The ocean is essential to Earth’s overall health, as well as our own. It produces more than half the oxygen we breathe, adsorbs carbon emissions, and supplies food, energy, economic resources, recreation, and cultural connections to billions of people around the world. Yet these benefits depend on the resilience of the ocean, aka its ability to adapt and recover from the growing list of human pressures including invasive species, pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, and growing greenhouse gas emissions increasing ocean temperatures and acidity. Humans must act, incorporating sound science and proven actions, to sustain the ocean systems that support all life on our planet. It is simply in our own best interest as degraded ocean systems place human health and livelihoods at risk. 

This year’s theme, “Ocean Conservation: Connecting Science and Stewardship for a Healthy Ocean”, explores the connections between ocean health and human activities, highlighting how science, technology, innovation, policy, and community action must come together to drive global efforts to safeguard and preserve our most critical natural resource.

Ocean conservation is grounded in the science that reveals how ecosystems function and how human activity impacts the health of those ecosystems. Advances in modeling, monitoring, genetics, and restoration techniques are helping scientists and policymakers design more effective, evidence-based strategies to maintain ocean resilience. These include rebuilding fisheries through sustainable management, restoring wetlands that buffer coastlines from storms, reducing the amount of marine debris entering waterways, restoring coral reefs leading to enhanced coastal protection and fishery support, and expanding marine protected areas to enhance biodiversity. 

Students play an important role in advancing ocean conservation by studying the science that informs sustainable solutions, reducing plastic use, supporting habitat restoration projects, engaging in community science programs, and sharing their knowledge about the importance of the ocean within their communities. By understanding and protecting the ocean, students can help secure their own future. Ocean conservation isn’t just about saving marine life, it’s about ensuring a livable planet for us all.