Call for Proposals: Crafting a Message for Our Coasts

By: Brad Williamson, Government Affairs and Communications Manager

Today’s media landscape is more fragmented than ever – across traditional media outlets, social media platforms, podcasts, and digital media – breaking through with a message has never been more challenging, even if it’s a message that people support. 3 out of 4 adults strongly support protection of our waters and wetlands but lack the tools necessary to turn that support into action without clear and direct messaging.

Messaging and educating about the importance of clean water continues to bridge divides in the country. To keeping habitats clean for hunters and fishers, to preserving natural landscapes for outdoor enthusiasts, and preventing harmful pollution from entering our drinking water and food supply – all Americans find something that they care about when engaging with water. Effective messaging and education aims to meet people where they are and effectively communicate the interwoven nature of water and why it must be protected.

However, for most organizations, public support is not the biggest hurdle to overcome when messaging around clean water –  it is time and resources. Developing and implementing a robust communications strategy takes staff time and energy that many organizations feel is better spent on dozens of other priorities and projects. Thankfully, there are options available to organizations of all sizes to help address resource constraints, none better than partner organizations.

Presenting at the 2026 Coastal & Estuarine Summit gives you the chance to start a dialogue on how your organization overcame obstacles to message effectively with the general public – whether that is distilling complex scientific research into public facing language, garnering support for advocacy campaigns, or pitching and publishing media pieces in an increasingly digital age.

Proposals submitted in the Communication, Social Marketing, and Education should demonstrate how organizations are capitalizing on the public’s overwhelming support for clean water to foster a citizenry that is excited about, and supportive of, coastal and estuarine restoration and management. From full scale mobilization campaigns to guidance on the creation of individual pieces of content, presenters are encouraged to share ways of engaging and forming meaningful partnerships with different constituencies to drive social and behavioral change, building convincing narratives, and storytelling for impact, identifying and resolving barriers to change at the household and community level.

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Communication, Social Marketing, and Education

We invite you to help lead the national conversation at the 2026 RAE Coastal & Estuarine Summit. We are seeking proposals for sessions on topics such as:

• Leading public awareness campaigns to engage voters on clean water issues
• Growing and developing your social media platforms to increase engagement
• Creating education materials that connect with students and adults alike
• And more!

Submit your proposal here: https://estuaries.org/2026-summit-call-for-proposals/

Registration for the 2026 RAE Coastal & Estuarine Summit opens April 13.