Your list of New Year’s resolutions may have included improving your personal health with exercise or eating better but what about resolving to improve ocean health? The health of the ocean has a direct impact on us, effecting everything from air quality to seafood. This year let’s make a goal to work together to help the ocean. Here are some things you can do to increase awareness and take action for the ocean this year – and it’s a great time to plan for World Oceans Day 2016!
Appreciate Nature
Whether you live near the ocean or not, you have a connection to the ocean through local waterways in your community. Lawn fertilizers and pesticides around streams eventually end up the ocean. The same goes for litter in and around rivers. This year let’s appreciate nature and help to keep our environment and community clean.
For World Oceans Day:
- Host your event outside. Help others to reconnect with the outdoors.
- Label storm drains. Many people don’t realize that a lot of your local street drains lead directly into nearby rivers, lakes or, eventually, the ocean. Increase awareness in your community and encourage people to keep the drains clear of debris.
- Adopt a waterway. Pledge to keep it free of plastic and debris for a year with monthly cleanups.
Enjoy Sustainable Seafood
Seafood is an essential part of many people’s diets around the world. By making smart choices about the seafood we consume, we can prevent poor fish farming practices and overfishing of important fish and shellfish in the wild. Doing so helps the ocean and its wildlife, and it also ensures we will be able to enjoy sustainable seafood for many years to come. For information on sustainable seafood check out Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch and the Mr. Goodfish campaign.
For World Oceans Day:
- Hold a sustainable seafood tasting. As people enjoy samples inform them about how they can help with smart seafood choices
- Distribute sustainable seafood recipes. Offering creative dinner ideas that are healthy for us and the environment is a win-win.
Learn and Share
The ocean is full of amazing plants, animals and even bacteria! Take the time to learn about your favorite ocean animals, ocean exploration or ocean issues like acidification and pollution. Check out ocean related books or watch a documentary. Then, share your knowledge and teach those around you the importance of the ocean and how each of us can help make a difference.
For World Oceans Day:
- Engage with social media and let everyone know what you are learning about the ocean and how to help #worldoceansday
- Take part in the Wear Blue Tell Two campaign by wearing blue for the ocean and telling two others about the importance of the ocean and how each of us can help
- Partner with a local school or aquarium to create an ocean book club. Choose a book about the ocean or a story that takes place near the ocean and then organize a club cleanup to help
How will you seas the day this month?
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The Seas the Day initiative encourages and empowers people to take ocean conservation personally. Each month, we feature a new conservation theme with ways to help so come back regularly for more ocean-helping ideas and tips, and use this information as you wish to spread the ocean conservation word!