World Ocean Day: Let’s Protect our Oceans for a Better Tomorrow

No matter where you live, you are always connected to the sea. The future of Earth depends on how conscious and aware our future generations are about conserving natural resources which are at the core of life on Earth. Oceans are the incubator of life and preserving their natural ecological state has become the call of the hour.  

What is it about? 

World Oceans Day is a global initiative by the United Nations to spread awareness about the vast expanse of oceans on Earth. It is based on the idea of protecting the infinite number of life forms and coral reefs that are a part of the ocean and being aware of how human actions can harm their natural habitat. The main focus of this initiative is to bring the oceans at the forefront of global environmental discussions, and plan and execute a sustainable method to save our oceans and the planet at large. 

History of World Ocean Day: 

World Ocean Day was first proposed in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Since 2002, the World Ocean Network has been playing an important role in garnering support and organizing worldwide activities on June 8. A big network of more than 2000 organizations worldwide are invested in making sure that the ocean is protected from any damage due to technology or other human actions.   

Why is World Oceans Day Important? 

The currents and life in the oceans drive every natural system that makes Earth habitable for all. Even the right balance of oxygen that we breathe is primarily dependent on the ocean. The health of our oceans has become a matter of concern, due to the damage they have endured. 

Other Important Facts about World Oceans Day:  

To inspire the younger generation to celebrate our oceans and strive to make a difference, you could share some fun facts on World Oceans Day and how important the oceans are: 

• Earth’s 97% of water is in the oceans, which is home to more than 2 lakh known species and millions of unidentified organisms. 

• Oceans are the world’s largest source of protein, and more than 2.6 billion people depend on the oceans as their primary source of protein.  

• Oceans purify the air we breathe by absorbing 30% of the CO2 in the air, which also helps in decreasing the impacts of global warming and climate change. 

• Today, 40 percent of the oceans of the world are affected by human activities causing pollution, depletion of fisheries, harm to coral reefs and marine species. 7 out of the 13 great whale species are endangered today. 

• Plastic Leak of about 13000000 tonnes into the ocean water is every year. It has been forecasted that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. Over 1 lakh marine wildlife animals are killed each year due to plastic contamination of the oceans. 

• The President of UN General Assembly has launched a global campaign “Play It Out”, against the use of plastic. Marine Protected Areas have also been chalked out as an initiative to protect the oceans from illegal fishing. 

World Ocean Day helps unite the world to safeguard our blue planet home, with its shared ocean and climate. It is really about involvement in action by taking some pledges for our shared ocean throughout the year. Remember that with every other breath you take, the oxygen you breathe comes from plants in the ocean.  

“Every day the Oceans are working for us, and together only we can do something to Support the Ocean and its Life”.