World Ocean Day will be taking place on Wednesday 8th June 2022, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of the oceans and encourage us to do more to protect the wide array of natural habitats.
Did you know the open oceans are the world’s largest ecosystems? 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans is absorbed by the oceans, buffering the impact of global warming. Over three billion people worldwide depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. On World Ocean Day, WWF would like to celebrate the oceans and explore the impacts they have on our lives.
“With 90% of big fish populations depleted, and 50% of coral reefs destroyed, we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. To protect and preserve the ocean and all it sustains, we must create a new balance, rooted in true understanding of the ocean and how humanity relates to it”
United Nations
The purpose of World Ocean Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean and bring together the global population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans. This year’s theme is especially relevant in the lead-up to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which will run from 2021 to 2030. The decade aims to strengthen international cooperation to develop scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect ocean science with the needs of society.
For more information about the campaign, you can visit WWF’s website, where you can also access a whole range of educational resources. On World Ocean Day’s website, you can find fundraising events to take part in, or you can register and run your very own!