World Ocean Day—June 8, 2006



World Ocean Day
World Ocean’s Day is held annually on June 8th in honor of our planet’s most diverse and threatened ecosystem. Created in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, it is hoped that World Ocean’s Day will help raise awareness to over fishing, pollution, and other detriments to ocean life. There are four main objectives to World Ocean Day:

• It is a chance to change perspective – encouraging individuals to think about what the ocean has to offer.
  
• It is a chance to learn – many people are not aware of the wealth of diverse and beautiful creatures and habitats, which are found in the sea, and how our actions affect them.
• It is a chance to alter our ways – people can be encouraged to become caretakers of our seas and to conserve them for the future.
• It is a chance to celebrate – whether you live inland or on the coast you can organize or participate in events focusing on our seas.

Global Ocean Conservation Award
The Global Ocean Conservation Award is given on World Ocean Day in recognition of an individual who has made outstanding contributions to global marine conservation. Initiated in 2005, the award seeks to highlight the human capacity for achievement by acknowledging the potential of an individual to catalyze oftentimes dramatic changes in ocean governance, industrial practices, public perception or scientific knowledge. The award recipient will have directly implemented, coordinated or inspired globally significant advances in marine conservation and as a gauge of success will have built regional or global momentum towards the marine conservation agenda as outlined in the recommendations of Defying Ocean’s End.

This year a second award will be given to an outstanding youth who embodies the ocean spirit and is strongly committed to marine conservation. The Ocean Revolution Native Oceans Award is given annually to a young person from a coastal community where the sea has great economic, cultural and spiritual significance.   The award recognizes a person or a group who has made a significant contribution toward a sustainable future for their local habitat through preserving and nurturing relationships with the sea, bringing their community into the greater world of global ocean conservation and working to fortify the values and traditions necessary for maintaining their cultural identity in times of social and natural adversity.

>> The Global Ocean Conservation Award Factsheet (353 KB PDF)
>> The 2005 Global Ocean Conservation Award Winner

>> Ocean Day events calendar