The month of May is intended to celebrate all mothers, including our Mother Ocean!
Mother Ocean Day, observed every 10th of May, has evolved from a simple concept in 2013 into a global movement embraced by organizations dedicated to preserving our oceans and sea floors. It’s a day to honor and protect the water that covers our planet and sustains life in countless ways.
What You Can Do To Take Care Of The Ocean?
So, how can you contribute to the well-being of our Mother Ocean? Let’s discover some activities that can make a difference:
Do A Coastal Clean-Up
Gather up your friends and family and plan to conduct a coastal clean-up. You can get the assistance of your barangay or the city government to know what beaches, rivers, and bodies of water are in need of cleaning. On the day of the clean-up, bring enough trash bags and also make sure to hire a garbage truck to collect all the garbage you were able to gather.
Plant Mangroves
Mangroves are very beneficial to the environment, and they are fun to plant too especially if you love playing in the mud! The main purpose of planting mangroves is to make houses for fish and other sea creatures; however, they are also useful in filtering pollutants and in helping stabilize the seafloor.
Be Proactive On Ocean Issues
In this day and age, it’s easy to forget that we need to do something about our environment, so, if you truly have the heart for the ocean and seas, join an organization to be more proactive on significant issues. Some of the known groups present in the Philippines are the following: Marine Conservation Philippines, People and the Sea, Oceana Philippines, Save Philippine Seas, and Scuba for Change.
Ocean Facts You Probably Did Not Know Yet
We already know that 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by the oceans, so let’s learn more about other ocean facts that hasn’t been discussed at school:
More than 90% of Earth dwellers are aquatic.
Earth dwellers refer to us humans and also animals. Since 70% of our planet is filled with water, it also means that there’s more life underneath than us above. According to scientists and ocean experts, 90% of living things can be found in the depths of the ocean and most of them haven’t even reached our surfaces yet since only 5% of our oceans were discovered as of recent years.
The longest mountain chain of the Earth is not above-ground!
You might think that the longest mountain is on-top but it is actually underwater and it’s known as the Mid-Ocean Ridge with a distance of 65,000 kilometers in length!
Our museums don’t have the most number of artifacts; it’s our oceans!
Shipwrecks happen and so do storms that would wash away civilizations, so it’s no wonder that the oceans have most of our human artifacts compared to our museums combined.
Lastly, the Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world and our country, the Philippines, is located east of it! Think about that when you look towards our seas!
