On the 8th June, we celebrate World Ocean Day, a day when people everywhere can mark the astonishing attributes of our ocean and take action to protect it. For 2021, World Ocean Day is raising awareness and support for the global movement to protect at least 30% of the world’s lands, waters, and ocean by 2030 (30×30). Safeguarding at least 30% through a network of highly protected areas can help ensure a healthy ocean and climate. This World Ocean Day, Clean Coasts will host a suite of activities, which offer an opportunity for all of us to learn more about our ocean, what ways we can protect it and how to enjoy it to its full potential.
Clean Coasts will kick off the day with two video premieres: a virtual dive that will take you on an underwater journey at the seabed of Strangford Lough and a rockpooling session with Dave Wall from the National Biodiversity centre.
Virtual Dive Through a Rocky Reef in Strangford Lough
Clean Coasts will also host two live talks with Easkey Britton on Instagram and Facebook on different sections of her newly published book “50 Things to do by the Sea” and discuss some of her inspirations for it. Easkey will go read some parts of her book and talk about simple ways you can connect with and protect our ocean and about the Think Before You Flush campaign. Think Before You Flush is a public awareness campaign about the problems sanitary products and other items can cause in the plumbing in our homes, our wastewater network and our marine environment when they are flushed down the toilet. The campaign is operated by Clean Coasts (An Taisce) in partnership with Irish Water.
50 Things to Do By The Sea by Easkey Britton
The middle of the day will focus on an in-depth discussion with Prof. Tasman Crowe on the challenges faced by Ireland in creating an expansive marine protected area network in Ireland. In Ireland we have a unique opportunity now to have our say on what areas of our ocean and seas we deem most important to be protected. The Public Consultation on the expert advisory group report entitled “Expanding Ireland’s Marine Protected Area Network”, is currently open and Clean Coasts is asking everyone to get involved and ensure their views are heard by filling out the online survey before the deadline of 30th July 2021. The survey includes questions such as: What components of Ireland’s marine environment should be protected, Why they should be protected and How they should be protected. The responses from this survey will pave the way forward in designing the process for expanding Ireland’s Marine Protected Areas network.
The ocean provides numerous bounties for us to enjoy such as seaweed, join Prannie Rhatigan for a cookalong in her kitchen where she will show us how to make a delicious meal using seaweed harvested earlier in the day.
Prannie Rhatigan will join us for a virtual seaweed harvesting and a live cookalong event
The day will end with a screening of the artistically created and enigmatic film “The Smog of the Sea”, which chronicles a 1-week journey through the remote waters of the Sargasso Sea. This documentary provides a new perspective on the once pristine oceans, and makes an artful call to action for rethinking the scourge of the sea — single use plastic.
The whole day will be an opportunity to learn more about our ocean and celebrate it. Protecting our oceans is crucial to solving the climate crisis and actions that leaders take this year will determine the health of our blue planet and the security for future generations for decades to come. To find out more about the 30×30 and what you can do, both as an individual and as part of an organisation, visit the World Ocean Day website.
EVENTS CALENDAR:
- 9 am – Dive into World Ocean Day (YouTube Premiere)
- 10 am – Virtual Rockpooling with Dave Wall from the National Biodiversity Centre (YouTube Premiere)
- 11 am – “50 things to do by the sea” a chat with Easkey Britton (Instagram Live)
- 1 pm – ‘Expanding Ireland’s Marine Protected Area network’ with Prof. Tasman Crowe(Zoom Talk)
- 3 pm – Seaweed harvesting with Prannie Rhatigan (YouTube Premiere)
- 5:30 pm – Cookalong with Prannie Rhatigan (Instagram Live)
- 7 pm – Simple ways to connect with and protect our ocean with Easkey Britton (Facebook Live)
- 8:30 pm – Watchalong of “The Smog of the Sea” (Movie Screening)
#CleanCoasts #WorldOceanDay #smogoftheseaWOD
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