By Arielle Perry, FAU’s School for Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability
Businesses can thrive and be environmentally sustainable, according to speakers at a panel discussion last week at the Climate Correction Conference in Orlando.
Having a sustainable business provides “opportunities” rather than obstacles or restrictions, said Tara Wilson, vice president of Rock the Ocean Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to raise awareness and funds for ocean conservation.
The organization’s flagship event is the annual Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale — billed as the world’s only large-scale music festival devoted entirely to ocean conservation.
A portion of all proceeds at the event go toward Rock the Ocean’s mission of strengthening ocean conservation awareness and supporting scientific research, education and ocean conservation initiatives. Wilson said over a quarter of fans now say they choose Tortuga because of that mission.
“We were the first major music festival to ban the sale of any plastic bottles,” she said.
Hosted by VoLo Foundation, the Climate Correction Conference was held March 10–11 at the Celeste Hotel in Orlando. This year’s event featured panel discussions on climate and nature-based solutions.
During the “Ocean Entrepreneurs: Turning Tides for Climate” panel, speakers discussed how innovative and sustainable businesses can deliver environmental benefits and spark meaningful action.
Jack Lighton, executive director of 4Ocean Foundation, a nonprofit within the larger 4Ocean organization, discussed how 4Ocean is making a difference to help combat the world’s plastic pollution problem.
Boca Raton-based 4Ocean is composed of both a for-profit business that sells apparel and accessories to help fund ocean cleanup operations, and a non-profit foundation that funds cleanups and outreach efforts through donations and philanthropic support.
“If you’re a partner to 4Ocean, and you’re buying our recycled, hand-woven bracelets, you know that that bracelet is actually doing something,” Lighton said.
The organization owns the largest cleanup vessel in Indonesia and has removed about 50 million pounds of plastic and other trash from the ocean and other waterways.
Working with celebrity partners such as Tom Brady’s race team, Team Brady, 4Ocean has expanded its reach and impact worldwide. Lighton said that for every point Team Brady earned in the 2025 UIM E1 World Championship, 4Ocean removed plastic in Indonesia.
“It was an incredible investment that they made in our organization in the ocean, and we’re super, super excited about that opportunity,” Lighton said.
Wilson also spoke about the sustainability measures and initiatives used at the Tortuga Music Festival. Vendors, sponsors and artists must adhere to particular guidelines to reduce impact to marine life, such as no single-use plastic cups and utensils.
“Our goal is to become the first major music festival that is zero waste,” she said.
Sustainable practices should not be viewed as obstacles, Wilson said, but rather as opportunities to learn and educate others on the ways they “can make changes to make a difference and protect the habitat and the animals that are there.”
She said the shift away from plastic items at the festival has carried over to other events.
“It’s been really interesting to see them make those changes then throughout the entire season at the other festivals that they attend,” she said.
Arielle Perry is a master’s student in the Environmental Science Program at Florida Atlantic University and is a graduate research assistant at FAU’s School for Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability and the Florida Office of Ocean Economy. The school hosts The Invading Sea. Banner photo: An aerial view of the Tortuga Music Festival in 2021 (iStock image).
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