Education

7 Facts About The Ocean on World Oceans Day

The UN General Assembly designated June 8 as World Oceans Day with a resolution in 2008. The idea was first proposed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro as a way to celebrate our shared ocean, as well as raise awareness about the role the ocean plays in our environment, and how people can help protect it.

In honor of World Oceans Day, here are seven cool facts about our oceans:

• Oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface, contain 97% of the earth’s water, and represent 99% of the living space on the planet by volume.
• More than three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods.
• Oceans are home to nearly 200,000 identified species, but the actual number of species it contains may be as high as the millions
• Oceans absorb around 30% carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming.
• Oceans serve as the world’s largest source of protein, with more than 2.6 billion people depending on the oceans as their primary source of protein.
• As much as 40 per cent of the world oceans are heavily affected by human activities like pollution, depleted fisheries, and loss of coastal habitats
• The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on earth. It covers 30% of the earth’s surface.

Interested in studying the ocean with your students? Check out our Costa Rica Coastal Conservation program.