World Oceans Day is observed on June 8 every year. It’s a day when we celebrate our personal connection to the ocean – that big, blue, sparkling seascape where we swim, surf, fish, travel, and work – and acknowledge its essential role in supporting life on earth.
The ocean regulates the weather and climate, and provides us with food, drinkable water and even the air we breathe. Given the ocean’s essential and cherished status in our lives, it’s important to find ways to protect it.
We all have a part to play. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife focuses on managing the ocean’s resources with a goal of achieving a sustainable future. This takes many forms, from listening to public voices regarding possible revisions to marine protected areas, to helping children learn how to responsibly enjoy ocean sport fishing, and hundreds of other efforts to provide for access and responsible use of our marine resources, in collaboration with California tribes, partners, stakeholders, and citizens.
You can participate in the management of ocean resources by making your own voice heard. In California, you can attend California Fish and Game Commission meetings and provide feedback on various ocean-related issues. These meetings are available both in-person and online, making it more possible than ever to participate in the decision-making process.
What else can you do to celebrate and help protect the ocean on World Oceans Day? You can learn about the ocean by visiting a local ocean-themed festival, such as KelpFest in Laguna Beach, or soak up an educational video from NOAA’s National Ocean Service. You can roll up your sleeves and clean up a local seashore, then treat yourself to some stunning photographs from the World Oceans Day photo competition.
If you can’t actually go to the ocean, one option is to visit the California State Parks website and choose from a list of live broadcasts from both above and below the waves, all this week. Many will celebrate by joining the growing chorus of voices asking that we treat the ocean with the respect and care it deserves as the beating heart of our planet – we hope you are able to celebrate along with us.
With your help, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will continue its efforts to protect, maintain, enhance and restore California’s ocean environments. We hope everyone has an amazing World Oceans Day!
post by Mary Patyten, CDFW Research Writer
Marine Management News 