June 8: World Oceans Day

June 8th is World Oceans Day. This is a great day to take a moment and appreciate the beautiful oceans! It is so important to keep our oceans clean and healthy. June 8th is also a great day to raise awareness about how to keep our oceans healthy!

Author: Madison Frederick

Protecting our oceans is such an important thing! World Oceans Day is a day to raise awareness about the climate and our oceans. World Oceans Day is a day about conserving the oceans and protecting our Earth’s climate. World Oceans Day is supported by a large group of global corporations that host events year-round, specifically on June 8th! The health of the oceans is so crucial for the environment. Focusing on the protection of our oceans and raising awareness about conservation is something that should be taking place year-round. Here are a few easy ways to get involved and help out with conservation!

Respect the Environment

Respecting the environment by not littering, recycling, and more are all great things to be doing year-round for the oceans! Ensuring we take proper care of the Earth and oceans helps our climate and oceans greatly. An excellent thing to do for June 8th, World Oceans Day, is go to a beach clean up! Beach clean-ups are an awesome way to help out our oceans directly. 

Use Less Single-Use Plastics

Plastic is one of the largest pollutants in our oceans. Plastic has so many negative impacts on our oceans! Around 17.6 billion pounds of plastic leakage is estimated to be dumped into our oceans yearly. Plastics in our oceans have one of the largest impacts on the animals within the ocean. Currently, it is estimated that 52% of sea turtles have eaten plastic waste at some point in their lifetime. This is an alarmingly high statistic. Avoiding single-use plastic products is so important to protecting the health of our oceans! Purchasing reusable silverware and straws are a great investment. Consider using those items over single-use plastics to help protect our oceans. 

Eat Vegan

Animal agriculture has major impacts on our oceans. Runoff from farms, like chemicals, animal manure, and more, is a massive contributor to pollution in the oceans. This can cause dead zones within the ocean and kill a lot of sea life. Overfishing is another contributor to the declining health of our oceans. Overfishing can lead to the death of coral and other aquatic life. By not supporting fishing and farming industries, you can take a stand for the conservation of our oceans. Going vegan for the oceans is an amazing way to support World Oceans Day!

To find vegan options and experiences near you, check out the Vkind app and Vkind.com! 

Resources: 

https://oceana.org/living-blue-10-ways-you-can-help-save-oceans/

https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-do-sea-turtles-eat-unfortunately-plastic-bags

https://ffacoalition.org/articles/animal-agriculture-environment/#:~:text=Fertilizers%2C%20pesticides%2C%20and%20excess%20nutrients,life%2C%20and%20contaminates%20drinking%20water.