| Holiday Name: | World Ocean Day |
| Type: | International |
| Observedby: | All UN member states, including Argentina Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Africa and the United States |
| Duration: | 1 day |
| Frequency: | Annual |
| Date: | 8 June |
| Scheduling: | same day each year |
World Ocean Day (abbreviation not acronym: WOD) is an international day that takes place annually on 8 June. The concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada's International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[1] The Ocean Project started global coordination of World Ocean Day starting in 2002. "World Oceans Day" was officially recognised by the United Nations in 2008. The international day supports the implementation of worldwide Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fosters public interest in the protection of the ocean and the sustainable management of its resources.[2] World Oceans Day is observed by all UN member states, incl. Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Africa and the United States.
The Brundtland Commission (also known as the World Commission on Environment and Development) noted in the 1987 Brundtland Report that the ocean sector lacked a strong voice compared to other sectors.[3]
At the first World Ocean Day in 1992, the objectives were to move the ocean from the sidelines to the centre of the intergovernmental and NGO discussions and policy and to strengthen the voice of ocean and coastal constituencies worldwide.
Globally coordinated efforts began with The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network collaborating, and events numbered in the dozens. During this time, www.WorldOceanDay.org launched,[4] to help promote the opportunity to raise the profile of the ocean and provide opportunities for getting involved and making a difference for our blue planet. The website provides event organisers with ways to help in their communities, and generates global involvement through the dissemination of educational and actionable resources, ideas, and tools, always free for everyone to use to celebrate World Ocean Day in whatever way they choose. In 2004, The Ocean Project and World Ocean Network launched the "Help Make a Difference for our Ocean Planet!" with both online and in person opportunities to sign a petition to the United Nations to officially recognise 8 June as World Ocean Day.[5] In December 2008, the UN General Assembly passed a Declaration to officially recognise the Day.[6] [7]
The United Nations selected the following annual themes for the Day:
The Ocean Project and World Ocean Network launched an annual theme for the first time: "Helping our climate / helping our ocean" with a special focus on coral reefs, to help support the International Year of the Reef.
Continued and more heavily emphasised on climate with conservation action theme of "one ocean, one climate, one future" because comprehensive polling work showed that the public not making the connections between climate change and ocean health.
The Ocean Project and World Ocean Network recorded over 300 events for WOD 2010, a 26% increase over 2009. Participation in the United States increased by 32% (with participation in 37 states, as compared to 25 states the previous year). Forty-five countries participated in World Oceans Day 2010, including Bangladesh, Belgium, French Polynesia, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Malta, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Portugal.
Based on growing requests from around the world for a two-year focus, The Ocean Project and World Ocean Network launched "Youth: the Next Wave for Change" encouraging all participating organizations to more effectively engage young people in their communities and countries for education and action.
The "Make a Promise" global campaign focused again on supporting organizations to use World Oceans Day events as opportunities to ask people in their communities or target audiences to take action for our shared ocean.
Through the global World Ocean Day network, stepped up involvement on the major issues facing the ocean, and launched "Together We Have the Power to Protect the Ocean!" with action guides on renewable energy/climate change, sustainable seafood/fisheries, plastics action. Events registered on the World Ocean Day website numbered in the hundreds. The United Nations together with partners launched the annual amateur World Oceans Day Oceanic Photo Competition.[24] [25]
In solidarity with the annual UN themes, The Ocean Project launched a five-year Conservation Action Focus on plastic pollution prevention and helping with solutions for a healthy world ocean. The World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council launched in 2016, and current cohort includes 25 diverse young leaders (ages 15–23) from 22 countries.
The UN theme for World Oceans Day was "Innovation for a sustainable ocean".[26] Conservation Action Focus on protecting 30% of our lands and ocean by 2030 ("30x30"), joining with the Campaign for Nature and the growing global movement to petition world leaders to commit their countries to 30x30. The Ocean Project and National Geographic coordinated a first-ever 24-hour Youth-a-thon for the ocean, with 24 co-hosts from 24 major time zones discussing and demonstrating ways to learn more about and help protect our shared blue planet.
The theme for World Oceans Day in 2021 was'The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods'.[27] The aim of this year's campaign was to "shed light on the wonder of the ocean and how it is our life-source, supporting humanity and every other organism on Earth".[28] The conservation action focus for World Ocean Day 2021 focused for a second year on protecting 30% of our lands and ocean by 2030 ("30x30"), joining with the Campaign for Nature and the growing global movement to petition world leaders to commit their countries to 30x30.
