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The third annual Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival, which takes place on April 11th and 12th and features an all-star lineup of some of live music’s hottest acts, serves to celebrate the event’s oceanfront setting while raising awareness of issues impacting the world’s oceans and supporting marine research and conservation. In keeping with those goals, the festival is proud to announce the nearly 40 marine conservation organizations and exhibits that will be featured in Rock The Ocean’s Conservation Village this year.
“The mission of this event from day one has been to call attention to the issues that are killing our oceans,” says Rock The Ocean founder Chris Stacey. “My goal is to leverage the star power and media clout of these amazing musicians on behalf of the sea turtles, sharks and our oceans in general. We want people to come out and have a great time and of course enjoy the music, but leave with a higher awareness of how serious these problems are and the understanding that every attendee can make a difference.”
“The success of the festival directly contributes to the preservation of our world’s marine resources,” says HUKA Entertainment co-founder A.J. Niland. “As we head toward a sold-out event this year, the fact we are most proud of is that more people than ever will leave the festival with a deeper understanding of conservation issues, and that our fans are helping to fund the continued efforts of the partners in the Conservation Village.”
Key issues that will be addressed in this year’s Rock The Ocean’s Conservation Village include: sea turtle conservation and preservation, overfishing of key species interrupting the ocean’s delicate balance, the lion fish invasion, degradation of habitats (including sandy beachfront, water quality and seagrasses), loss of coral reefs, marine pollution and its effect on our costal environments, shark conservation (showcasing shark tagging programs), and much more.
This year’s Conservation Village partners are: AquaTech Eco Consultants, Art Relief For Children, The Billfish Foundation, Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation, Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, CARTHE (Consortium For Advanced Research On The Transport Of Hydrocarbon In The Environment), Clean Vibes Trading Post, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative, Florida Fishing Academy, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Lionfish Program, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, International Game Fish Association (IGFA) The International Seakeepers Society, Loggerhead Marine Life Center, Marine Science Today, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center – Coral Nursery, Fisheries Program and Guy Harvey Research Institute, Oceana, Operation Blue Pride, Project Baseline, Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), University of Miami Marine Conservation Program, the Rock The Ocean Foundation, Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (STOP), Sea To Shore Alliance, Surfrider Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, WildlifeVOICE. Again this year, Green Gourmet will showcase sustainable seafood provided and prepared by the following Conservation Village partners: Big Chef, Piccolo Ristorante, S3 Restaurant, Sea Delight, The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Casablanca Seafood Bar and Grille, and The Oceanaire Seafood Room.
Many of the exhibits will be interactive and hands-on. People will be able to watch live tracking of tagged sharks, challenge big game fish in a simulator game, learn how to safely handle and filet lionfish, see how to properly use circle hooks and dehookers, be shown how using tackle and techniques can minimize bycatch, and see what a sea turtle nest looks like. Concert attendees will also be able to visit the Clean Vibes Trading Post where they can exchange their recyclables and trash for a variety of prizes to help promote personal responsibility of leaving the beach clean after the event.
Also included near the Conservation Village will be a large interactive chain link recycling art installation from Art Relief For Children. Fans will be able to help create a temporary piece of art on the beach by filling the structure with their used cups, cans and water bottles over the course of the festival. Following the event, the collected recyclable materials will be taken to recycling facilities for processing in Fort Lauderdale.
The objective of the one-of-a-kind Rock The Ocean’s Conservation Village is to provide attendees with information and tools about key ocean conservation issues in a fun, learning environment that complements the amazing performances from co-headliners Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band, as well as Jake Owen, The Band Perry, Little Big Town, Doobie Brothers, Trace Adkins, Sublime with Rome, Josh Turner, David Nail, The Mavericks, Colt Ford, Chase Rice, Sam Hunt, Frankie Ballard, Will Hoge, Chase Bryant, Dirty Guv’nahs, The Cadillac Three, Old Dominion, Maddie & Tae, Nikki Lane, Brooke Eden, Dylan Scott, Drake White and The Big Fire, and Judah & The Lion.
Last year’s festival drew more than 44,000 music fans from all over the world and raised awareness and funds for ocean conservaton initiatives. More than $100,000 has been donated by Rock The Ocean Foundation from ticket proceeds and donations toward marine and ocean research and conservation programs.
Tickets are on sale now at www.tortugamusicfestival.com. For additional information, updates and offers, visit Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival on the following platforms:
Web: www.tortugamusicfestival.com
Twitter: @FestivalTortuga
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TortugaMusicFestival
Instagram: www.instagram.com/TortugaMusicFestival
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