04 Jun, 2017 by Richard Myhill

What is World Ocean’s Day?

Did you know that 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by Oceans?

World Ocean’s Day is a Global Day to celebrate our Oceans and create a better future for them. The global celebration day aims to spread the word of the importance of our vast oceans and help protect them to keep them clean for everyone.

The Problems are Endless

The main conservation action focus is to encourage solutions for plastic pollution. Plastic pollution has numerous human and environmental impacts.

Katsuhiko Saido, PhD’s latest science report revealed that plastics and microplastics are severely damaging to the reproductive systems of animals in the sea, and consequently damaging to you and me, as we consume these through the food chain. Furthermore, the broken-down plastic in the Ocean will attract toxic chemicals released over decades from industry and agriculture, therefore, contributing to some cancers, infertility as well as immune, metabolic, cognitive and behavioural disorders in human beings.

We know that microbeads in our personal care products such as toothpaste and facial cleansers also contribute to the worrying, hazardous problem that faces biodiversity as these plastics enter the water and will be consumed into the food chain which is harmful environmentally and resultantly back to us.

With more than 8 million tons of plastic being dumped in our oceans each year, this is causing over 90% of seabirds alone to have pieces of plastic in their stomachs. Furthermore, a shocking 1 in 3 marine mammals has been found entangled in marine litter.

Together, we can do something to stop this. Our Oceans are beautiful and we must work together to prevent marine litter for healthier oceans and a better future.

As our world’s population is increasing, the strain along our coasts is likewise increasing. With more people working, living and vacationing near the coastlines each day of the year, we are standing on what could be the most unprecedented plastic waste tide ever faced.

How can Scientific Research help to decrease this?

The battle to ban harmful microbeads is currently ongoing with the government, as a shocking estimated 86 tons of plastic microbeads are washed into the sea from the UK each year. Scientific researchers are trying hard to push forward the vital justification to ban microbeads in the UK.

Jo Ruxton, UK CEO of the Plastic Oceans Foundation says:

“Prevention is always better than cure, so the Plastic Oceans Foundation is working to stop this plastic being released into the environment wherever possible”

Research is constantly being undertaken in order to prevent plastics from entering the oceans and thus back into the food chain. In turn, the amount of plastic debris should be reduced in the long term and the more exposure to the importance of plastic pollution, the better for our future.

What can you do to help this?

There are countless ways you can help to raise awareness and spread the world of World Oceans Day this year. From being a part of the social media action to using plastic pollution resources online.

You can join a movement to celebrate today and work as a community to spread the word about cleaning our Oceans and raising the issue of plastic pollution! Let’s celebrate the Scientific research going into the Oceans and to those who are looking after our wildlife as well as keeping our Ocean clean!