What is World Oceans Day?
World Oceans Day takes place on 8 June every year as a celebration of the ocean and our continuing reliance on it.
Over 70 per cent of our blue planet is covered in water, and more than half of all the oxygen we breathe comes from ocean plants. We rely on the ocean for food security, transportation, coastal defences and much more.
Yet even as we celebrate our oceans, we also need to recognize the negative impacts we are having on our rivers, lakes and seas.
Over-fishing, greenhouse gas emissions, chemical and noise pollution, ocean mining, plastic pollution and transportation all threaten the future of our oceans, but too often these issues are out of sight and out of mind.
This year’s activities are focused around the seven principles of ocean literacy – a framework that highlights the importance of the ocean to life on Earth. The principles cover topics such as the ocean’s role in shaping our climate, the life-sustaining properties of our blue planet and the diversity of ocean ecosystems.
We’re working with several organisations including the British Antarctic Survey, Thames Estuary Partnership, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Ocean Generation, Manta Trust and Surfers Against Sewage to produce free workshops, talks and performances that are suitable for all ages.
For more ocean inspiration, why not check out our host of activities, resources and features available online?
