By Jovina Zion Pradeep
World Oceans Day is an annual global event held by the United Nations every June 8th to highlight the importance of oceans and promote ocean conservation to the public. It was first established in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The oceans are vital to our planet and its inhabitants, providing many benefits, including:
Climate regulation Oceans absorb heat and carbon dioxide emissions, and help regulate Earth's climate and weather patterns.
Food Ocenas and their biodiversity provide 15% of the animal protein that people eat, and are the primary source of protein for over half of the population in some developing countries.
Livelihoods S upport nearly 50% of the world's population, with 57 million jobs globally in marine fisheries alone. Other jobs related to the ocean include transportation, tourism, aquaculture, renewable energy, and more.
Recreation Offer many activities for people to enjoy, such as fishing, boating, kayaking, and whale watching.
In honor of World Oceans Day, here are some ways that you can take action to protect the oceans.
Volunteering: The most effective way that you can help the ocean is to volunteer your time to clean up coastal areas of water pollution, such as by attending a local beach cleanup event.
Education: Educating yourself about the ocean by visiting an aquarium or reading about the ocean goes a long way to aid ocean conservation, especially if you share the information you learned with the public through social media.
Pollutant Reduction: Utilizing plastic alternatives, proper disposal of chemicals, selective use of nontoxic chemicals, reusing products and cutting down on waste reduces the scale of ocean pollution. Use fuel efficient vehicles, bicycles or carpool for transportation.
Home: By using less water at home, runoff and wastewater will not be able to pollute the ocean. Select energy efficient light bulbs for your home. Set your thermostat to your ideal temperature without oversetting the heat.
Recreation: While fishing, help conserve fish populations by utilizing “catch and release” methods. While boating, steer clear of areas with coral and sea grasses.
Sustainability: Respect the natural habitat of creatures in the wild and do not disturb them to ensure their survival. If consuming seafood, eat sustainable seafood.
By doing these activities, regardless of how easy they seem, you can help conserve our ocean and protect the creatures that live in them.
Happy World Oceans Day!
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