What is World Ocean Day?
History
Created in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro - although not yet officially designated by the United Nations - World Ocean Day is an opportunity each year to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea. The Ocean Project, working closely with the World Ocean Network, helps each year to coordinate events and activities with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations, universities, schools, businesses. Together with the World Ocean Network, we are also working to have the United Nations officially designate World Ocean Day as June 8th each year. Take time to do something good for our ocean: sign the petition today!
Why Should I Celebrate World Ocean Day?
It's up to each one of us to help ensure that our ocean is protected and conserved for future generations. World Ocean Day allows us to…
- encourage individuals to think about what the ocean means to them and what it has to offer all of us with hopes of conserving it for present and the future generations.
- discover the wealth of diverse and beautiful ocean creatures and habitats, how our daily actions affect them, and how we are all interconnected.
- we are all connected to the ocean! By taking care of your backyard, you are acting as a caretaker of our ocean. Making small modifications to your everyday habits will greatly benefit our blue planet.
- whether you live inland or on the coast we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to think about how the ocean affects you, and how you affect the ocean, and then organize or participate in activities that celebrate our world ocean.
Why Should I Care About the Ocean?
 The world's ocean:
 Generates most of the oxygen we breathe;
 Helps feed us;
Regulates our climate;
Cleans the water we drink;
Offers us a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines; and
Provides limitless inspiration!
Yet for too long, human society has:
Treated the ocean as a garbage dump;
Decimated fish populations;
Destroyed critical habitat;
Interrupted the fundamental reproductive capacity of life in the ocean; and
Taken the world's ocean for granted.
Now we can give back! Take part in World Ocean Day events and activities this year and help protect our ocean for the future!
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