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ARE WE

HUMANS

READY

TO LOOK

OURSELVES

IN THE EYE?
Sustainable

Development Goal 14

‘Life below Water’ –

We contribute to accelerating

its realization.

Read more about ‘SDG 14’…
In Your Face
The time to save the ocean is NOW!

Real change comes with the impact level.

In Your Face – The Exhibition

Ocean. Now! leverages the power of art to strengthen engagement for SDG 14 “Life below water” on all levels of society. Our goal is to rebuild a thriving marine ecosystem.

PRESS RELEASE

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About our Kids Workshops

WHY THE OCEAN?

50% of all oxygen on earth is generated by the ocean

The ocean absorbs 90% of our global warming

The ocean accounts for 17% of protein at the global level and exceeds 50% in many least-developed countries

PROJECTS

Campaign #banmicroplastics – EU level

Stakeholder in UNESCO program “Education for Sustainable Development” (ESD)

Ocean. Now! + Swaantje Güntzel

project “IN YOUR FACE”

50 beaches – 50 faces

We have to convince the people in the world that they should tell the politicians that they’re concerned.

- David Attenborough

sign our petition

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May 24

📢 Recently, Ocean. Now! joined an important initiative by Greenpeace.

🤝Over 150 civil society groups and scientists (from all around the world) teamed up to create a special letter.

💌 It urges @UNEP (the United Nations Environment Programme) to stop the #FossilFuel industry from undermining the global #PlasticsTreaty.

👉🏻If you’d like to read this letter, head to the link in our bio.

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May 19

🌊 Have a sea-rene weekend! 🐟

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May 9

📣 We’re calling on @unep to take the strongest action against the environmental and human health scourge that is P L A S T I C.

✉️ Read the open letter (link in our bio) and let us know what you think below. Let‘s work together to create a plastic-free, healthier ocean for all!

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May 2

🤔 Are you worried about the impact of plastic on our planet and the ocean?

👥 Well, the UN are currently negotiating a Global Plastics Treaty that could solve the problem. But, it can be hard to understand what this really means (and what we can do about it).

🔎 Luckily, our friends from @breakfreefromplastic (BFFP) and @storyofstuff have put together a fantastic video that explains what it is, who’s not playing ball and what we can do to help.

👀 So, check out the video, then sign BFFP's petition to demand our governments create a treaty that is bold, legally-binding, timely and socially just. You'll find the links to both in our bio.

🐟 Together we can get plastic out of the sea!

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Apr 25

🐧 PENGUIN PROTECTION ❄️↘️ Many of us love penguins for their tuxedo-style markings (which are actually clever camouflage), awkward waddling (although they're very graceful swimmers!) and unique behaviours (like gifting stones to potential mates).

😢 Sadly, no matter how adorable we humans find these birds, our behaviour is threatening their existence. So, what can we do to help right now?

🌊 Leading ocean conservation organisations are proposing the creation of marine protected areas (#MPAs) in Antarctica which would create a sanctuary for the penguins who live there.

✍🏻 But they urgently need our support to make this happen. So this #WorldPenguinDay, please sign the petition to urge leaders to take action now (link in our bio).

🙏🏻 We’re sure the penguins would thank you if they could!

***
📖 Birdlife.org
📸 Tam Minton on Unsplash

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Apr 22

🌍We hope you’re having a TURTLEY AWESOME EARTH DAY!🐢(don’t come at us for the tortoise emoji – it’s the closest we could find 😅)

💧Although we call it ‘Earth’, 71% of the surface of this big blue marble we live on is covered in water. And the ocean holds about 96.5% of all the planet’s water.

➡️ So, this Earth Day (and every day) let’s commit to saving this wonderful watery world. It’s the only one with turtles!

***
📖 usgs.gov
📸 Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash

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Apr 19

🌿ENERGY-ZAPPING MICROPLASTICS💡↘️ Did you know microplastics mess with algae's ability to produce energy? Recent research at the University of Exeter revealed a 50% decline in algae’s net photosynthesis when exposed to higher levels of microplastic pollution.

🌊 Algae are key players in aquatic ecosystems, as they provide oxygen and serve as the base of the food chain. So, this discovery raises further concerns about the long-term consequences of microplastics on ocean biodiversity and health.

🌐 Let's join forces to protect our planet and create a cleaner, greener future. Share your thoughts below and let's #BeatMicroplastics! 💪

***
📖 Sciencedaily.com
📸 Mads Sonne on Unsplash

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Apr 15

⬇️🌊⬇️

🇴cean. Now! recognises art’s value in many ways.

🇨onceptual art is a particularly potent medium for challenging the status quo and inspiring us to think about the world differently.

🇪motional reactions to art originate from the same part of the brain that governs our actions. This means art has the power to transform our behaviour.

🇦rt is a medium that connects us to the present moment, something rare and precious in modern life.

🇳owadays, too many of us spend our time worrying about the past and the future. But experiencing art with our senses – hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling – forces us to be in the here and now. It cracks opens a window of opportunity in tired minds.

🇸o, art creates openness.

***

📸 Ivan Bandura on Unsplash

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Apr 4

🦐 More evidence shows that microplastics have reached the most remote corners of our planet! A new study discovered microplastics in the two most common types of Antarctic zooplankton: krill and salp.

🔬 Researchers at the British Antarctic Survey found alarming levels of microplastics in these tiny creatures.

