June 8th, World Oceans Day

Today, June 8th is World Oceans Day.

The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network has helped coordinate events and activities throughout the world. In December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution making World Oceans Day officially recognized by the UN on June 8th each year.

Nearly three-quarters of the Earth's surface is covered by water. The oceans have played a crucial role in the history and sustenance of all life.

From the Ocean Project: 
The World's Oceans....

*Generates most of the oxygen we breathe

*Helps feed us

*Regulates our climate

Goals of World Oceans Day

Encourage individuals to think about what the ocean means to them and what it has to offer all of us with hopes of conserving it for present and the future generations.

Discover the wealth of diverse and beautiful ocean creatures and habitats, how our daily actions affect them, and how we are all interconnected.

Celebrate - whether you live inland or on the coast we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to think about how the ocean affects you, and how you affect the ocean, and then organize or participate in activities that celebrate our world ocean.

Like so many people, the recent oil spill has left me angry, devastated and wondering whether we will see the destruction of marine life, oceans and coastal areas during our life time.

It's up to each one of us to help ensure that our ocean is protected and conserved for future generations. Please don't just leave memories of the wonders of the Oceans for our children and grandchildren.

Oceans and the Oil Spills

The oil spill in the Gulf is just one of many oil spills that have occurred in our world over the last seventy years (79 oil spills from all 7 continents are noted and it is not a complete list). Reference: Wikipedia: Oil Spills 

2010

April 20, 2010. Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico, USA

April 3, 2010. Great Barrier Reef, Shen Neng 1, Great Keppel Island, Australia

January 23, 2010. Port Arthur, Texas, USA

2009

August 21, 2009. Montara, Timor Sea, Western Australia

July 31, 2009. Full City, Rognsfjorden, south of Langesund, Norway

March 10, 2009. Queensland, Australia

February 14, 2009. West Cork, Southern coast of Ireland

2008

July 28, 2008. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

2007

December 12, 2007. Statfjord, Norwegian Sea, Norway

December 7, 2007. Korea Yellow Sea, South Korea

November 23, 2007. MV Explorer, south of King George Island, Antarctica

November 11, 2007. Kerch Strait, Ukraine & Russia

November 7, 2007. 2007 San Francisco Bay oil spill San Francisco, California, USA

October 23, 2007. Kab 101, Bay of Campeche, Mexico

2006

August 11, 2006. Guimaras, Philippines

July 14, 2006. Jiyeh, Lebanon

June 19, 2006. Citgo refinery, Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

March 2, 2006. Prudhoe Bay, Alaska North Slope, Alaska, USA

2004

December 8, 2004. MV Selendang Ayu, Unalaska Island, Alaska, USA

November 26, 2004. Athos 1, Delaware River, USA

2003

July 28, 2003. Tasman Spirit Karachi, Pakistan

April 27, 2003. Bouchard No.120, Buzzards Bay, Bourne, Massachusetts, USA

2002

November 13, 2002. Prestige, Galicia, Spain

October 6, 2002. Limburg, Gulf of Aden

2001

October 4, 2001. Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, Alaska

January 14, 2001. Amorgos oil spill, Southern coast of Taiwan

January 22, 2001. Jessica, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

2000

June 6, 2000. Treasure Cape Town, South Africa

January 18, 2000. Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1999

December 12, 1999. Erika Bay of Biscay, France

1998

January 12, 1998. Mobil Nigeria oil spill Nigeria

1997

December 10, 1997. Nakhoda Sea, Japan

1996

September 27, 1996. Julie N. Portland, Maine, USA

February 15, 1996. Sea Empress Wales, UK

January 19, 1996. North Cape Rhode Island, USA

1994

March 31, 1994. Seki United Arab Emirates

January 7, 1994. Morris J. Berman, Puerto Rico

1993

January 5, 1993. Braer Shetland, UK

1992

December 3, 1992. Aegean Sea, Coruña, Spain

April 16, 1992. Katina P Maputo, Mozambique

March 2, 1992. Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan

1991

July 21, 1991. Kirki, off the coast of West Australia

May 28, 1991. ABT Summer, off Angola

April 11, 1991. MT Haven Mediterranean Sea near Genoa, Italy

January 23, 1991. Gulf War, Persian Gulf

1990

September 16, 1990. Jupiter, Saginaw River, near Bay City, Michigan, USA

June 8, 1990. Mega Borg, Gulf of Mexico, SE of Galveston, Texas

March 6, 1990. Barge Cibro Savannah, Citgo facility, Linden, New Jersey

February 7, 1990. American Trader, Bolsa Chica State Beach, California, USA

1989

December 19, 1989. Khark 5, off Atlantic coast of Morocco

March 24, 1989. Exxon Valdez Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA

1988

November 10, 1988. Odyssey, off Nova Scotia, Canada

January 2, 1988. Ashland, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, USA

1985

December 6, 1985. Nova, South of Kharg Island, Arabian Gulf

September 28, 1985. Grand Eagle, Delaware River, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, USA

1983

August 6, 1983. Castillo de Bellver, Saldanha Bay, South Africa

February 4, 1983. Nowruz, Persian Gulf

1980

March 7, 1980. Tanio , Brittany, France

February 23, 1980. Irenes Serenade Navarino Bay, Greece

1979

November 15, 1979. MT Independenta Bosphorus, Turkey

November 1, 1979. Burmah Agate Galveston Bay, Texas, USA

July 19, 1979. Atlantic Empress / Aegean Captain Trinidad and Tobago

June 3, 1979. Ixtoc I, Gulf of Mexico

January 8, 1979. Betelgeuse Bantry Bay, Ireland

1978

March 16, 1978. Amoco Cadiz Brittany, France

1977

April 22, 1977. Ekofisk, North Sea

February 26, 1977. Hawaiian Patriot, off Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

1976

December 15, 1976. Argo Merchant, Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, USA

June 23, 1976. NEPCO 140 oil spill Saint Lawrence River, USA

May 12, 1976. Urquiola A Coruña, Spain

1975

January 31, 1975. Corinthos, Delaware River, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, USA

January 29, 1975. Jakob Maersk Oporto, Portugal

1974

August 9, 1974. Metula Strait of Magellan, Chile

1972

December 19, 1972. Sea Star Gulf, Oman

1970

March 20, 1970. Othello Tralhavet Bay, Sweden

1969

January 28, 1969. Santa Barbara, California, USA

1967

March 18, 1967. Torrey Canyon Isles of Scilly, UK

1958

December 30, 1958. African Queen Ocean City, Maryland, USA

1940's and 1950's

Brooklyn, Newtown Creek, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, USA. One of the world’s largest underground oil spills. At approximately 17 million gallons and 55 acres, the spill is at least 6 million gallons larger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. The spill is the result of leaks in the 1940s and 1950s. ExxonMobil neglected the spill for more than two decades. In 1978, a helicopter patrol, the US Coast Guard discovered a large plume of oil flowing out of the banks of the creek. No action was taken until 1990. (Riverkeeper, http://www.riverkeeper.org/)