The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO invites you to take simple steps towards protecting our ocean by joining the new “Our Ocean, Our Health” campaign developed by the Sea Change project to raise awareness of the interconnectedness of ocean and human health.

Sea Change is an EU Horizon 2020-funded project which aims to raise European citizens’ awareness of the intrinsic links between ocean and human health, and to empower us, as “Ocean Literate” citizens, to take direct and sustainable action towards a healthy ocean, healthy communities and ultimately a healthy planet. UNESCO’s IOC is a Sea Change consortium member organization.

“Our Ocean, Our Health” emphasises the vital role of the ocean in making life on Earth possible. Our ocean provides us with oxygen, it regulates our climate and produces over 140 million tons of food each year. But human activity and our way of life is affecting the ocean’s health. If we don’t take care of the ocean, we endanger our own survival.

You can help to spread the word about the ocean’s life-giving vitality by sharing Sea Change’s new video, which highlights the ocean’s contribution to the oxygen we breathe. Watch “Our Ocean Our Oxygen” on the Sea Change website, www.seachangeproject.eu, or the Sea Change Vimeo channel at www.vimeo.com/seachangeproject.

Sea Change encourages you to take action by pledging to make a “sea change” in your daily behaviour at www.seachangeproject.eu/takeaction and sharing your commitment online using #OurOceanOurHealth. Even by making small changes in our activities, together we can achieve big results to tackle the marine issues of plastic debris, acidification, pollution and depletion of fish stocks.

Find out how you can help protect the ocean, and make your pledge at: www.seachangeproject.eu/takeaction. Don’t forget to share your commitment with #OurOceanOurHealth.

More information: Sea Change Press Release

IOC Contact: Francesca Santoro (f.santoro@unesco.org)