Today (8th June) we celebrate World Ocean Day. Covering 71% of our planet and home to some 226,000 discovered ocean species (with potentially millions more to be discovered), as well as countless different ecosystems, our ocean is a precious part of our world. On this day, the UN and their partners work together to ‘unite the world to protect and restore our shared ocean and create a stable climate’. Last year, over 10,000 different organisations and businesses put on over 15,000 events across 140 countries. This year is set to be the biggest World Ocean Day yet with so many more planning to take part.
Now more than ever, it is important to work together to protect our oceans. As it stands, 90% of big fish populations are depleted and 50% of our coral reefs are destroyed. This cannot be allowed to continue. Today’s theme is ‘Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing’, recognising that we need to shift the way we, as a global community, use the ocean, so that our actions no longer deplete this incredible resource, but instead ‘restore its vibrancy and bring it new life’. To do this, the UN is connecting with people all over, from scientists and decision-makers to civil society, youth activists and leaders, to collectively make a change.
This is utterly necessary given that the 14th Goal of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) is to ‘conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development’. The ocean is a massive home to biodiversity, but also vital for food security and human health. Not only this, but the ocean is ‘the primary regulator of the global climate, an important sink for greenhouse gases’, providing us with water and oxygen. We rely on the ocean’s health for our own health. As such, SDG 14 seeks to reduce the pollution in the ocean, protect marine biodiversity, and prevent ocean acidification. To watch our video on the dangers of water pollution, click here.
We want to turn our attention to Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) today, who have been doing some fantastic work in the spirit of World Ocean Day. As a resort world and aquarium, RWS see the value in working sustainably and the impact that has on the ocean. RWS hosts a variety of conservation outreach programmes to engage the community in conservation efforts. This includes their Docent programme, to learn about marine life at their aquarium and inspire everyone to take part in ocean conservation. RWS also has a SDC x S.E.A.A Citizen Science programme, in which participants can learn all about intertidal animals. Using trained volunteer scientists, this programme is set up to collect intertidal biodiversity data, which can be used in conservation efforts.
World Ocean Day also aims to focus on youth-focused organisations, to help engage younger generations with the task of conservation that lies ahead. In fact, within World Ocean Day lies the Youth Advisory Council, with the express purpose to unite the youth of our planet to help protect the ocean. RWS too demonstrates a dedication to involving the youth of today with the ocean and how we can help. This takes many forms, such as providing education programmes for both pre-school and primary school ages, as well as putting on exhibitions like this year’s Ocean Fest. RWS is actively seeking to inspire and inform the young as to how the ocean is vital to life and the part that they can play in conservation. A massive congratulations to RWS for the way you are actively seeking to protect the oceans.
Today, why don’t you head on down to your local beach and take part in a beach clean, or see what else you can do to help look after our beautiful, blue planet. By working together, we can unlock a more sustainable future and protect our planet for generations to come.
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