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For many of us, the ocean is distant and far-removed from our daily realities. For too long, this narrative has been normalized, and we have treated the ocean as separate from us. However, the ocean is a major part of us, in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the climate that makes our lives possible. Oceans absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming. World Ocean Day is an annual global celebration held on June 8 that highlights the vital role the oceans play in sustaining life on Earth and promotes collective action to protect marine environments. Established by the United Nations (UN), the day unites millions of people in over 180 countries to advocate for a healthy ocean and stable climate. The ocean covers over 70% of the planet. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth. The ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen, it is home to most of Earth’s biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world.
World Ocean Day reminds everyone of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our Planet and a major source of food and medicine, and a critical part of the biosphere. The ocean is critical to global economies, with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030. With 90% of big fish populations depleted, and 50% of coral reefs destroyed, we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. We need to work together to create a new balance with the ocean that no longer depletes its bounty but instead restores its vibrancy and brings it new life. “Reimagine”, the theme of World Oceans Day 2026, invites us to change the way we see and care for the ocean.
One of the most groundbreaking regulatory efforts by the United Nations to safeguard our oceans is the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement. The legally binding UN treaty covers the ocean zones that lie beyond national waters (namely, the “high seas”) and the international seabed area. Its aim is to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction through new rules on marine resources, protected areas, and environmental impact.
The BBNJ is designed to ensure that the “high seas” and international seabed are managed sustainably for the benefit of all humanity.
It is also the first legally binding ocean instrument to provide for inclusive ocean governance, with provisions on the engagement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and on gender balance. The BBNJ strengthens the current international legal framework: it builds on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in effect the “constitution for the oceans” which has set the rules for maritime and seabed exploitation and marine protection since it came into force in 1994.
The Gendered Layers of the Ocean
Ocean conservation has a highly gendered aspect.
Women are deeply engaged in marine resource management and coastal economies. However, their roles are frequently marginalized, and they are disproportionately impacted by ocean degradation, highlighting the need for inclusive, gender-sensitive policies in marine preservation.
The Invisible Workforce: While men historically dominate commercial offshore fishing, women make up about half of the global workforce in informal, nearshore harvesting, fish processing, and aquaculture.
Heightened Vulnerability: Because of traditional gender roles in coastal communities (where women are primarily responsible for household food security and water management), women bear the brunt of climate change and ocean degradation.
Underrepresentation in Leadership: Despite women often pursuing degrees in marine biology, they make up a minority of principal investigators, authors in prestigious journals, and senior researchers. Women are frequently excluded from high-level fisheries management and marine policy discussions.
Deep Sea Mining
The greed of the Global North is pushing our oceans to near collapse. The oceans are facing more pressures now than at any time in human history, and are threatened by overfishing and the climate crisis. Deep-sea mining is the practice of removing metals and minerals from the ocean’s seabed. Thousands of metres below the surface, deposits of these metals and minerals like manganese, nickel, and cobalt have built up on the seafloor into potato-sized nodules over millions of years. To mine these metals, gigantic machines weighing more than a blue whale would scoop deposits from the deep ocean floor. They then pump the mined material up to a ship through up to several kilometers of tubing. Sand, seawater, and other mineral waste would then be pumped back into the water. Vulnerable coastal communities, especially those in the Global South, are already paying the highest price for deep-sea mining. Importantly, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) was founded in 1994 through the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and is headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica. It makes the rules for deep-sea mining, because the seabed is outside of countries’ national borders.
Reimagine Beyond the World We Know
In observance of World Ocean Day, we must change the plot from being passive users to active stewards of our blue planet. This can be done by participating in community cleanups, supporting ocean conservation initiatives, and by reducing our daily plastic footprint.
On this World Ocean Day, let us mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans. Let us also lobby our governments to restrict the granting of licenses for deep-sea mining. Let us reimagine a new and healthy relationship with the ocean.
Happy World Ocean Day.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
[email protected]
@WayneCamo
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