Jack Lighton

The ocean isn’t just water, it’s Earth’s life support system. It feeds us, regulates our climate, and helps to produce the oxygen we breathe. 🌊 Water connects us all — and protecting it takes all of us. I’m grateful to VoyageMIA for helping us shine a light on @4oceanfoundation and our mission to address the urgent need to clean and protect our ocean. I credit my late parents for instilling a love for the ocean in me from an early age and thank our co-founder @alexjschulze for creating an incredible and beloved impact and action platform that is the 4ocean family 🙌 Link to the article in bio & more info at #4oceanFoundation #education #OceanConservation #protectwhatyoulove

2025 was not just a year of impact. It was proof of what becomes possible when intention is met with action. We can finish the year even stronger, all gifts are matched through midnight on 12/31! At a time when the global plastic crisis can feel overwhelming, this impact snapshot shows that sustained, on-the-ground work, rooted in community partnership and education, can deliver real progress for the Ocean and every living being that depends on it. 2025 Impact at a glance: • 3.4+ million pounds of plastic and trash removed • Nearly 5,500 cleanups across global waterways and coastlines • Direct impact across some of the most biodiverse waters in the world like the Bali Strait, Indonesian coastal systems, Florida, and US coastlines • 122 local cleanup crew members supported • 40+ impact-stories from the frontlines shared globally to deepen awareness and understanding of our mission • 400+ students educated, empowering the next generation to become Ocean stewards As the independent nonprofit charitable arm of 4ocean, 4ocean Foundation is powered entirely by philanthropy. Every one of these outcomes exist because of donor support like yours. To our partners, crew members, and supporters: thank you. Your belief in this work, your generosity, and your willingness to stand with us make every one of these outcomes possible. We are deeply grateful to be expanding this work alongside you. As we close the year, today is the final day to double your impact. All gifts made today are matched 1:1, helping carry this momentum forward into 2026. Click the link in our bio to get involved! Thank you for being part of this community and for showing what collective action for the Ocean can achieve.

I have been visiting Chicago since I was a little guy, by both car, and by boat! Every trip seems to add another layer of memories to a city I absolutely love. This week I had the chance to return, spend time with wonderful friends, and revisit some of the places that make Chicago one of my favorite cities on the planet. To my incredible hosts Gail and Bill: Thank you. Your warmth, hospitality, friendship, and generosity are such a gift. From our peaceful nature walk where I saw the Trillium blooming, to our wonderful dinner conversations, every moment was special. Thank you both as well for the meaningful work you do supporting your community and our planet through beloved organizations like @brushwoodcenter and @thewayoftherain I fell in love with Lake Forest, the charming downtown, historic architecture, tree-lined streets, and breathtaking shoreline along Lake Michigan: is this Shangri-La? Also, there is something about a classic Midwest English Tudor, when done right they can be sublime LF is filled with them! Pro tip: you MUST visit @gerhardsdesserts and say hello to Mary and her amazing team. Truly a slice of heaven. I visited @griffinmsi home to The Blue Paradox, an exhibit created by @scj and @conservationorg focused on the growing crisis of ocean plastic pollution. I wish this exhibit was required viewing for every human on Earth. The immersive storytelling, powerful visuals, and actionable insights were deeply moving and incredibly relevant to the work we focus on every day here at @4oceanfoundation This challenge will require all hands on deck, and it’s inspiring to see so many organizations stepping up and driving awareness. The rest of the museum was equally incredible. I especially loved the coal mine exhibit and learned far more than I expected. I didn’t have enough time to explore everything, which just means I’ll absolutely be back soon. Also on deck for the next Chicago trip: the iconic @shedd_aquarium the hope spot champion for the @mission_blue Great Lakes Hope Spot. Chicago is filled with memories for me and I look forward to making more very soon! Thank you to everyone who made my trip so very special 🙌

