World Ocean Month

June is National Ocean Month!

World Ocean Month is an annual global celebration of our ocean that takes place every June. World Ocean Month raises the profile of the ocean, connects people worldwide, and inspires continuing action year-round to protect and restore our ocean.  

Let’s learn about the wonders of the deep blue, as well as how we can help save the marine life of this major natural resource! 

There are many different types of marine animals: 

1. Invertebrates have no backbone (and in some cases, no brain!), so they get around in a variety of ways. About 75 percent of the marine life is made up of invertebrates.

Some can move freely, like jellyfish and plankton, while others are stuck in one place, like anemone and coral. Some have tentacles, like squid and octopuses. Others have exoskeletons that protect their bodies; these can legs (crabs, shrimp, and lobsters), or no legs (starfish, clams, oysters, and mussels).

2. Vertebrates have backbones.

Fish have scales and bones, breath oxygen in the water using gills, and lay eggs. They include

 tuna, cod, salmon, eel, flounder, and seahorses.

Sharks and rays are large fish that have cartilage instead of bones. They include the Great White, Hammerhead, Mako, Manta Ray, and Stingray. 

Reptiles & amphibians can live on land and in the sea, but breathe with lungs. They include sea turtles, sea snake, saltwater crocodiles, axolotls, and salamanders. 

Sea birds use lungs to breathe, lay eggs, and have beaks, feathers, and wings (even though some don't fly). They eat both invertebrates (crab, clam, squid) and vertebrates (fish, small reptiles and amphibians). Flying sea birds include the pelican, gull, and albatross. Flightless sea birds include the penguin and the puffin.

Marine mammals breathe with lungs, have at least some hair or fur, and give birth to live babies, instead of eggs. Most eat just about anything. They include the seal, whale, dolphin, otter, walrus, and manatee. 

Our oceans are in danger, which means the animals that live there are, too!

What is the ocean’s biggest enemy? Plastics! And who is responsible for all the plastic in the ocean? We are! Macro and micro plastics are a big problem for the ocean and its animal residences. Plastic pollution poisons animals that eat it, traps and harms animals that swim in it, and just makes a general mess.

Luckily, there are easy ways to help: 

• Use less plastic. Try using more washable and reusable containers made from different materials, like glass, metal, and cardboard. 

• Clean a beach. Volunteer for an organization like Adopt-a-Beach or Bayou Preservation Association to help clean a local coastline. 

• Recycle. Put as many plastic containers as possible in the recycling bin instead the trash can. 

• Sign petitions. Let lawmakers know that you support the protection of lands and ocean. 

We can all do our part to help save our oceans, along with the animals who live in and around oceans! 

LEARN MORE! 

• Nonfiction kids’ books about the ocean and ocean life.
• Fiction and picture books about oceans and ocean life.
• Fun facts about oceans and sea creatures.
• Learn more about how you can help save the oceans: Oceana & World Ocean Day
• Books about plastics.
• Books about recycling.
• Books about saving the ocean (fiction and nonfiction):

What can you and your family do to make a difference? Drop a comment below!