Celebrating our oceans
Thomas O’brien learned about seals by looking at their skulls at World Oceans Day at the Marine Institute’s 7th annual World Oceans Day event Saturday afternoon
World Ocean’s Day is officially held on June 8 every year, but to kick off the celebrations early, the Marine Institute hosted it’s 7th annual World Oceans Day event Saturday afternoon.
The event featured dozens of exhibits and typically attracts upwards of a couple thousand attendees every year.
At Saturday’s event, the Marine Institute was filled with families and young children who could be seen learning how to make reusable bags out of old T-shirts, learning about ocean species through a touch tank exhibit, and trying their hand at operating a miniature remotely operated vehicle.
“As Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, our culture and way of life is tied to the ocean,” said Geoff Coughlan, the Marine Institute representative on the World Oceans Day organizing committee.
“With coastal living, fisheries, and now growing oil and gas and aquaculture, we have a real connection to the ocean, and the heath of the ocean is of utmost importance to us. So, learning about the environment, learning about the different ways that we can have an impact ourselves to reduce negative impacts on the ocean is important.”
“This event raises awareness for kids and families, and who knows, we might have a future marine biologist coming to visit here who might be five or six years old and it piques their interest. It also gets people talking about the importance of keeping our oceans healthy.”
The event was organized by the federal and provincial government, the Marine Institute, Ffaw-unifor, CPAWS, and WWF.