ALLATRA Team Participates in The Ocean Awakens During Climate Week NYC

New York, September 21, 2026 — The ALLATRA team took part in The Ocean Awakens, organized by Plastic Odyssey during Climate Week NYC. Held aboard the historic Wavertree at the South Street Seaport Museum, the event brought together representatives of science, business, philanthropy, environmental organizations, and the arts to discuss ocean protection and practical responses to plastic pollution.

ALLATRA team at The Ocean Awakens in Manhattan, New York City.

Plastic Odyssey is a global initiative dedicated to addressing plastic pollution through waste reduction, recycling, and the restoration of marine ecosystems. The Ocean Awakens provided a meeting place for people working across these fields to exchange experience, present new approaches, and explore opportunities for cooperation.

Artist Capucine Bourcart presents a live performance using plastic waste aboard Wavertree at The Ocean Awakens in Manhattan, New York City.

The program included discussions on wind-powered shipping, investment in ocean initiatives, the implications of plastic pollution for health and biodiversity, and international environmental policy. A startup showcase introduced emerging technologies, while reports from cleanup expeditions, films, and live art connected the discussions with experiences from the field. The gathering also offered opportunities for direct exchanges among researchers, entrepreneurs, advocates, and visitors. Official event program.

Panel discussion at The Ocean Awakens event in Manhattan, New York City.

As part of its participation, the ALLATRA team conducted interviews with event participants, exploring the ocean’s role in human life, concerns surrounding micro- and nanoplastics, and the scientific, economic, and social changes needed to address ocean pollution. The conversations also focused on what motivates people to act and where they find reasons for optimism.

Participants discussed the relationship between environmental and human health, the importance of scientific research and public education, and the contribution of businesses and international cooperation. Examples included the development of single plastic alternatives to conventional plastics, approaches to recycling, and efforts to make environmental knowledge accessible to a wider audience. These subjects closely connect with ALLATRA’s analysis of scientific findings on micro- and nanoplastics and its efforts to raise environmental awareness.

The range of approaches discussed at the event raised a practical question: how can different sectors work together to address plastic pollution? Bonnie Monteleone, co-founder of Plastic Ocean Project, offered her perspective:

“It's not going to just be non-profits that solve this. It's policy. It's corporation responsibility. It's all the pieces coming together in order to solve this very, very large problem called microplastics.”

Pictured from right to left: Bonnie Monteleone, co-founder of Plastic Ocean Project, with Oli Kotyk, an ALLATRA representative, at The Ocean Awakens in Manhattan, New York City.

Alongside the responsibilities of institutions and businesses, the conversations explored the role of people and communities. How does concern for the ocean become a shared commitment to act? Jonathan McGee, co-founder of SeaSol Technologies, emphasized this human dimension:

“We need grassroots energy, we need communities coming together, recognizing problems, and saying we're going to do something about it.”

The Ocean Awakens created an opportunity for precisely these connections. Aboard Wavertree, people working on different aspects of ocean protection could meet, exchange experience, and discover perspectives beyond their own fields. John Queenan, a recovering Chief Sustainability Officer, reflected on this aspect of the gathering:

“It brings so many different perspectives together. And like New York is a melting pot, so is this ship. And this is where I think we get these breakthrough ideas, breakthrough relationships to really come up with the innovation for the future.”

John Queenan, a recovering Chief Sustainability Officer, with Oli Kotyk, an ALLATRA representative, at The Ocean Awakens in Manhattan, New York City.

The conversations about cooperation ultimately returned to what makes ocean protection a shared responsibility: its connection to human well-being. Charlotte de Pitray, General Manager of Laboratoire SVR, a main partner of Plastic Odyssey and a sponsor of The Ocean Awakens, addressed this connection in her interview:

“And if we want to really promote human health, we need to take care of our environmental health.”

Charlotte de Pitray, General Manager of Laboratoire SVR, at The Ocean Awakens in Manhattan, New York City.

Across the interviews and informal conversations, a common understanding emerged: the ocean is inseparable from human life, and its health is closely connected to our own well-being. Protecting the ocean means taking responsibility for a future we share.

ALLATRA expresses its appreciation to Plastic Odyssey, the South Street Seaport Museum, and all interview participants for the opportunity to exchange perspectives and highlight the work being undertaken to protect the ocean.

About ALLATRA

ALLATRA is an international organization with a research center in the United States (ALLATRA Global Research Center), engaged in the comprehensive analysis of climate and environmental changes, the study of the impact of micro- and nanoplastics, and the promotion of intercultural cooperation and the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

In recognition of its commitment to environmental protection and preservation of creation, ALLATRA received an Apostolic Blessing from His Holiness Pope Francis in 2024. In 2025, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV likewise bestowed an Apostolic Blessing upon the President of ALLATRA and all its volunteers.

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