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World Oceans Day 2012        Given the important role played by oceans in food security and the health and survival of all life, in 2008 the UN General Assembly decided that, from the following year, June 8 would be officially designated as World Oceans Day to raise global awareness of the challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans. Since then it has been coordinated internationally by The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network.  The World Oceans Day 2011 and 2012 theme is Youth: the Next Wave for Change. World Ocean Day – The Ocean Project. The Ocean Project launched a completely revamped site for World Oceans Day 2012. The UN Theme 2012: Youth: the Next Wave for Change    UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on June 8, 2012 urged countries to boost their efforts to protect the oceans, which are threatened by over fishing, toxic waste, and climate change. "We must do more for our world's oceans, which are threatened by pollution, depleted fishery resources, the impacts of climate change and the deterioration of the marine environment," Ban said in his message marking World Oceans Day, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.    Ban stressed that the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, taking place in Brazil later this month, will provide a once in a generation opportunity for UN Member States to act for ocean protection. "The protection of the world's oceans and coasts is among the key goals," he said. "Rio+20 must mobilize the United Nations, governments and other partners to improve the management and conservation of oceans through initiatives to curb overfishing, improve protection of the marine environment and reduce ocean pollution and the impact of climate change."   In celebration of World Oceans Day, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre is launching an iPhone app inspired by this year's youth theme. Of the 6,000 marine protected areas on the planet, only 45 are inscribed on the World Heritage List, the highest internationally recognized status for conservation. The app aims to increase visibility of these exceptional places and facilitate access to information about their outstanding value. The app can be downloaded for free from the app store and will soon also be available for Android-compatible devices.     Celebration of World Oceans Day    USA : New York's Empire State Building was lit on 8th June evening for World Oceans Day in white, blue and purple. White at the top represents the shallowest, sunlit waters and also the polar ice cap. The blue light represents the slightly deeper ocean waters, and the purple even deeper waters in the ocean. The unlit portions, or black, represent those parts of the ocean where sunlight does not reach.      UK : The Wildlife Trusts today launched a campaign to recruit Friends of Marine Conservation Zones. The campaign is linked to a new online resource, the first of its kind, that provides details of locations, species and habitats for all 127 recommended Marine Conservation Zones.

Ocean species are over-fished   The oceans of the world make up about 75% of the planet's surface and have traditionally been regarded as a limitless source of food as well as a very convenient dumping ground. More seafood is being eaten than ever before and stocks are being pushed to the limit. According to the United Nations, around two-thirds of ocean species are over-fished, with some being down to their last 10%. cause of fish depletion has been the world-wide rise in demand for meat. About a third of the annual global fish catch is what is known as "forage fish". This is subsequently converted into fish meal and used for cattle, poultry and pig food.    Threats to ocean environments   Generally the oceans have been a very convenient place for dumping all kinds of waste from surplus wartime ordinance and spent material from nuclear reactors to domestic garbage, sewerage and plastic waste. When plastics were first invented they was hailed as being cheap and durable materials, but being cheap they soon became regarded as disposable and being durable, they take hundreds of years to degrade. The result is that plastic has become one of the greatest threats to the ocean. Every year huge amounts make their way down rivers and out into the sea. It is estimated that nearly one trillion plastic bags are used each year.        Animals such as sea birds, sea turtles, dolphins and whales die each year after becoming entangled in plastic nets, or through eating plastic that they mistake for food. Sea turtles routinely mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and swallow them, with fatal results.   Ocean facts and figures   Ocean facts and figures from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization:   • Oceans cover more than 70 percent of the globe; only a little over 1 percent of which is protected.   • An estimated 50 percent to 80 percent of all life on earth is found under the ocean surface.   • Oceans contain 99 percent of the living space on the planet; less than 10 percent of that space has been explored by humans.   • Phytoplankton releases half of all oxygen in the atmosphere through photosynthesis.   • Oceans account for 96 percent of all the water on the surface of the Earth, the remainder being freshwater, in the form of rivers, lakes and ice.   • Oceans absorb approximately 25 percent of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere from human activities each year.   • Total carbon deposits in mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass meadows may be up to five times the carbon stored in tropical forests.

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