under constant threat from rising temperatures, plastic pollution and the loss of critical habitats and wildlife.

“In the Pacific Northwest, water is at the heart of our natural habitats,” said Christy Briggs, sustainability manager of the Seattle Seahawks’ Lumen Field. “Both our stadium and practice facility are uniquely situated on the water, making our connection to protecting it deeply ingrained. Being part of the Protect Where We Play initiative reflects the core of our sustainability efforts, both within our organization and in the communities we serve.”

“In SailGP the ocean is our playing field and with that comes a great deal of responsibility to take care of it,” said Mike Buckley, co-owner, CEO and strategist of U.S. SailGP Team. “Protect Where We Play is about uniting athletes, teams and fans to do exactly that — inspire the next generation to protect the ocean.”