Wear Blue, Tell Two

World Oceans Day is Monday, June 8th. The National Aquarium will be celebrating this weekend with a fun, family festival designed to teach people that ocean health begins at home. Can’t make it to the Aquarium this weekend? You can still help by wearing blue on Monday to show your ocean pride, and telling people two things they may not know about the oceans and two ways they can take action to improve and safeguard the health of our oceans.

Need some ideas for what to tell people? Click here for a list of simple things you can do to keep our planet healthy.

Wear Blue and Tell Two was inspired by results from America, the Ocean, and Climate Change: New Research Insights for Conservation, Awareness, and Action, the largest-ever environmental study. A collaborative effort between The Ocean Project, the National Aquarium, and Monterey Bay Aquarium, the study points to the pressing need to accelerate knowledge and commitment to ocean health.

Data shows that Americans’ knowledge about the oceans remain minimal, and concern about environmental issues affecting the oceans is low compared to such issues as the economy and national security. While the survey also finds that climate change is the environmental issue of most concern, people remain unaware of the connections between personal action, climate change, and ocean health.

Despite limited knowledge about the oceans, when asked, Americans say they support protecting the health of the ocean and the environment. In a significant shift from views expressed in a 1999 survey also commissioned by The Ocean Project, Americans now believe that their individual actions can have a positive effect on protecting the environment and improving the health of our oceans. They are ready to act but are not sure what to do.

This is your chance for you to act – wear blue, and tell people two things they can be doing to help protect the oceans.