For the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), the UK’s leading marine charity, every day is World Oceans Day, which means there’s always plenty to get involved with to safeguard and celebrate our ocean. Here’s a few ways to celebrate World Oceans Day today, 8th June, and beyond!

Save our Seagrass

Seagrass meadows growing in the shallow shores of the UK’s coast are extremely effective at absorbing CO2 dissolved in seawater, taking it up in its tissues and locking it into sediment in the seabed. Seagrass can absorb as much as 10% of the carbon buried in ocean sediment every year, making it a brilliant weapon in the fight to halt the warming of the planet. However, at least 35% of seagrasses worldwide have been lost or damaged over the last 40 years. MCS is on a mission to ‘Save Our Seagrass’ and protect these vital habitats for the future health of our ocean, and the planet.

Bring the #OCEANINDOORS

MCS research found that even when we’re far from the coast and ocean, we still feel deeply connected to it. 69% of people surveyed who visited the coast in the last year felt the benefit even when far from it and a further 77% of people who visited the sea in the last year felt happier. The enduring mental and physical health benefits which the ocean provides spurred MCS on to create #oceanindoors, bringing the benefits of the coast into the public’s homes during lockdown. With webinars, moments for mindfulness and recipes to try, there’s plenty of ways to stay connected to the ocean, even from afar.

Plastic Challenge Yourself

For the last six years, every July MCS tasks the public to try and go plastic-free for the whole month. With so much plastic still blighting the coastline and polluting the ocean, small changes individuals can make will have a huge impact on the health of the sea. This year, the charity is asking people to set their own Plastic Challenge and share their journey along the way. Sign up, #PlasticChallenge yourself and stop the tide of plastic entering our ocean. For tips, inspiration and support from the plastic-free community, visit the Plastic Challenge site.

Stop Ocean Threads

For every load of laundry washed, as many as 700,000 microfibres can flow into our water systems. An estimated four trillion individual microfibres are lost from our clothes every year in the UK, with many of them ending up in the ocean and on our beaches. MCS wants to ‘Stop Ocean Threads’ by requiring washing machines to include, by law, filters which will reduce the amount of microfibres flowing into the ocean.

To learn about more of the Marine Conservation Society’s ongoing work to celebrate and safeguard the ocean, please visit the charity’s website, become a member or follow along on social.