Our oceans play a vital role in the survival of humanity. They are home to a multitude of marine species and produce the majority of the oxygen we breathe. They regulate the earth’s temperature and play an essential role in biodiversity. However, the health of the oceans is deteriorating daily, and the situation is critical.
Ocean Wise is a global organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the oceans. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, it also has hundreds of service locations across Canada.
The organization is focused on tackling three fronts: overfishing, ocean pollution and climate change. These are responsible for a series of highly alarming problems that threaten the future of humanity. Overfishing makes the ecosystem vulnerable. The pollution destroys marine life, and global warming releases a significant amount of CO2. This gas is to some extent responsible for the greenhouse effect. You will discover that there are many consequences, and this is obviously only a small part of the devastating effects. Ocean Wise has established several strategies to create a significant impact to counter these targeted issues.
To do so, its mission is to educate and raise community awareness about the health of our oceans, starting at a young age. With this in mind, educational programs have been carefully developed. One of them is interactive and is accessible to people of all ages who want to learn about ocean protection and restoration.
The second program is much more extensive and is called Ocean Bridge. It involves a group of young adults from around the world. Each year, 160 people between the ages of 18 and 30 gather in Canada for 11 months to join forces to improve ocean conditions. A great way to gain a rewarding experience.
Another weapon that Ocean Wise has at its disposal is Ocean Wise seafood. This one offers certified sustainable seafood. This program is designed to promote the consumption of fish and seafood in an ocean-friendly manner by approving products that do not encourage overfishing. Many distributors, supermarkets and restaurants in Canada now carry these products, offering an environmentally responsible alternative. Making more eco-friendly choices is a great way to take part in supporting the health of the oceans.
The organization also has a research institute that supports ocean conservation. Ocean Wise research conducts research on ocean science and studies the human impacts on coastal environments. It has an experienced and proactive team of researchers. The organization also offers online tools to encourage people to reduce their consumption of single-use plastic while tracking their own progress. A clear and simple tool that illustrates the efforts being made. Seaforestation is also a current practice at Ocean Wise. This process seems to be a very promising solution to the overabundance of carbon emitted by global warming. It consists in cultivating algae and, once mature, to deposit them on the ocean floor forming a natural trap to capture CO2. Actually, the algae have the ability to capture carbon, thus reducing a large overload in the atmosphere. All these initiatives represent an enormous and fundamental challenge. A challenge that concerns us all. Fortunately, it is possible for the community to join in the advancement of research and efforts to improve the conditions of our oceans.
For Ocean Wise, donations remain an effective way to support many activities aimed at protecting the oceans and marine animals. Donations come in many forms. You can make a one-time donation, a monthly donation or even periodically. For a more significant and substantial contribution, it is also possible to adopt a killer whale.
Finally, companies can support the organization by becoming a corporate partner. Another way to contribute to the protection of the oceans is to participate in clean-ups of shorelines that are littered with waste. You can join a team or initiate one yourself via the organization’s website. Now you know a little more about this resourceful organization. An organization with ambitions to save the oceans and therefore our own. We are all connected to the cause. We all have a role to play in protecting and restoring the oceans. They are the heart of our planet, so let’s follow Ocean Wise’s example and be as caring and proactive.