Photo Friday | World Oceans Day

This past Wednesday was World Environment Day and the focus was on ways to beat plastic pollution, one of the biggest threats to our environment.


It's only fitting that for World Oceans Day today, that focus on plastic pollution continues. Plastic pollution is a detriment to both our land and marine environments, along with our wildlife.

Graphic via Pela Case

(On a quick side note, can I just say how much I enjoy having my birthday bookended by World Environment Day and World Oceans Day? It's like my birthday fits right in!)

Even if you live somewhere hundreds or thousands of miles from the ocean, you can still honor and celebrate World Oceans Day. Cleaning up litter in your own community helps to contribute to a cleaner ocean, because once picked up, litter can no longer get into storm drains, then rivers, then out to the ocean. It will in turn benefit you through a better environment for the seafood you eat and the excursions you may take on the water.


If you're planning a trip to the beach this summer, make it a point to cut down on the amount of plastic you bring with you, especially single-use plastic. Pack beverages and snacks into reusable containers, instead of bringing bottled drinks and snacks in Ziplocs.


You can also pick up litter you see along the beach, which helps to keep our oceans cleaner. 


From the World Oceans Day website:

Why celebrate World Oceans Day?

A healthy world ocean is critical to our survival. Every year, World Oceans Day provides a unique opportunity to honor, help protect, and conserve our world’s shared ocean. The ocean is important because it:
  • Generates most of the oxygen we breathe
  • Helps feed us
  • Regulates our climate
  • Cleans the water we drink
  • Offers a pharmacopoeia of medicines
  • Provides limitless inspiration!

Now each of us can give back

Participate in a World Oceans Day event or activity this year and help protect the ocean for the future. It’s up to each one of us to help ensure that our ocean is healthy for future generations. World Oceans Day allows us to:
  • Change perspective – 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.
  • Learn – discover the wealth of diverse and beautiful ocean creatures and habitats, how our daily actions affect them, and how we are all interconnected.
  • Change our ways – we are all linked to, and through, the ocean! By taking care of your backyard and helping in your community, you are acting as a caretaker of our ocean. Making small modifications to your everyday habits will make a difference, and involving your family, friends, and community will benefit our blue planet even more!
  • Celebrate – 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 ocean.


Having been lucky to visit Hawaii three times, we've been able to appreciate all that the ocean can offer. But no matter where you are in the world, you benefit from the health and protection of our oceans.


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