Currents: A Day-to-Night Ocean Conservation Gathering During NYC Climate Week
During NYC Climate Week, Coral Vita, the world’s leading commercial land-based coral reef restoration company, hosted Currents — a full-day celebration and dialogue designed to ignite action for the health of our oceans. Set in the heart of Manhattan, Currents united Indigenous elders, environmental entrepreneurs, youth activists, artists, storytellers, and community members in an immersive program that fused science, art, music, and hands-on learning.
Bringing Science, Art, and Community Together
The event showcased cutting-edge reef restoration technology alongside deeply human experiences. Panels explored coral genetics, innovative farming methods, and the economics of a restoration economy, while live performances and art installations invited attendees to feel the ocean’s story—shifting perception from distant threat to immediate possibility. Organizers emphasized that protecting and regenerating the oceans requires both rigorous experimentation and imaginative collaboration.
Sam Teicher, co-founder and Chief Reef Officer of Coral Vita, framed Currents as a bridge between data and devotion. “Climate action and nature protection work is not only about solving problems, but about concrete steps born from feeling, imagining, and regenerating from the inside out,” he said. “This gathering brought together everyone who feels called to nature and to systemic change. By uplifting the intersection of science, art, and community, Currents creates space for the kind of transformative dialogue and connection we need to build a thriving ocean future.”
From Grief to Resilience: A Pathway to Ocean Regeneration
The event drew on the emotional arc many ocean stewards experience—from grief for lost reefs to active hope in restoration. The program intentionally mixed reflective moments with collaborative design sessions, inviting participants to envision scalable solutions that communities can implement locally. The shared message: the ocean’s future depends on the health of our inner waters as much as on outer conservation efforts. As the organizers note, “Our bodies are 70% water—tending to our inner waters strengthens our capacity to serve the Earth’s oceans.”
Global Impact, Local Action
Coral Vita’s model demonstrates that large-scale reef recovery is achievable through a combination of science and viable business. Since expanding operations in 2021, the company has cultivated more than 100,000 corals across 52 species in the Bahamas, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, achieving high survivorship and lifting local fish populations in restored zones. Currents highlighted this work while inviting communities to participate in restoration economies that blend employment, education, and environmental stewardship.
Hosted by a diverse lineup including event curators Lena Cole, Jess Serrante, Elana Meta, and the Teicher family, Currents was produced in collaboration with New York’s CX community. The gathering served as both celebration and roadmap—an invitation to translate climate science into tangible, collective action grounded in culture, creativity, and care for the planet’s blue heart.
Looking Ahead: A Regenerative Ocean Future
As climate challenges intensify, Currents underscored a hopeful trajectory rooted in endurance and ingenuity. Coral Vita’s work, and the broader ocean conservation movement it represents, aims to build a global network of large-scale farms powered by technology and a thriving Restoration Economy. The event closed with a call to ongoing collaboration, ensuring the momentum of Climate Week extends far beyond the evening’s last note.
For more on coral reef restoration and Coral Vita’s work, readers can explore the company’s educational resources and ongoing projects online.
