Life on earth is inextricably linked to the oceans. The oceans can affect our health in a variety of ways. That is why every year on June 8 – the day designated by the United Nations to celebrate World Oceans Day – we recall the importance of the ocean in humans’ life by calling for awareness towards its protection.

The air we breathe comes largely from the ocean which produces over half of the world’s oxygen and stores 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere. It contributes also in regulating our climate by covering 70 percent of the earth’s surface through transporting heat from the equator to the poles. Similarly, oceans are a source of overall well-being by providing the water and medications we need. In short, oceans can be considered as one of the main foundations of human life.

Nevertheless, human action damages the nature, and we fail to restore what we have destroyed. We expose the world’s waterways to an increasing variety of pollutants – plastic, debris, chemical runoff, crude oil and more. As a result, statistics show that 100 million marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone; 100,000 marine animals die from getting interwoven in plastic yearly and one in three mammal species get found entangled in litter.

Data also show that 90 percent of ocean debris worldwide comes from 10 rivers alone. 80 percent of global marine pollution comes from agriculture overflow, untreated sewage, discharge of nutrients and pesticides. Similarly, 80 percent of pollution comes from land-based sources. In fact, 70 percent of our debris sinks into the ocean’s ecosystem, 15 percent floats and 15 percent lands on our beaches. These facts and statistics are so appalling that it should make us fully aware of what the future of the ocean’s ecosystem will hold and react accordingly. Some studies conducted over the last few decades reveal that by 2050, if humans’ actions prevail, our environment would be under imminent peril making plastics outnumbering fish.

The United Nations World Oceans Day – celebrated on June 8 every year – has been set up to remind us of the vital role of oceans, our planet’s lungs. This year, the second fully virtual celebration of UN World Oceans Day will highlight the theme of The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods. The celebration will feature 40 visionary leaders across the world, which include celebrities, institutional partners, community voices, entrepreneurs, and experts.

World Environment Day 2021 theme goes perfectly along with the “Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development” proclaimed by the United Nations which will run from 2021 to 2030. Through the decade, the UN aims to support and strengthen international cooperation to develop scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect science with the needs of society.

Sources: United Nations / Oceanic Global/ Condor Ferries