There is something truly magical about #SanFrancisco ❤️ 🌉 This city has incredible range of everything food, culture, diversity, environment, art. In addition to all that SF has to offer, for me this city is made even better by the people and organizations here that make my world and our planet a better place 🌎 While in the Bay Area, I was very fortunate to visit with incredible friends and see their beautiful new home, visit with one of our wonderful board members, meet with one of our founding impact partners @pacificamericangroup in beautiful Sausalito, and spend the an afternoon meeting with our amazing partners-in-progress @themarinemammalcenter 🐋 In between meetings, I was able to visit the Marin Headlands / Golden Gate overlook area. Every time I visit this super special natural area it literally makes me feel unbelievably relaxed and connected. Yes there are the views of the bridge, the city, and Alcatraz, and those views are second to none however, it’s the ruggedness of this area, the winds off the Pacific, the movement of the water at the base of the cliffs, the birds singing, the wildflowers and the mesmerizing sway of the grasses. I am convinced that the concentration of negative ions up there is off the charts because when I visit and take it all in, I can feel the positive vibes and love that come from Mother Nature herself; it’s the feeling you get from the best and warmest hug ever! I have put a goal on the vision board to conduct a @4oceanfoundation cleanup of the headlands sometime this year. Let’s make this happen, who’s in? After the cleanup we can grab some great coffee and food in Sausalito and maybe even take a ride on the Patomic, FDR’s former presidential yacht. What a piece of maritime history! ⚓️ As Tony Bennett sang… I left my heart in San Francisco… I love this part of that song: The morning fog may chill the air, I don’t care My love waits there in San Francisco Above the blue and windy sea When I come home to you, San Francisco Your golden sun will shine for me 🥰 #nature #friends #views #california

Cleaning the ocean never stops, and neither does the story🌊 Thank you to @bocamag for continuing to shine a light on our homegrown mission to end the ocean plastic crisis. Read the full feature at the link in our bio.

⚓️ The @pbboatshow is a massive economic engine that brings guests and large groups to Palm Beach County and it’s so much fun; you never know who you will see onboard or on the docks ⚓️ 📈 The boat show and the marine industry are the gifts that keep on giving - all year long - with over a billion dollars of annual economic impact and thousands of jobs created and supported; plus I can’t think of a better way to spend family time other than being on a boat, together, on the water 🌊 I have major gratitude for the team at @palmbeachesfl for all of their support of this event and I LOVED seeing their new Sea Turtle Capital activation!! The awesome team at the sea turtle display now have new @4oceanfoundation hand-woven recycled bracelets, each bracelet removes one pound of plastic pollution from our ocean 🌊 👍The boat show also gives back to our community, significantly, through their potent grant making. The show supports so many nonprofit organizations I know and love like @friendsofmanateelagoon where I proudly serve as a board member. I found a new favorite yacht maker @sunreefyachts and I thank their leadership team for taking the time to carefully show me how their advanced builds and all electric eco models are transforming how boaters can go to sea with class leading sustainability from the keels up to the top of the bridge ⚡️ Let’s just say I have found one of the most sublime, serene, and sustainable living rooms (salons) at sea and I have offered my services (gratis!) as crew in exchange for a boat ride 🌊 I want to recognize the awesome @alysfree the ED of @miapbc (& a fellow Michigander!) she and her outstanding team are the masterminds creating and supporting the @pbboatshow truly one of the best events here in our beautiful backyard! Thank you to everyone who came together to make this event such a success - SEA you next year! ☀️🌴⚓️ PS: The floating pickleball court was epic!!!

