Hyderabad: With the world's rapid development, ocean pollution has also increased at the same rate. The ocean is a major source of food and medicine and an important part of the ecosystem, therefore its protection is important. To make people aware of the contribution of oceans to the living world and the importance of the conservation of marine life and to take steps towards their protection, World Oceans Day is observed worldwide.
71 per cent of the Earth is covered by water, which is why it is called the 'Blue Planet'. Over time, the ocean has played a major role in trade. But over-reliance on the ocean is killing marine life and affecting biological ecosystems. The toxic waste flow from factories, plastics, smoke from ships, deep-sea mining, environmental pollution, chemicals and pesticides all affect marine biodiversity.
Also read: World Pest Day 2023: Spreading Awareness about Issues Caused by Pests and Rodents
To prevent this, at a forum called 'Planet Earth' that was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 it was decided to observe World Oceans Day every year. Canada's International Center for Ocean Development and Canada's Ocean Institute proposed this idea at the Earth Summit. In 2008, the United Nations decided to observe June 8 as World Oceans Day. For the first time in 2009, World Ocean Day was observed around the theme 'Our Oceans, Our Responsibilities'.
In the year 2023, World Oceans Day is being observed around the theme "Planet Ocean: tides are changing". The day is observed on June 8 every year to highlight and create awareness about biodiversity, food security, ecological balance, climate change, unsustainable use of marine resources etc. The ocean has an important place on Earth and in our lives, yet we do not pay much attention towards its conservation.
Instead of conserving it, people are engaged in polluting it, and it's level of pollution is increasing day by day. Due to pollution, the amount of oxygen in the ocean is decreasing. However, there is a need to create public awareness about protecting natural resources such as the ocean and properly managing marine resources.
