WORLD OCEAN DAY EVERY DAY: UNITING FOR THE BIG BLUE
Do you want to go to the beach right now? Good idea! Bring your friends and family—today’s trip will be extra special. Why? It’s World Ocean Day!
In 2009, the United Nations observed the first-ever World Ocean Day, global recognition of the importance of the ocean to the health of our planet’s ecosystem and all of its inhabitants – especially us.
No matter how vast our ocean may be, it is the one undeniable thing that connects us all—no matter where you may be in our world. The mission of bringing back a cleaner and healthier ocean is not just a one-day dream but an everyday mission.
Although we celebrate today, World Ocean Day is every day.
With the theme, Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean, let’s revisit why we celebrate and learn about the World Ocean Day activities in store!
10 DOWN, MORE TO GO
Today, we are not just celebrating our beautiful ocean but also the 10th anniversary of our organization, the Blue Ocean Project!
On this day, ten years ago, our founding members created Ocean Blue with one vision: a plastic-free blue ocean. Since then, we have continually pushed out programs and projects to make this vision into reality. With the help of other conscious organizations and volunteers, we have cleaned our ocean, one plastic at a time.
So far, we have removed over 244,000 pounds of plastic from the ocean. We have helped rehabilitate numerous beaches and shores with the help of our volunteers.
We still have a long way to go, but we are already creating an impact.
People are starting to notice and take action. More people are rising to answer our call for a responsible and conscious take on our environment. There is plenty of volunteer-driven beach clean-up drives happening all around the world. Donations and partnerships are coming in to support our cause.
Our mission does not stop there—there are more things we can do.
We are just beginning to feel the fruits of our labor. Ocean Blue stands tall amidst the still rampant plastic problem, and we continue to grow as one community.
WORLD OCEAN DAY THEME: A CALL TO ACTION
The theme for today’s celebration is Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean. It emphasizes the urgent need to work together to restore the health and vibrancy of our ocean.
Being the world’s largest ecosystem, our ocean is home to nearly millions of known species—it even contains the vast untapped potential for scientific discovery. These creatures are the first ones affected by the plastic problem—threatening their lives and natural habitat.
According to the World Economic Forum, plastic pollution is the second-largest threat to our oceans, second only to climate change. About 5 -12 million metric tonnes of plastic end up in our ocean basins each year.
Unlike other types of trash, plastics take about 1000 years to decompose. Instead of dissolving or disappearing, it gets broken down into smaller pieces called microplastics. Thousands of marine creatures die daily due to debris entanglement or plastic digestion.
The second that gets affected by this growing problem is us, humans.
Our ocean is a massive wealth generator that brings in livelihood, food, and overall economic growth for billions of people worldwide. The ocean assets are valued at 24 trillion USD—that is how much we get from the ocean globally.
A polluted ocean is detrimental when no action is done. With that said, a healthier ocean will be beneficial for marine life forms and our lives. Our reliance on the ocean ecosystem is vital to the continued progress of many nations.
The mission to act is for everyone, and that includes you.
The backbone of our organization’s effort is the support that we get from our volunteers and partners. They are the ones that enable us to create sustainable programs that align with our long-term goal of eliminating plastics from our water resources.
Will you also answer the call?
BLUE OCEAN ECONOMY: A QUEST TO A HEALTHY BLUE SEA
Revitalizing our ocean is a critical step toward a better future.
Our quest for a healthier ocean is not just an act of removing plastics and debris on our beaches and ocean basins. It also entails enhancing sustainable development for our ocean economy.
Our One-world Ocean is our planet’s life support system. Our global population’s economic, social and environmental needs rely heavily on our ocean—our Blue Economy. It encompasses a massive part of our planet’s activity, such as fisheries and aquaculture, renewable energy, tourism, maritime transport, and waste management.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates the Blue Economy’s value could reach $3 trillion by 2030, employing 40 million people, making it vital for people worldwide. It signifies the continued demands for our ocean industries.
We need a healthier ocean to meet our world’s needs.
Critical industries must operate through responsible and conscious ocean management to keep our Blue Economy alive. We aim to answer the call through sustainable events and partnerships to raise awareness.
CELEBRATE WITH US: WORLD OCEAN DAY ACTIVITIES
The need to work together unites us in restoring and bringing new life to our one-world ocean.
We have a few fun cleanup activities in store to celebrate World’s Ocean Day! Let us celebrate as one community and let us know if you’re planning a DIY Cleanup!
We celebrate our 10th year by joining six concerts on the Jack Johnson tour in August (Texas) and September (Pacific Northwest). The Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation is matching donations up to $2,500. You can celebrate with us.
Lastly, are you up for a challenge?
To highlight World Ocean Day and Ocean’s Blue’s 10th birthday, we will be topping it off with Plastic Clean-a-Thon. If you want to be part of our mission, you can start with this activity. Pick up as much plastic as you can for ten days! You can share your progress by tagging us in Socials. Let us see who can collect the most plastics.
Tag @OceanBlueProject AND #OceanBlueSeaSaviors OR #Cleanup3fortheSea for a chance to have Ocean Blue share or repost!
SUPPORT THE CAUSE ANYWHERE YOU ARE
World Ocean day is every day.
Our mission continues even after the 10-day celebration. We are counting on your much-needed support to bring back our ocean to a healthier state.
Be a volunteer and lend a hand to our beach clean-ups happening around the country. You can check out the dates on our website. If there are no scheduled clean-up drives near you, create one yourself! Gather your friends and family and organize clean-up drives for your local beach that needs cleaning.
Every dollar removes 1 pound of plastic from the ocean. This year, our goal is to raise $250,000. Donate $50 during this month and receive an Ocean Blue Project reusable water bottle!
TOGETHER WE CAN
World Ocean Day reminds us how vital our ocean is in our lives. No matter what skin color or nation we belong to, we are all connected by a one-world ocean.
There are still a lot of plastics that we need to recover. It may seem overwhelming, but let us all remember that we are all in this—together, we can. Our collective action will bring back the life and beauty of our ocean, and it is a vision that we will not stop aiming for until it becomes a reality.
Let us continue celebrating World Ocean Day every day with a fiery spirit to make an impact.
Author Bio: Samantha Ileto is a copywriter at a local marketing agency. She believes that her skills go beyond office work. Fueled by her sense of purpose, she volunteers for conscious social and environmental non-profits. Her goal is to uplift other people’s lives and be part of a movement that will cause change—no matter how big or small.
