2 children engaging in an educational coastal activity known as rock pooling. The gil has a yellow bucket next to her.

World Ocean Week

We've got a week-long celebration planned to honour World Ocean Day. Get involved in clean-ups, creative campaigns and community events, all leading up to the UK’s game-changing Deposit Return Schemes in 2027.

Act for the ocean

Join us in celebrating World Ocean Day 2026 by taking part in one of our events - or organising your own - between the 6th and 12th of June. Learn more about pro-ocean actions you can take, get creative, and connect with others to make an even bigger splash.

With the UK’s Deposit Return Schemes launching in 2027, we’ll be focussing on how we can support the schemes, evidence the urgent need for their introduction and ensure they’re delivered on time.

There will also be opportunities to get creative, and connect and learn through workshops, training sessions and Q&As.

Find out what’s on offer below or organise your own World Ocean Week event!

Clean up

Whether you're living inland or by the sea, you can help collect vital litter data throughout the week. 

Our team of experts will analyse the data you collect, and you’ll be contributing towards a UK-wide picture of the litter found in our communities. We’ll examine hotspots for bottles, cans or other drinks-related rubbish and use this to highlight the importance of Deposit Return Schemes.  

Run a Source to Sea Litter Survey in your community
A man and woman putting litter into a white dustbin bag in front of a river. They ar wearing wellies and strong gloves.

Image credit: Thirdman

A group of volunteers taking part in the Great British Beach Clean at Brighton Beach

Take part in a beach clean

Get the community involved with a beach clean! Whether you join an existing clean or you organise your own, we've got all the resources and information you need to join in and do something positive for the planet for World Ocean Week.

Clean up your coastline

Create

If getting crafty is more your style, design a poster for your local area raising awareness of the upcoming Deposit Return Scheme in 2027 and encouraging your community to use it. 

You could even submit your artwork for our competition - One Year to DRS - to be in with a chance of winning an ocean gift from our shop, plus the possibility of having your piece featured in a display at Westminster Gallery later this year!

This competition is open to young artists aged 5-25, and we’ll have two age categories: under 16s and 16 and over.  

The deadline to enter is the 30th of June 2026 – good luck! 

Submit your artwork

The camera is pointing down at a table adorned with trays full of sealife, surrounded by paper with artwork on them and identification guides.

Image credit: Lorna Donaghy

Connect and learn

Join us at an in-person or online event to help connect with the ocean. From craft workshops, Big Seaweed Searches and citizen science deep dives to training sessions and Q&As with our experts, check out our Eventbrite page to see what’s on offer! 

Sign up for a World Ocean Week Event
A member of Marine Conservation Society reading a book about a sea turtle to a group of young children sitting on the floor in a classroom.

Image credit: Kirsty Crawford

Report a jellyfish sighting

Whether you live by the coast or visit the seaside this World Ocean Week, we want you to tell us every time you spot a jellyfish. Or, if you're lucky enough to spot a turtle, we want to hear about that too.

There are eight different jellyfish, or jellyfish-like, species and six marine turtles that you might see in our waters.

It’s really easy to tell us what you have seen, just fill in the online sightings form including where you were and what species you saw. Don’t worry, we’ve made some useful ID guides so you can identify which species you’ve spotted!

Learn more about wildlife sightings
A compass jellyfish swimming near the surface of clear blue water, it is being partially reflected back from the surface making it seem like the surface is a mirror

Image credit: Alison Pettitt

What is a Deposit Return Scheme?

A Deposit Return Scheme is a system where you pay a small deposit on top of the price of a drink. When finished, you return the drinks container to a collection point – like a supermarket or shop – and get the deposit back. 

It’s a simple but effective system that reduces littering, puts value on what’s commonly seen as ‘worthless’, and encourages people to pick up drinks litter that they find. 

All UK nations have committed to implementing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for plastic bottles and cans, with Wales also including glass, by October 2027. These schemes have already been delayed, so we need to keep up the pressure to make sure DRS becomes a reality. 

Get in touch 

If you have any questions about World Ocean Week or the events we’re running, please get in touch with the team at education@mcsuk.org