For the past 20 years, members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) have celebrated our planet with annual Party For The Planet^® events. The New York Aquarium will commemorate the annual Party for the Planet® celebration with two events. On June 1^st there will be a volunteer clean-up of Coney Island Creek, bringing attention to this urban waterway that is now the focus of a revitalization effort. On the following Saturday, June 8th, the aquarium will celebrate World Ocean’s Day with a “March for the Ocean”, a parade on the Coney Island Boardwalk to highlight the challenges posed by plastic waste to the waters of New York and celebrate New York’s commitment to healthier, cleaner waters. 

On Earth Day 2019, aquariums across the United States are leading by example in the fight against one of the threats facing ocean and freshwater animals – plastic pollution. The 20 aquariums that make up the Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP) are committing to three business practices that bring their facilities closer to eliminating all single-use plastic materials.  Collectively more than 600 businesses and 160,000 individuals nationwide joined the aquariums by making business and lifestyle changes that reduce consumption of single-use plastic.

The Coney Island Polar Bear Club has announced donations totaling over $60,000 to local nonprofits in the Coney Island community, including a $20,000 donation for the New York Aquarium’s local marine conservation efforts.