Eric Church, Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Snoop Dogg, Dwight Yoakam, Shaggy
And More Will Perform Helping Raise Awareness For The Cause In Ft. Lauderdale April 6-8
Nashville, TN – – Reigning ACM “Festival Of The Year” Tortuga Music Festival, announced the roster of organizations that will be represented onsite at this year’s CONSERVATION VILLAGE on Tuesday (2/20). Located in the heart of the festivities taking place at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park in Fort Lauderdale, FL on April 6-8, Conservation Village aims to educate fans on the issues facing our world’s oceans, how they can help and see firsthand how a portion of the proceeds from the event are making a difference. Representing Rock The Ocean’s Five Core Issues which include Turtle Conservation, Shark Conservation, Coral Reef Degradation, Marine Pollution and Overfishing, over 30 organizations have been selected and invited to share knowledge onsite at this year’s festival. To find out more about each organization visit: http://www.
“We love that our fans show up at Tortuga to jam out to the music and have a great time on the beach,” said Chris Stacey, Founder of Rock The Ocean Foundation. “They also know that a portion of the proceeds from this event are being put to work to support a great cause. Our goal has always been to encourage our fans to leave the show a little smarter about ocean issues than they were when they arrived. We hope that onsite, everyone can learn a few best practices that will cause a shift in their thinking that will ultimately help save our seas.”
CONSERVATION VILLAGE: FIVE CORE ISSUES
Turtle Conservation: The festival takes cues from its namesake (Tortuga is Spanish for turtle), working to protect sea turtles that nest annually along South Florida’s Atlantic seaboard. It is estimated that 1% of sea turtle hatchlings survive to maturity, due in large part to human impact in the ocean and on nesting beaches. Dimming beachfront lighting, protecting nesting sites, and educating the public on responsible boating are some of the many ways to help combat the problem. All 6 sea turtle species found in the US are protected by the Endangered Species Act.
Shark Conservation: Sharks are a crucial part of the ocean’s ecosystem and are even helping researchers to develop better medical procedures and devices for humans. Up to 100 million sharks are killed by humans each year; largely in part to meet the demand for shark fin soup. Sharks are an apex predator (similar to a lion in Africa) and regulate the populations of species below them in the food chain. Massive depletion of sharks has cascading effects on the ocean’s ecosystem. Yet, irresponsible fishing practices and a slow re-population rate have resulted in 64 species of sharks being listed as endangered and put 1/3 of all oceanic shark species at risk of extinction.
Coral Reef Degradation: The world’s coral reefs are vital to the health of the ocean. Pollution, over-fishing and the introduction of invasive species like the Lionfish has put reefs in peril. Creating awareness on ways to limit this destruction include educating the public on how to keep coral healthy by using reef-safe sunscreen, learning appropriate locations to anchor a boat to avoid damaging reefs, and educating divers to look but not touch will help protect this bountiful ecosystem.
Marine Pollution: Approximately 1.4 billion pounds of trash enters the ocean each year. The acceleration of pollution in the ocean over the past few decades is causing vast changes in the ocean’s ecosystem and, as a result, marine life are dying. Marine pollution also affects human health due to seafood that is exposed to a toxic soup of chemicals, plastics and other waste and debris. 80% of all marine pollution comes from land based sources and so creating awareness of ways to tackle this is key to the cause.
Overfishing: Overfishing is defined as removing more fish from the ocean than the population can replace by natural reproduction. As much as 7.3 million tons of by-catch (the unwanted fish and other marine creatures caught during commercial fishing for a different species) is lost every year. Over-fishing and destructive fishing practices means sourcing sustainable seafood is important in avoiding the reality that could otherwise take fish off the menu by 2048.
For more information and to join the conversation, visit: TortugaMusicFestival.