June 8th is World Ocean Day!
An annual global celebration where people unite to take action for our shared blue planet, as one ocean & one climate connects us all!
The focus for World Ocean Day 2022 is safeguarding our ocean, its biodiversity and building climate change resiliency.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the day. In 2021 over 1,000 events took place in 150 countries, and more than 1,000 organisations and 84 countries signed the global petition to protect 30% of our lands, waters and ocean by 2030.
World Ocean Day 30 x 30 Campaign
The 30 x 30 campaign is critical, and the campaign still needs people to Take Action by signing the petition and encouraging leaders across the world to commit to having a healthy ocean as part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity challenges we face. Less than 8% of the global ocean is currently protected, and the reasons why this must increase include:
- Oceans cover over 71% of the planet and account for 96% of the water on Earth.
- The ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen.
- Oceans help regulate climate by absorbing around 30% of the CO2 human activities release into the atmosphere.
- Between 50% and 80% of all life on the planet is found in the oceans.
- Fish accounted for about 17% of the global population’s intake of animal protein in 2013.
- It’s estimated that 40 million people will be employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.
World Ocean Day Events
Alongside the petition there are hundreds of events taking place across the globe to participate in. There are in-person and online events cover everything from community events such as clean-ups and fundraisers, through education and workshops, to family friendly events. There really is something for everyone, and you can explore what’s on here.
Plymouth
Plymouth in the UK, where Pixalytics is based, is actually at the forefront of many marine initiatives. The water around our coast, Plymouth Sound, was designated the UK’s first National Marine Park in September 2019. The city also claims to be Britain’s Ocean City!
In addition, there is a really exciting event happening on World Ocean Day in the city as the Plymouth Climate Hub will open its doors for the first time!! This Hub, is based in the centre of the city, and aims to get the people of Plymouth more engaged, educated and empowered to respond to the climate crisis. We’ve been a small contributing supporter to the creation of this fantastic resource, and we look forward to seeing how it develops over the coming months.
The world oceans are critical to the health of the planet and us! They help regulate climate, generate most of the oxygen we breathe and provide a variety of food and sources of medicines. So, we hope everyone will join us in helping to protect and conserve these natural environments.
