This year it is more important than ever to celebrate World Ocean’s Day.  The devastating oil spill off of the coast of the US could have been prevented. If we give our children an appreciation of our world’s oceans, they will be better policy makers and protectors of this fragile marine ecosystem.

Living in a tourist town I can tell you that a clean healthy ocean creates a thriving local economy .  People come to enjoy clean beaches and to swim in clean water.  This is what is making the effects of the current oil spill particularly devastating for southern economies.

It is easy to overlook that the mission of many local aquariums includes a conservation component.  These are not just glorified theme parks, but organizations that are dedicated to educating the public about respecting marine life and making decisions that have a positive impact on our oceans.  A child who has a chance to learn how to touch    creatures gently under the watchful eye of a docent, will take that knowledge on their family tide pool excursions and hopefully know to leave those critters in their native habitat .  The child who sees the exhibit on global warming will start shutting off lights and encouraging their parents to carpool.  The child who sees a giant mural made out of beach trash will think twice before discarding a gum wrapper in the sand. 

Growing up I spent many days at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and those visits inspire a life long fascination with the marine world.  At seventeen,  I proposed a bill that banned off shore oil drilling at the Youth and Government Model Legislature and Court program.  As a teacher, I took classes at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and shared the knowledge I gained with my students.  Many of those students lived very close to the beach but had never been there.  A fieldtrip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium opened up a whole new world for them.  As a parent , I join my kids for beach cleanups. We are always amazed at the trash we find.

In Carlsbad we are lucky to have the Sea Life Aquarium just down the street from us.  I must confess that when it was first constructed I wondered if it was really a worthwhile addition to Legoland.  After all the Birch Aquarium at UC San Diego and Sea World are both  just a half hour away.  After I did some research into the Sea Life organization and paid a second visit to Sea Life on a less crowded day, I started to gain a deeper appreciation for this little kid friendly aquarium.   Sealife sponsors cleanups of local beaches.  They have proudly displayed a mosaic entitled, “Beach Trash, a Whale of a Problem” constructed by local school children.  Visitors are asked to make a clean oceans pledge before leaving the aquarium.  If you have preschoolers,  the smaller size of this aquarium and the specially designed peep holes that put kids in the middle of the tank make this an ideal introduction to the marine world.

This Saturday my family will be honoring World Ocean’s Day with a visit to the Sea Life Aquarium.  They are sponsoring a fun Dr. Seuss themed day with plenty of conservation information snuck into  the Seussian silliness of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. More information about their World Oceans Day Celebration is included on the Sealife Aquarium website.

World Ocean’s Day Celebrations are being held world wide.  If you have some free time this Saturday or next week on June 8, the actual World Ocean’s Day, visit the Ocean Project’s website to find a place to celebrate.

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Happy Trails,

Bridget