The Ocean is rising and so are we! Every year, on the 8th of June the world celebrates World Oceans Day to highlight its importance for the survival of our blue planet. MarAlliance joined the global movement with activities that spanned the Atlantic Ocean, from Cabo Verde to the Caribbean. From art activities, to marches and media engagement, our support for World Oceans Day was all encompassing.
Cabo Verde
In the remote island chain of Cabo Verde, off the coast of West Africa, Boa Vista’s streets were flooded by its next generation of ocean activists! When MarAlliance organized a sister march for them to raise their voices in support of the oceans, hundreds of happy kids showed up because “together we can protect the oceans”. This event was made possible thanks to the cooperation of schools, national police, the Boavista town hall, the ministry of Agriculture and Environment and protected areas system in Cabo Verde.
Belize
Our Belize outreach team worked with students from San Pedro R.C. School and Holy Cross School Belize to share the importance of healthy populations of sharks and rays for a healthy ocean through interactive games and art. The Holy Cross students even helped to organize an aerial photo shoot to wish all those participating in the global March for the Ocean (M4O) in Washington DC and the San Pedro RC students got their hands dirty to show they are #Crazy4TheOcean! We met and soundly encouraged some fearless marine wildlife champions!
Working with such enthusiastic and creative students is extremely gratifying as, through the course of our long-term commitment to education and outreach, we are seeing these students grow up to become dedicated ambassadors for the ocean.
Honduras
During this Oceans week we also took to the airwaves with staff members Ely Augustinus and María José Coello Chandias making headlines on national radio and television in Honduras. Caracol Radio and Teledisa invited our colleagues for an interview about #WorldOceansDay and the country’s marine achievements and challenges to date.
Getting back down to earth, MarAlliance and partners also supported the Roatan Reef Guardians Ocean Day of fun in honor of the Oceans, which included kids activities, live music and a workshop on conservation and the prevention of pollution of the reef.
These activities engaged many sectors of the public in several sites and countries and were made possible thanks to the generous contributions of our donors who help us to keep the marine conservation torch aflame and prepare the next generation to carry it.