Today is World Oceans Day, the official annual celebration of the oceans and all the wonderful things they do for all us. Celebrated every year since 1992, today is the day to make a big noise about the awesomeness of our oceans and to raise awareness about the wonders and troubles of the big blue deep.
(Image: Nemo’s great uncle)
So, fill up your lungs with that fantastic sea air and get involved in the today’s celebration of our much loved mighty oceans.To get you started here is a round up of some great ocean stuff going on today.
– For all budding film makers out there, a film competition, The Last Ocean kicks off today. The brief is to make a short film (anywhere between 30 seconds and 5 minutes long) about the Ross Sea in the Antarctic. They’ve got plenty of free footage of the sea on offer for people wanting to get involved.
– Many a beachsweeps and interactive educational activities will be taking place on Canada’s coast, one of the largest in the world, in fact.
– On Twitter, there’s a World Oceans Day party. Just join in the conversation by using the hashtag #WOD.
– In Europe, Fish Fight (championed by Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall, chef extraordinaire) is making waves with millions of people joining the campaign to end by catch being wasted in the North Sea. Check it out and show your support.
In coastal areas around America, volunteers are getting busy preserving sea turtle and other marine life habitats.
And to help you do your bit to protect our seas here are three simple tips:
1. Ditch disposable plastic (like plastic bags, bottled water, you get the idea) so it doesn’t end up here.
2. Be adventurous and open-minded about the fish you eat. Try new things.
3. As the sailors’ say, “wear blue and tell two”. Tell your friends, family and coworkers just how important the great blue sea.
Ps- Watch this ever so inspiring TED talk from Sylvia Earle on just how spectacular and important our oceans are.
Katherine Hui is currently the Social site editor at Green Thing, a web-based public service in London that inspires people to lead greener lives through creative content.
Before this, she worked as the Development Manager at Social Innovation Camp, an organization that encourages people to use web and mobile-based technology to mobilise social change. She oversaw 300 ideas submission and helped build 20 prototypes – five of which have gone on to get further funding or investment.
Katherine’s came over to the UK form Canada in 2007 for an MSc program at the London School of Economics. Before arriving in London, she managed a small environmental start-up in Vancouver called the Canadian Climate Change Alliance.
Katherine is football mad. She is a loyal supporter of Arsenal FC, plays for Islington Borough Ladies FC and coaches for Gunners in Islington in her spare time. Her second favourite hobby is kite surfing and she can sometimes be found chasing the wind.