Grateful to have spent the week at the @economistimpact World Ocean Summit hosted by our neighabors and friends in beautiful in Montreal, Canada 🇨🇦 🥶 It was cold outside but the conversations inside were so very warm and exciting! ☺️ This week I was surrounded by an extraordinary community of global thinkers and doers working to improve the health of our ocean, our planet, and ourselves. 💙🌊🐋🌎 In a world that feels more uncertain by the day, the conversations and programs shared this week were a powerful reminder that many small sustainability wins, when multiplied across the globe, can create a massive ripple effect. 💪🌊💪 From expanding marine protected areas, to confronting rogue industrial fishing fleets, tackling plastic pollution, fostering aquaculture, advancing blue natural capital financing, and strengthening public-private partnership, the path forward is becoming clearer, HOWEVER, the tempo must increase and collaboration must deepen. The stakes for our ocean, our health, and the global economy are simply too high. It was also incredibly meaningful to reconnect with longtime friends on the frontlines of international ocean conservation / policy and to build new relationships that will unlock more scale, capacity, and impact. A massive thank you to my hosts, friends, and lead collaborators Daniel and Kate for helping to make this trip possible and to the magnificent @4oceanfoundation team who continues to masterfully orchestrate our work in the office and around the globe. These humans recharge my batteries, let’s roll, Tribe, I am so energized for the work ahead. 🌊 #WorldOceanSummit #OceanConservation #BlueEconomy #MarineProtectedAreas #PlasticPollution

We wish you all things Merry & Happy! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! ❤️🎄❤️

3 million pounds of debris have been removed from one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, all fueled by your giving, and we’re just getting started! Since the beginning of this year, your support has helped our crews remove more than 3 million pounds of ocean-bound plastic and trash. That’s roughly the weight of 450 African elephants or seven fully loaded Boeing 747s that will never threaten marine life or the health of our ocean. Every pound pulled represents a restored coastline, a protected ecosystem, and a cleaner ocean for all living beings. This important milestone belongs to everyone who believed in our mission and took action for the ocean. Thank you! This Giving Season, all new donations will be matched 1:1 up to $50,000 until December 31st. Every gift, whether $1 or $1,000, will be doubled and directly support the expansion of our cleanup operations, new infrastructure, and the deployment of more crews where they are needed most. Join us at the link in our bio. Thank you for believing in our mission 🌊 #4oceanFoundation #ThreeMillionPounds #OceanCleanup #EndPlasticPollution #ProtectTheOcean

Great news for the Ocean 🎉 Our Giving Tuesday $50,000 donation match has been extended through December 31! Bali may feel far from home, but what happens here affects the entire Ocean we all share. When plastic floods these waters, it rides currents that reach coastlines around the world. The Bali rainy season has begun, carrying powerful surges of plastic from inland communities into mangroves, beaches, and the open ocean. 4ocean Foundation crews are already on the ground intercepting debris before it spreads worldwide. To everyone who gave on Giving Tuesday, and to our generous Leading Impact Donors who are making the $50k match possible, thank you. You are already making frontline impact for the Ocean. And if you have not had a chance to give yet, there is still time to make a meaningful impact. With the match extended through December 31, your donation to 4ocean Foundation will be DOUBLED to power rapid-response operations when the Ocean needs us most 🌊 Join us at the link in our bio 💪 #4oceanFoundation #GivingSeason #OceanCleanup #ProtectTheOcean #PlasticPollution #ClimateAction

This is the final call to give this #GivingTuesday. The Ocean has always shown up for us, and today we have the chance to show up for the Ocean. Your gift powers rapid response cleanup in Bali during the toughest weeks of the rainy season and supports the coastal communities that protect these waters. Last season, supporters helped remove more than 200,000 pounds of pollution caused by this surge alone. Help us double that before midnight. All gifts today are matched up to $50,000. Join us and make a tangible impact today 🌊 LINK in Bio 🌊

The ocean has always shown up for us. Now it’s our turn to show up for the ocean. This #GivingTuesday, your support fuels real cleanup on the frontlines of Bali’s destructive rainy season and empowers the coastal communities who protect these waters every day. Every surge of plastic from inland rivers demands a stronger response. Together, we can fuel the next wave of recovery. Last rainy season, we removed more than 200,000 pounds with your generous support - this year, help us double that! And thanks to our generous leading impact donors, your gift will be matched up to $50,000 today. Join us by clicking ‘Donate’ on this post or visiting the link in our bio and help fuel the ocean’s comeback. Special thanks to @emmakimilainen from back-to-back World Champions @E1TeamBrady for lending her voice and passion to this mission.