On June 8, IVECA joins the celebration of World Ocean Day to raise awareness about protecting our oceans.
Amidst concerns over the declining health of our oceans and recognizing the countless benefits it bestows upon both humanity and the Earth's rich biodiversity, in 2008 the United Nations General Assembly officially declared June 8th as World Ocean Day.
Our ocean is not only a home to thousands of marine species, but provides numerous resources to humans as well as the species found on land. Our ocean covers 71% of the surface of our planet and provides 50% of the oxygen we breathe comes from it. For humans, it is a vital source of food, supplying a significant portion of the global population with protein-rich sustenance and providing livelihoods for millions of people worldwide who rely on fishing as their primary source of income. Despite this, human activity still jeopardizes the condition of our oceans, even in their unexplored depths.
IVECA students frequently reflect on the impact human activity has had on Earth throughout each of their group projects. During this spring semester, students are researching and discussing water use, condition and access in their countries. They emphasize the importance of reducing pollution in their communities and bodies of water, in particular rivers, which ultimately lead to the sea, thus discarding land waste, mainly plastic, into the ocean. One student boldly said, “We need to change our ways of living.” Another student commented, “I think that we should be more aware of these problems and try our best to solve them. That's why I like our generation. I think we are people that care about the future of the earth and we try little by little to change these situations… water is life.”
Our shared ocean needs attention and support from us. In doing so, other issues that the world faces such as climate change, health challenges and economic issues can be improved as the ocean, ‘the lungs of the planet’, connects us all. Our very own human composition has some of the same elements of the ocean—salt being one of them!
Today we invite you to join the celebration and efforts to protect our ocean, which is vital for humankind and Earth’s flora and fauna. We can all take part in World Ocean Day—today and everyday. There are many ways we can contribute to fostering ocean sustainability, starting with continuing to spread awareness of the importance of ensuring healthy oceans for humanity and biodiversity.
Let’s celebrate World Ocean Day!
"We have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean."
- John F. Kennedy -