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World Oceans Day

June 8, 2020

We are recognizing World Oceans Day as the world faces the COVID-19 pandemic and as protesters around the globe remind us we all must take a stand—and take action—for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice for all.

As one of our leading marine scientists, Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai, based in Fiji, emphasizes in the video below, we need to come together around a new vision for the future of the ocean. “I don't want to return to the old norm," she says. "The old norm does not work. The old norm has us exploiting our oceans without limits. We see inequity growing all over the world."

News

Record Hauls of Illegal Shark Fins

By Luke Warwick
It’s worth thinking about where shark conservation has come from in its fairly young history.

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Coral Reef Wilderness, Not Just a Luxury

By Tim McClanahan
Local nearshore protections must be integrated into the most heavily fished seascapes to deliver the food security critical to the poorest nations.

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An Asset to the Indonesian Economy

By Hollie Booth and Irfan Yulianto

Healthy shark and ray populations in this global hotspot could be a boon for tourism and local communities can benefit.

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Live from the New York Aquarium

In honor of World Oceans Day, New York Aquarium Director Jon Forrest Dohlin spoke on Instagram from the roof of the Ocean Wonders exhibit.

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WATCH: Small-Scale Fisheries and Sustainability in Oceania

World Oceans Day Wishes from WCS Staff Around the World

Conservation Challenges

Right now, the climate crisis is impacting life both on land and in the ocean, where warming temperatures have contributed to a rapid decline of coral reefs vital to underwater ecosystems. That's not all. Today, the majority of the world's fisheries are overexploited and we're depositing so much plastic in the water that plastic is on pace to outweigh its fish by 2050.

1/4 sharks and rays

It's estimated that a quarter of the planet's roughly 1,250 shark and ray species are threatened with extinction. They are among the most threatened of the world’s vertebrate groups.

20 percent

Coral reefs are in danger due to climate change, destructive fishing practices, and ocean acidification, among other things. All told, over 20% of them have disappeared in the past 30 years.

Our Strategy

At WCS, we focus where we are needed most: areas that hold the greatest biodiversity and aggregations of marine wildlife, and support increasingly important fisheries and vulnerable coastal communities.

Oceans and Fisheries

Celebrate WOD with a Gift for Marine Life

Your gift helps us provide double the impact for marine life and their habitats, and supports our work for wildlife all around the world. Act now while your gift will go twice as far.

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