Let's Celebrate World Oceans Day in Miami

World Oceans Day takes place every year on the 8th of June around the world and right here in South Florida. To mark this special date, take a moment and reflect on the amazing benefits and beauty the ocean provide us all.

The ocean supplies more than half of the oxygen in the world which comes from phytoplankton -- the tiny ocean plants. These small creatures live close to the water's surface and use sunlight and carbon dioxide to make food. Oh, let's not forget that the ocean provides us not only with oxygen for us to breath but also food, beauty and tranquility.

HISTORY

The concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada's International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This important date supports the implementation of worldwide Sustainability Development Goals, and fosters public interest in the management of the ocean and its resources. In 2008 World Oceans Day was officially recognized by the United Nations.

The day is marked in a variety of ways, including launching new campaigns and initiatives, special events at aquariums and zoos, outdoor explorations, aquatic and beach cleanups, educational and conservation action programs, art contests, film festivals, and sustainable seafood events. Youth have been playing an increasingly important role since 2015. The World Oceans Day Youth Advisory Council has been helping lead conservation awareness and action efforts globally since 2016.

SUPPORT

You can support our oceans by donating and learning more about the following nonprofit environmental organizations. They offer a variety of programs to support our oceans.

Ocean Conservancy

Ocean Conservancy is a nonprofit environmental advocacy group which helps formulate ocean policy at the federal and state government levels based on peer reviewed science. oceanconservancy.org

The Ocean Cleanup Environmental Organization

The Ocean Cleanup is a non-government engineering environmental organization based in the Netherlands, that develops technology to extract plastic pollution from the oceans. theoceancleanup.com

Ocean Blue Project

Ocean Blue Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect and conserve the world's ocean, beaches, and rivers, through education and cleaning efforts. It offers resources for clean rivers, and lowering pollution. oceanblueproject.org‎

By Markin Abras, Special thanks to Wikipedia for textual inserts. Special thanks to Denyse Mitterhofer for "fish illustration/gif". Denyse is a designer and illustrator with expertise in animation. For project inquiries and to learn more visit denysemitterhofer.com.