Families, conservation advocates and marine life enthusiasts gathered at Coney Island’s New York Aquarium over the weekend as the institution launched its annual Ocean Shell-a-bration, a two-day event highlighting ocean conservation in honor of World Oceans Day.
Held June 6 and 7 at the aquarium on Surf Avenue, the celebration invited visitors to explore more than 4,500 aquatic animals while participating in hands-on activities designed to promote environmental stewardship and awareness of the world’s oceans.
This year’s event introduced several new attractions, including the Spineless Wonders Keeper Chat, where guests could learn about marine invertebrates, and the Natural Treasures sand dig station, which allowed children and families to uncover ocean-themed artifacts. Additional activities included themed face painting, sensory bubble shows and ocean-themed trivia games.
The most commonly collected items included cigarette butts, bottle caps, broken glass and plastic bottles.Photo by Erica Price
Returning favorites included keeper chats featuring seals, sea lions and penguins live performances at the Aquatheater and Wildlife Theater, the Ocean Shell-a-bration parade, community art projects and crafts.
The event comes as communities along Brooklyn’s shoreline continues to grapple with the impact of litter on local beaches. NYC.gov said the Parks Department removes roughly “120 tons of garbage each summer day” from the beaches. This includes the high-traffic areas of Coney Island and Manhattan Beach.
Organizers of the Ocean Shell-a-bration said that many regular beachgoers have noticed the stark difference between the cleanliness of the beach during the early morning hours and its condition later in the day, when trash left behind by visitors became more visible.
The Ocean Shell-a-bration included a Coney Island Beach cleanup and was celebrated in observance of World Oceans Day on June 8.Photo by Erica Price
According to a Stephanie Joseph, curator of education at the New York Aquarium, approximately 200 volunteers participated and removed roughly 170 pounds of debris from the shoreline.
“My favorite thing about hosting this event each year is seeing people come together, all ages and backgrounds, to clean our beaches and protect our oceans,” she said. “These projects not only provide a healthy habitat for the species who live here but a happier place for people, too!”
She added that the most commonly collected items included cigarette butts, bottle caps, broken glass and plastic bottles.
The Ocean Shell-a-bration at the New York Aquarium included a community cleanup of nearby Coney Island Beach, where volunteers removed litter in honor of World Oceans Day.File photo by Erica Price 
Joseph said the cleanup collected 170 pounds of garbage in the Ocean Shell-a-bration.Photo by Erica Price
As part of its broader conservation efforts, the aquarium partnered with a coaltion of environmental and community organizations for the cleanup initiative in Coney Island. Partners included Peace Boat U.S., Oceanic Global, Brooklyn FC, NYC Parks, the National Wildlife Foundation and more.
World Oceans Day, observed yearly on June 8, was established by the United Nations in 2008. Its goal is to raise awareness about the importance of healthy oceans and sustainable environmental practices, calling people to “reimagine” our roles as “active guardians” of the ocean’s future.