SEVENSEAS Marine Conservation & Travel Issue 13, June 2016 | Page 7

SEVENSEAS - 7

orld Oceans Day came across my radar when I formerly started my career in marine conservation twelve years ago, before it was even officially celebrated in the US. In those dozen years the health of the oceans and marine biodiversity made its way from bad to worse- I personally

have returned to struggling reefs years later to find them covered in dirt, sediment, void of any high density of life, and peppered with plastic and other litter… but everybody says the same story...

This World Oceans Day, or week, or however long you want to make it, make it a point to educate someone new- perhaps someone young, perhaps someone old, maybe someone influential. I read this stuff every day but I’m always amazed how little people know when they’re not getting their feet wet. Politicians promise that the US back out of the Paris Agreement and end regulations on the energy industry - which, depending on the audience, can elicite a standing ovation. Few people in politics ever dream about the mention of plastics, acidification, over fishing, or really any of the most basic concerns. Educate someone, and if you don't know what to say, then take the time and educate yourself- just look at a photo of a pristine sea and remember what the world should look like.

SEVENSEAS is the leading free publication that promotes marine conservation through community engagement, online media, and eco-tourism, with readers in 167 countries. We continue to inspire and educate all our readers through rich imagery, engaging content, and an underlying conservation message. From our inaugural issue we pledged to preserve SEVENSEAS as a free resource available to students, families, and professionals of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds. It is only by the generosity of donors and readers like you that we have the ability to make our mission a reality.

Happy swimming,

Giacomo Abrusci

Editor-in-Chief

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