World Oceans Day: Today, June 8
By The Editors
June 8th is World Oceans Day, the United Nations-designated day for the global community to celebrate and take action for our shared ocean. In previous posts, we have seen how plastic pollution harms our ocean by discussing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the Plastic Footprint. Although plastic pollution represents a major challenge for our ocean, it’s not the only one. The majority of waste we produce on land eventually reaches the ocean, either through deliberate dumping or from run-off through drains and rivers. World Oceans Day is a celebration and an opportunity to conserve our ocean.
This year, the World Oceans Day theme is “Together we have the power to protect the ocean”. The celebration is bigger than ever, with hundreds of family-friendly events at aquariums, zoos, museums, and more. In addition, there is an online event, the Ocean Promise. Through this event, The Ocean Project invites everyone to take ocean conservation personally by sharing an Ocean Promise online and show how small actions can add up to make a big difference. People everywhere can join the Ocean Promise drive by changing ONE habit in their lives that helps result in a healthier ocean.
World Oceans Day coordinator, Alyssa Isakower, commented, “Each year more and more people and organizations are getting involved and the collective positive impact is inspiring. We are more excited than ever to see the growing global response to the incredibly pressing issue of ocean conservation. We hope everyone will have tons of fun celebrating, sharing their knowledge, and taking action for a healthier, safer future.”
2 Comments
awilliams199
Having World Ocean day is a great way to educated individuals about the current condition of the ocean. The ocean which contains nearly 50 percent of all species on earth is currently filled with many pollutants that result from both industrial domestic and many more sources. The copious amount of pollutants in the ocean really impact marine and human health so it is important to find ways to decrease and prevent the amount of pollutants in the ocean. Although some pollutants cannot be removed such as the plastic contained in the Pacific Ocean actions can be taken to prevent more plastic accumulation. The Ocean Promise is a great way to influence individuals to incorporate practices into their lives that help to prevent ocean pollution.
bcastro3
Initiatives like these are the ones that are going to help us progress for a better future. The ocean is a very important part of life therefore we all need to help and conserve it. Although the great pacific garbage patch already exist we can help prevent more garbage from reaching there or any other existing garbage patches throughout our oceans. The organizations and events that take place during World Oceans day are really interesting for example there is an event ; sushi and sashimi, where the fish are sustained and come from a fishery that prevents habitat damage and overfishing. Fun events like these are good ways to enjoy oneself and make an impact.