Kia ora Supporters,

With Seaweek and World Ocean Day behind us for the year it’s time to take a moment for gratitude for all of the incredible moments 2026 has brought so far! It’s also a great time to start thinking ahead to how we’d like to celebrate next year!

🐬 Seaweek 2026 Reflections

🌊 World Ocean Day Celebrations

🌟 Seaweek 2027 theme and dates

🐟 Sustainable Seafood Survey

Seaweek 2026 Reflections

Please take a moment to reflect with us on all of the incredible events and connections that happened during Seaweek this year! This past year has been all about ocean literacy, and it was wonderful to see how Ocean Literacy Principle #6 was brought to life around the country. Our lives are truly interconnected with the ocean in so many ways.

Over half of the participants who completed our Seaweek 2026 survey indicated that their appreciation for their local marine environment and their understanding of connections between humans and the ocean increased after attending a Seaweek event. Nearly 40% felt that their connection with community members and awareness of environmental issues facing New Zealand increased, while over 30% were more interested in getting involved with local citizen science projects and/or conservation initiatives. These results are an excellent indication that Seaweek events are achieving our goals of increasing connection and inspiring people to care for their local resources!

These results are so encouraging, but over half of respondents were not familiar with ocean literacy, so it's clear that we have work to do! Word of mouth is increasingly important in spreading the word about Seaweek, so we thank you all for sharing Seaweek with your community!

As we wrote the National highlights and more detailed North Island and South Island summaries, we were simply blown away by the incredible range of events, the communities that were reached, and the learning moments shared in every region across Aotearoa. The comments and photos shared in our surveys (and highlighted in the summaries) are beautiful in every way! While we wish we could be at every event, these summaries are the next best thing to give everyone a sense of what went on! We are so grateful to all of you for being a part of the Seaweek community!

World Ocean Day Celebrations!

This year we extended the annual Seaweek World Ocean Day Sunset Swim nationally! It was such a joy to see new swims pop up in different communities around the motu! We hope to see this kaupapa continue to grow each year!

World Ocean Day is a great opportunity to connect with the moana and think about solving both local and global issues facing the ocean.

Official World Ocean Day Sunset Swims were held in Auckland, Whitianga, and Christchurch this year, but we weren't the only ones celebrating! World Ocean Day celebrations also included the University of Auckland's Institute of Marine Science open day, Mountain to Sea Wellington's annual Quiz Night, a Litter Intelligence Survey in Christchurch, Kaikōura Whale Count events and more! We would love to know how you celebrated! Email us or tag us on social media to tell us about your celebration!

Seaweek 2027!

We would like to announce that Seaweek 2027 will take place between 6-14 March. The theme will be Uniquely New Zealand!

Did you know Aotearoa New Zealand may have the world's the highest proportion of endemic marine species (species that are found nowhere else on Earth)?

To celebrate, we will focus on showcasing native and endemic species and local marine ecosystems to appreciate the magic of our unique part of the world and its interconnections with the entire global ocean. We can’t wait to see all of the exciting events around the country that will celebrate our incredible and unique sea creatures and deepen our sense of place!

Sustainable Seafood Survey Results

Results from our Sustainable Seafood Survey are in! Thank you to everyone who participated by completing the survey!

Most respondents regularly consume seafood and would like to be informed about sustainable choices. Salmon, snapper and prawns or shrimp were the most popular seafood choices. Cost and unclear or difficult to find details about sustainability can prevent survey respondents from making more sustainable choices. Respondents felt information such as the location of the catch or farm (particularly whether in New Zealand or not), the catch method (gear used), sustainability rating (green, yellow, red), MSC or other certification were all equally important to provide.

Several respondents expressed concern about bottom trawling (the catch method used most by New Zealand commercial fisheries, including several preferred species like snapper, prawns and shrimp), and called for government action to maintain and improve sustainability of our fisheries and increase our marine reserves.

It is clear that consumers would benefit from more detailed label requirements on seafood sold in New Zealand. If you’d like to learn more about making sustainable seafood choices, head to our Sustainable Seafood News page! Overfishing is currently viewed as the greatest threat to marine life globally, doing your part to make sustainable choices is one of the most important ways you can help!

As always, thank YOU for your support! Our heartfelt thanks to many individuals and organisations - together we are connecting more people to the sea and inspiring community action.

Seaweek is made possible through grants, the generosity of national supporters, and a network of talented volunteer regional coordinators. Massive thanks to all contributors, sponsors and our funders; Foundation North, the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, and Rātā Foundation.

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