The theme for World Oceans Day in 2022 is Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean. The campaign was promoted on social media.[29] Its purpose was to raise awareness and action against the consequences of human activity on. the ocean’s health, as 95% of the ocean’s surface has become more acidic since the late 1980s. The acidification of the oceans is dangerous to the marine ecosystem and affects more than three billion people, who depend on the oceans for income and diet.[30]
On 8 June 2022, millions of people in multiple different countries across the whole world celebrated World Oceans Day 2022 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Edition number | Date | Also known as | Day of the Week | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8 June 1992 | World Oceans Day 1992 | Monday | |
| 2nd | 8 June 1993 | World Oceans Day 1993 | Tuesday | |
| 3rd | 8 June 1994 | World Oceans Day 1994 | Wednesday | |
| 4th | 8 June 1995 | World Oceans Day 1995 | Thursday | |
| 5th | 8 June 1996 | World Oceans Day 1996 | Saturday | |
| 6th | 8 June 1997 | World Oceans Day 1997 | Sunday | |
| 7th | 8 June 1998 | World Oceans Day 1998 | Monday | |
| 8th | 8 June 1999 | World Oceans Day 1999 | Tuesday | |
| 9th | 8 June 2000 | World Oceans Day 2000 | Thursday | |
| 10th | 8 June 2001 | World Oceans Day 2001 | Friday | |
| 11th | 8 June 2002 | World Oceans Day 2002 | Saturday | |
| 12th | 8 June 2003 | World Oceans Day 2003 | Sunday | |
| 13th | 8 June 2004 | World Oceans Day 2004 | Tuesday | |
| 14th | 8 June 2005 | World Oceans Day 2005 | Wednesday | |
| 15th | 8 June 2006 | World Oceans Day 2006 | Thursday | |
| 16th | 8 June 2007 | World Oceans Day 2007 | Friday | |
| 17th | 8 June 2008 | World Oceans Day 2008 | Sunday | |
| 18th | 8 June 2009 | World Oceans Day 2009 | Monday | |
| 19th | 8 June 2010 | World Oceans Day 2010 | Tuesday | |
| 20th | 8 June 2011 | World Oceans Day 2011 | Wednesday | |
| 21st | 8 June 2012 | World Oceans Day 2012 | Friday | |
| 22nd | 8 June 2013 | World Oceans Day 2013 | Saturday | |
| 23rd | 8 June 2014 | World Oceans Day 2014 | Sunday | |
| 24th | 8 June 2015 | World Oceans Day 2015 | Monday | |
| 25th | 8 June 2016 | World Oceans Day 2016 | Wednesday | |
| 26th | 8 June 2017 | World Oceans Day 2017 | Thursday | |
| 27th | 8 June 2018 | World Oceans Day 2018 | Friday | |
| 28th | 8 June 2019 | World Oceans Day 2019 | Saturday | |
| 29th | 8 June 2020 | World Oceans Day 2020 | Monday | |
| 30th | 8 June 2021 | World Oceans Day 2021 | Tuesday |
| Edition number | Date | Also known as | Day of the Week | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31st | 8 June 2022 | World Oceans Day 2022 | Wednesday | |
| 32nd | 8 June 2023 | World Oceans Day 2023 | Thursday | |
| 33rd | 8 June 2024 | World Oceans Day 2024 | Saturday | |
| 34th | 8 June 2025 | World Oceans Day 2025 | Sunday | |
| 35th | 8 June 2026 | World Oceans Day 2026 | Monday | |
| 36th | 8 June 2027 | World Oceans Day 2027 | Tuesday | |
| 37th | 8 June 2028 | World Oceans Day 2028 | Thursday | |
| 38th | 8 June 2029 | World Oceans Day 2029 | Friday | |
| 39th | 8 June 2030 | World Oceans Day 2030 | Saturday | |
| 40th | 8 June 2031 | World Oceans Day 2031 | Sunday | |
| 41st | 8 June 2032 | World Oceans Day 2032 | Tuesday | |
| 42nd | 8 June 2033 | World Oceans Day 2033 | Wednesday | |
| 43rd | 8 June 2034 | World Oceans Day 2034 | Thursday | |
| 44th | 8 June 2035 | World Oceans Day 2035 | Friday | |
| 45th | 8 June 2036 | World Oceans Day 2036 | Sunday | |
| 46th | 8 June 2037 | World Oceans Day 2037 | Monday | |
| 47th | 8 June 2038 | World Oceans Day 2038 | Tuesday | |
| 48th | 8 June 2039 | World Oceans Day 2039 | Wednesday | |
| 49th | 8 June 2040 | World Oceans Day 2040 | Friday | |
| 50th | 8 June 2041 | World Oceans Day 2041 | Saturday | |
| 51st | 8 June 2042 | World Oceans Day 2042 | Sunday | |
| 52nd | 8 June 2043 | World Oceans Day 2043 | May | |
| 53rd | 8 June 2044 | World Oceans Day 2044 | Wednesday | |
| 54th | 8 June 2045 | World Oceans Day 2045 | Thursday | |
| 55th | 8 June 2046 | World Oceans Day 2046 | Friday | |
| 56th | 8 June 2047 | World Oceans Day 2047 | Saturday | |
| 57th | 8 June 2048 | World Oceans Day 2048 | Monday | |
| 58th | 8 June 2049 | World Oceans Day 2049 | Tuesday |