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Celebrating World Oceans Day 2021

What does climate change, our oceans and the muesli bar wrapper that someone across the street just dropped all have in common? 

Well, everything really. 

It’s #WorldOceansDay and what better day to celebrate the glorious bountiful oceans that cover our planet. We can’t, however, celebrate our oceans without acknowledging the urgent need to be protecting them for the sake of the wildlife that call them home, and for the futureproofing of this world. 

A healthy ocean is a critical part of addressing the climate crisis. It acts as a layer of absorption for 90% of the heat and greenhouse gases we produce. Essentially, we need it as healthy as possible to protect the greater world.

In fact, water in general is the basis of all life on earth – clean, healthy, high quality water – and can be impacted by our actions in many ways! 

The focus for our CVA Revive team is water, fresh or salty, running or calm – and for our oceans to be protected, we need to initiate conversations around the importance of water quality across Australia. Whether it’s due to chemical and nutrient run off into our rivers during rainfall, over clearing of land leading to sediment entering waterways, or plastic pollution finding its way into our oceans – all water sources impact our health, wider ecosystems and ultimate the future of our planet. 

Our Revive team are currently working on several projects that actively improve water quality across the country. And as we live on an island surround by ocean, this is more important than ever. 

One of these focus areas is the Fitzroy Gully Erosion Control project which has been running since 2017 in Central Queensland and works with landholders to address poor marine water quality – one of the main threats to the long-term health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef. Land-based run off and declining water quality contribute particularly to the decline in coral reefs and seagrass meadows. Our Revive team revegetate the river and creek banks to help stabilise the soil, reducing the risks of sediment being washed into the river (and eventually the ocean) during rain and flooding events. 

Australia is home to another reef which urgently needs protection. This reef may not be a household name as the Great Barrier Reef is, but it spans 8000kms of Australia’s coast from WA to NSW.  

Introducing the Great Southern Reef (GSR). 

The Great Southern Reef is a massive series of reefs that extend around Australia’s Southern coastline and is home to countless ocean wildlife and a lush expansive kelp forest which are also some of the most productive ecosystems on the planet. In fact, the kelp forests are home to many species which are not found anywhere else on the planet. 

In an effort to protect the GSR, our Revive team are working on #SeaToSource which is a project that spans the country covering eight major waterways which all enter the Great Southern Reef. #SeaToSource focuses on where litter starts its journey, encouraging us all to find ways to eventually make beach clean-ups a thing of the past. It starts with each of us, and our relationship to our waterways and oceans by collecting data and working with communities along waterways to identify and reduce pollution in our towns and cities. 

Why, you ask? Ocean litter negatively impacts water quality in several ways such as leaching toxic chemicals and by becoming microplastics that find their way into the stomachs of marine animals. 

And how does this all tie back to #WorldOceansDay? Well today we are calling on everyone to think about the actions they can take for the ocean. Because if we all take one step today, together, we’re supporting a lifetime for our planet. What will you do? 

 

1) Sign up to the #Protect30x30 campaign 

Just like national parks help protect animals and habitats on land, marine protected areas help safeguard areas of the ocean and marine animals. That’s why we’re supporting the movement to protect 30% of our ocean by 2030. Will you join us? Sign in support of #Protect30x30 for #WorldOceanDay:

SIGN ME UP

 

2) Feeling like getting your hands dirty? Sign up for one of our #SeaToSource events 

The litter in our waterways and oceans is around 60-95% plastic which we know has a disastrous impact on the environment and the animals that call these places home. So, we’re committed to reducing the amount of plastic litter entering our creeks, rivers and oceans. We’re holding clean up and litter monitoring events around the country to eliminate ocean litter from our waterways. Ready to lend a helping hand?  

I'M READY!

 

3) Read about how one of our Revive Project Officers has gone plastic-free 

Ashleigh Carden, one of our superstar Revive team embarked on her own journey of plastic reduction for a year. She takes us through her hot tips for living a life with less plastic in our latest guest blog, and reminds us that every small step matters.

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