The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods

8 June marks the day for World Oceans Day. The theme for World Oceans Day 2021 is “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods”. Today is the need to Conserve Oceans and its life. They are beautiful and are home to many marine creatures and lives. The oceans are home to most of the earth’s biodiversity. They provide a major source of protein for more than billions of people around the world. 

“For each of us, then, the challenge and opportunity is to cherish all life as the gift it is, envision it whole, seek to know it truly, and undertake—with our minds, hearts, and hands—to restore its abundance. It is said that where there’s life there’s hope, and so no place can inspire us with more hopefulness than that great, life-making sea—that singular, wondrous ocean covering the blue planet.” —Carl Safina

Life and Livelihood

World Oceans Day 2021 theme is Life and Livelihoods. It is to celebrate and support the Life and Livelihoods that the ocean sustains. The main aim of this year’s theme is to “highlight the wonders of the ocean. Life in the oceans and how it is our life source, supporting humanity and every other organism on Earth.”
We don’t realize that we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. To protect and preserve the ocean and all the life it sustains, We must create a new balance, a new connection with the Life and Livelihoods of oceans. We need to build a true understanding of the ocean and how our humanity relates to it. We must build a connection to the ocean that is inclusive, innovative, and informed by lessons from the past.

The ocean provides jobs to fishermen, lifeguards, surf instructors, harbors, (free) diving schools, marine-based tour operators, water sports businesses, holiday accommodations, and sailors. Do you know that over 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods?

“One Earth
One Ocean
Ours To Protect 
Oceans Are Our Lifeblood 
Together We Can Make A Difference”

Ocean, Seas, rivers, and other water bodies are essential for human life. But lately, along with using this essential natural source, we humans have also exploited it tremendously. The ocean/ sea ecosystem has been badly affected due to this human intervention. Dumping of garbage, waste material from factories and plants, oil spills, or sewage all have disturbed marine life beyond repair. Plastic bottles and plastics clutter beaches, which if accidentally consumed by sea animals choke them to death. Plastic is non-degradable, and its floating on water surface severely affects marine species. The study says – “There will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050 if we continue on the path we are on” reports the World Economic Forum.

We need to recognize the importance of our Ocean and dependence on a healthy blue planet for our own survival. We need to come together to protect and restore the ocean, safeguard it, and help ensure a healthy home for all! Strive to provide our future generations with healthy, clean oceans. Oceans are like the lungs of our planet.

It is rightly said that “Without water, our planet would be one of the billions of lifeless rocks floating endlessly in the vastness of the inky-black void.”— Fabien Cousteau

Are you aware how much is ocean dump on today’s date?

So think twice before you throw that straw or the plastic garbage. We forget the garbage once it leaves our house. The sole sufferer is the ocean and its creatures. Oceans have become garbage cans and it needs to be taken care of ASAP. Try and give a day to beach cleaning and you will realize what they are going thru.

Have you heard about the Date the Oceans campaign? Afroz Shah, Ocean lover, beach cleaner, and United Nations Environment’s Champion of the Earth, had started the largest beach clean-up drive in Mumbai on Versova beach. The date the Ocean and clean it up of decomposed litter

Ocean provides a good range of goods and services that are an integral part of our health, economies, and also for our weather like fisheries, shipping routes, etc. Ocean water absorbs a vast amount of greenhouse gas that is carbon dioxide (CO2) and helps humans in tackling the problem of global warming and climate change.

Ways to reduce ocean plastic pollution

We need to reduce the plastic litter that ends up in oceans. Sharing some simple ways to help protect and restore oceans.

• Use cloth bags
• Reduce Your Use of Single-Use Plastics
• Carry reusable utensils when going to get that carry-away package.
• Recycle Properly
• Avoid Products Containing Microbeads
• Be part of or Organize a Beach or River Cleanup drive
• Remember to leave nothing behind on beaches, just your footprints. Make sure to collect and dispose of your trash.
• Stay informed on issues related to plastic pollution and help make others aware of the problem

There are lots of activities and resources planned all over the globe to help celebrate World Ocean Day, in schools, organizations, and residential areas too.

Do check out my other posts on Sustainable Conscious living, a step towards a healthier planet. Which covers easy ways to save water, save energy, conservation at the home level, a little bit to heal our Mother Earth, and much more. This post is a part of Cause-a-Chatter by Blogchatter.

“The real cure for our environmental problems is to understand that our job is to salvage Mother Nature. We are facing a formidable enemy in this field. It is the hunters… and to convince them to leave their guns on the wall is going to be very difficult.” — Jacques Yves Cousteau, Oceanographer

Save Ocean! Save Water!