Oceans in Danger

Every time I dive, I find new and exciting animal life, new plants, new ocean life. I actively study particularly fish and mammals so I can identify what I see. The ocean is a world of unending wonder. 

But, during World Oceans Week, when we celebrate our water world, it's also important to ask, what's at stake? 

Every time I dive , and every time I walk on the beach, I see garbage: from things as small as little plastic toys to huge things like tires, old refrigerators, and even train cars! 

I think maybe for a long time, people didn't understand the special relationship we have with the ocean, the way it helps to provide us with food, to regulate the temperature of the planet, and to give us a place to play and relax. Instead, the ocean was a garbage dump. 

The ocean has trash for two main reasons: 1. people throw their trash there and 2. our garbage makes its way into the ocean accidentally through spills and the wind and accidents. 

However it gets there, our actions are making healthy ocean waters a big underwater garbage dump. 

Do you really want to spend time in a garbage dump? No! Me either!

Today, people all around the world are thinking hard and coming up with ideas about how to protect and fix our oceans.

To celebrate World Oceans Week, I bet you have some ideas! What can we do to help? Think big AND small!