WORLD OCEAN DAY JUNE 8, 2025, CHARTS A COURSE FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

This year’s World Oceans Day theme, Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us, highlights the balance between appreciating the ocean’s beauty and recognizing its fragility.

“If we save the sea, we save our world.”

-- Sir David Attenborough in the 2025 documentary film Ocean

World Ocean Day is an international day that takes place annually on June 8. The concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada's International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. --Wikipedia

WATERTODAY checks in at a few global ports to explore how a new vision of the Oceans is being navigated.

By Suzanne Forcese

THE UNITED NATIONS

The ocean covers over 70% of the planet. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth.

The ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen, it is home to most of earth’s biodiversity and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world. Not to mention, the ocean is key to our economy with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.

Even though all its benefits, the ocean is now in need of support.

With 90% of big fish populations depleted, and 50% of coral reefs destroyed, we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. We need to work together to create a new balance with the ocean that no longer depletes its bounty but instead restores its vibrancy and brings it new life.

"Wonder: Sustaining what sustains us" is the theme for World Oceans Day 2025, a year marked by the UN Decade of Ocean Science and the celebration of the World Ocean Conference. With this new vision, the day celebrates the wonder that the ocean inspires in us: its beauty, its mystery, and its vital role in our lives and on the planet. This day reminds us of our deep connection with the sea and calls for its protection through decisions guided by curiosity, wisdom, and a commitment to collective well-being.

World Oceans Day reminds every one of the major roles the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our planet and a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere.

The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans.

Hosted by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations, in partnership with the non-profit organization Oceanic Global, this year's annual program will celebrate the wonders of the ocean as a source of life that supports humanity and all other organisms on Earth.

Go here for details on educational, campaign, social media materials; a photo contest, and much more.

MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (Australia & New Zealand)

World Ocean Day is not just a day of awareness but a call to action. It's an opportunity for individuals and communities worldwide to unite in efforts to protect and preserve our oceans for future generations.

At the MSC, we know that sustainable fishing is critical to ensuring that the ocean has healthy fish populations, that marine ecosystems are protected, and that people around the world have access to healthy seafood for generations to come.

This World Ocean Day, we’re celebrating the role that MSC-certified sustainable fisheries play in protecting the ocean and showing how sustainable fishing means so much more than you might think.

Go here to learn more about sustainable fishing; our oceans; activities; teaching/learning resources, ocean friendly recipes and more.

WORLD OCEAN DAY.ORG

Youth Around the World Leading the Way for a Healthier Ocean and Future

This year’s World Ocean Day is expected to be the largest and most impactful ever, building on the momentum of thousands of events in 178 countries last year. The United Nations Ocean Conference in France also coincides with World Ocean Day, amplifying the call for action.

A key part of this growing movement is the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council — a diverse group of 25 young changemakers from 24 countries. These leaders, alongside many other young people around the world, are shaping the future of ocean conservation, climate advocacy and leadership.

The ocean is our planet’s life support system, it regulates the climate, produces over half of the oxygen we breathe, powers the global economy, and as the world’s largest ecosystem, it sustains an incredible wealth of biodiversity. The ocean also provides deep cultural, recreational, and spiritual value for people everywhere, whether they live on the coast or far inland.

Officially recognized on the 8^th of June each year, World Ocean Day is more than a day – it’s a growing worldwide movement of youth leaders from all sectors uniting for the ocean. It’s also a call for ocean and climate policy action throughout the year.

WorldOceanDay.org serves as a central hub for free resources, events, and inspiration to help individuals and organizations act for the ocean and climate year-round.

SEA SHEPHERD GLOBAL

At Sea Shepherd Global, we know recovery is possible, we have seen it firsthand in the areas where we operate —but only if we act fast to stop the illegal fishing and habitat destruction it faces today. That’s why our fleet is on the frontlines:

In Antarctica, we’re exposing the industrial krill fishing fleet that is stripping away the foundation of the Southern Ocean’s food chain, threatening penguin colonies and recovering whale populations.

In the Mediterranean, our crews are removing illegal fishing gear—thousands of octopus traps and endless walls of deadly driftnets that decimate marine wildlife.

In West Africa, we’re working with the authorities to stop illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, preventing wildlife crime.

These are necessary interventions to give the ocean a fighting chance.

WORLD OCEAN DAY CANADA

Dive into Ocean Week Canada

Ocean Week Canada launches nationwide June 1 and runs until World Ocean Day on June 8. During this annual celebration of ocean connections and culture, people across the country are invited to learn about, reflect on, and act for the ocean.

Hundreds of inspiring ocean-themed events are taking place across Canada–from shoreline cleanups and science talks to art exhibits and film screenings. There are countless ways for people in every community to get involved.

Other ways to celebrate Ocean Week Canada include:

• Watch stories from Water Guardians and coastal communities.

Blue Learning Lab

• Discover the ocean and ocean culture wherever you are.
• Act for the ocean. Find shoreline cleanup information, community science projects, advocacy and more in Ocean Week Canada’s Take Action Zone.

• Spend a day on the water. Firsthand experiences help strengthen your connection to nature. Whether it’s a lake, river, or bay – every waterbody in Canada links to the ocean.
  
  

Ocean Week Canada is coordinated by the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition in collaboration with regional hubs and partners across the country: www.oceanweek.ca.

Water is Life. It’s a simple but complex statement that WATERTODAY encourages our viewers to contemplate. We hope this smattering of resources serves as a springboard to be creative in your solitude, in your networks, in your opportunities to be the voice that ‘Sustains What Sustains Us’. 

“The ocean is our planet’s life support system, and our greatest ally against climate catastrophe. Yet, it’s at a crossroads. We are draining the life from our ocean. Today, it is in such poor health I would find it hard not to lose hope, were it not for the most remarkable discovery of all – the ocean can recover faster than we had ever imagined. It can bounce back to life.” -- Sir David Attenborough

Related: OCEAN WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH