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Happy World Oceans Day from us here at the Aquarium! Thanks to you and the rest of the ocean-minded community, we’re hard at work advancing our mission to inspire conservation of the ocean.
The challenges facing the marine environment, the heart of our planet’s life support system, are many. Earlier this week, we published a paper with our colleagues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) showing the deep impact of plastic pollution on our beloved Monterey Bay. We discovered that microplastics permeate our corner of the ocean, from the surface to the seafloor, in concentrations often greater than the famed “Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.”
If you’re anything like us, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the work at hand. It’s a daily discussion here at the Aquarium: “These problems are so big, so systemic, so powerful—what exactly can *we* do about them?” And that’s when we’re humbled to look up and see so many people dedicated to bringing about a more sustainable future.
The story of microplastics in our backyard confirms what many of you are speaking out for in your communities: We must produce less plastic globally, and we must use less plastic collectively, to preserve the marine environment and the people that depend on it.
We once burned whale oil to light city streets. We don’t anymore. A hundred years later and now we know that we can’t rely on fossil fuels to power the world. Now, just as then, there is a better solution. Plastic has saved lives and transformed how we live, a lot for the better. And now that we know how single-use plastic is harming our world, once again a course correction is needed.
Cultural momentum is shifting. Individuals are adjusting, communities are organizing, and nations are investing in a cleaner future. As long as we continue to learn and to embrace the change our advancing knowledge demands of us, there’s a bright future ahead. We’re proud and honored to be on this journey with you all in the ocean-minded community. You make our work and mission possible.
Thank you, and Happy World Oceans Day. Onward!
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