Happy World Oceans Day!

Welcome to the international community’s online resource for World Oceans Day—our planet’s biggest celebration of the ocean, held every June 8th. This year, we encourage you to reach out to young people in your community and help inspire them for the 2012 theme Youth: the Next Wave for Change. Explore this site for ideas, resources, and information about how you can get involved.

The ocean is Earth’s life support

■ 50 to 70 percent of the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean. That’s more than every one of the world’s rainforests combined.

■ The ocean is the #1 source of protein for more than a billion people. Sea life provides one fifth of the average person’s animal protein intake.

■ The ocean regulates our climate, absorbs carbon dioxide, holds 97% of Earth’s water, and supports the greatest abundance of life on our planet.

■ More than 60% of the world’s population lives on or near the coast. The ocean provides a livelihood, recreation, beauty, wonder, and untapped scientific discovery, leading to new medications, foods, and advanced technologies.

Everyone, everywhere depends on a healthy sea

The ocean is our life support. It generates most of the oxygen we breathe. It regulates our climate. It provides us with food. It is the largest, most diverse reservoir of natural resources on the planet. Simply put, it is our lifeline.

But the ocean is being changed in dramatic ways by pollution, over-fishing, urban runoff, reef destruction, plastic trash, and climate change. The ocean’s animals face a rate of extinction unprecedented in modern history.

Far too few of us know how much trouble the ocean is really in.

One World One Ocean aims to change that. Using the power of film, television, new media and education initiatives, our mission is to change the way people see and value the ocean — and motivate action to restore it.

Many people would act to fix the ocean’s problems, if only they knew — and could see — what was happening.

We believe that great storytelling has the power to change the world. We also believe that all great movements start from the bottom up — that means you, your friends, and everyone you know. That’s why our main goal is to show the ocean environment in new ways never seen before.

But seeing isn’t enough. We need action. If all of us tell our friends and family the story of what’s happening to our oceans, then a true revolution in awareness will begin. If we all decide to make even one small change in our daily lives — like eating sustainable seafood or reducing our use of plastics — we can reverse the ocean crisis.

There is still time to save our oceans.

http://worldoceansday.org