Photo: United Nations

PULSE NEWS MEXICO

Over 70 percent of the world is covered in a blanket of rich, vibrant blue, from the depths of which once all life on Earth came.

The oceans are the planet’s life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism.

And they produce at least 50 percent of the planet’s oxygen, are home to most of earth’s biodiversity, and are the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world.

The oceans are also key to the global economy, with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries.

But with 90 percent of big fish populations depleted, and 50 percent of coral reefs destroyed, humanity is taking more from the oceans than can be replenished.

In addition to massive overfishing, no less than 13 million tons of plastic — including single-use straws and bags — flow into the oceans every year, killing at least 100,000 marine animals annually.

In 2008, the United Nations declared June 8 as World Oceans Day, as first proposed in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro during the Earth Summit, with the intent of celebrating mankind’s connection to the sea and raising awareness about the various dangers the oceans currently face.

“Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean” is the theme for World Oceans Day 2022, a year framed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science and the celebration of the United Nations Ocean Conference, two years after being cancelled because of the covid-19 pandemic.

Pulse News Mexico urges all our readers to do their part in helping to save the world’s oceans, for the sake of all humanity and nature.