🐧 This not only impacts the health of these species, but also the entire food chain – as they’re a staple food of whales, penguins, seals, fish and marine birds.

👉 To find out more, head to @britishantarticsurvey.

💪It’s studies like these that keep us fighting to #breakfreefromplastic – and why we’re pushing for the EU to ban intentionally-added microplastic too.

***
📸Uwe Kils (CC 3.0 via Wikimedia)

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Mar 30

🌿 It’s the first ever UN #ZeroWasteDay – a call to address our global waste crisis and embrace a circular future!

Quick facts:
🚛 1 trash truck of plastic enters our oceans every minute
🌊 Up to 14M tonnes of plastic invade aquatic ecosystems yearly
☠️ Plastic waste is made of climate-killing fossil fuels

So, what can we do?

Together 🤝
➡️ Advocate for systemic change – back zero-waste policies and urge companies to make sustainable products built for reusing, repairing and recycling.

Individually 💪
🔄 Practice the 4 R's (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle):
1. Say no to plastic/plastic-packaged items
2. Minimise reliance on them
3. Ditch single-use goods and opt for reusables
4. Lastly (if no other choice), recycle responsibly

Let's make a difference! Got any more zero-waste ideas? Let us know below.

***
📸 Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash

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Mar 25

💡LIGHTS OUT: It’s Earth Hour tonight ↘️ Unlike these glowing jellyfish, we can dim our lights in a show of commitment to our beautiful planet. And that's exactly what people all around the world will do from 8.30 to 9.30 PM this evening.

🌍 Of course, commitment to the Earth takes more than turning a light or two off for an hour. But now, more than ever, we need as many of us as possible to recognise (and reverse) the damage humans have caused and continue to do.

👉🏻As other species wink out one by one, consider this hour 60 minutes of luminescent silence. And choose to reflect, to care and to help in any way you can.

Will you join us?

***
📸 Matthias Götzke on Unsplash

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Mar 12

🌊🐦PLASTICOSIS: THE PLASTIC DISEASE 🐥🔬↘️ We’ve known for decades that seabirds are dying from consuming plastic. A bellyful of plastic can injure the birds or trick them into thinking they’re full when they’re actually starving.

Now, scientists at the Natural History Museum in London have also discovered ‘plasticosis’: a fibrotic disease caused by eating plastic. It inflames seabirds' digestive tracts and causes scarring and malformation. Sadly, plasticosis affects birds' digestion, growth and ultimately, their survival.

Did you know that up to 90% of seabirds are thought to have plastic in their stomachs? We need to act to protect our ocean birds from plastic. Now!

Some things you can do:

👉🏻Avoid single-use plastic
👉🏻Write to your local representative to demand action against plastic pollution
👉🏻Volunteer or donate to organisations fighting plastic pollution so they can elevate their efforts

***
📖 Ocean.si.edu and Theguardian.com
📸 Ed Dunens (CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

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Mar 8

👩‍🦰👩🏼‍🦰👩🏾‍🦰👩🏿‍🦰 IT’S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 🌊 so let's celebrate 5 amazing women working hard to protect the seas. From poets to marine biologists, here are five ocean heroines who inspire us every day:

📸 1: Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, poet and co-founder of @jo_jikum (a non-profit empowering Marshallese youth to fight environmental threats) and Aka Niviâna, an Inuk poet who writes about climate change and indigenous rights. Find their hauntingly beautiful poem here: https://350.org/rise-from-one-island-to-another/ (pic: 350.org)

📸 2: Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, co-founded the non-profit think tank @urbanoceanlab, the climate initiative The @allwecansave Project, and co-creates the @how2saveaplanet podcast. (pic: ayanaelizabeth.com)

📸 3: Francesca Trotman, founder of marine conservation organisation @lovetheoceans, which protects Mozambique's Jangamo Bay. (pic: @francescatrotmanphotography)

📸 4: Sylvia Earle, record-breaking marine biologist, oceanographer, author, and founder of @mission_blue/Sylvia Earle Alliance. (pic: missionblue.org)

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Feb 20

✨PLANKTON POWER✨  Hot on the heels of World Whale Day comes World Plankton Day. No wonder, really, as these two species are so closely connected.

The word plankton actually means 'drifter' in Greek, which is exactly what these little creatures do. They drift on oceanic tides, too small to swim around on their own merit. There are two major groups of plankton: zooplankton (which are animals) and phytoplankton (which are plants).

Phytoplankton, in particular, are incredibly important to our biosphere – it's estimated they generate as much oxygen as all the plants on land! They also absorb carbon dioxide and form the basis of the ocean food chain. Our note for today: even the smallest living creatures on our planet have a *huge* part to play.

As small as plankton are, they're not too minuscule to be affected by factors like climate warming and microplastic pollution. This means they urgently need our protection too.

What you can do:
🚫 Shun toxins. Use biodegradable products! The fewer artificial chemicals in the ocean, the better
🌍 Live climate-friendly, so the plankton's habitat can regain its health
🫙Avoid plastic. Think: the less microplastic in the sea, the more oxygen on our planet

- - -
Research credit: nationalgeographic.org
Photo of bioluminescent plankton: Kevin Wolf on Unsplash

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Feb 19

🐋HOORAY FOR WORLD WHALE DAY!

From the giant Humpback to the ocean's top predator: the Orca, there's something about whales we can't help but fall in love with. But did you know that they also do a lot for their marine environments – and the whole planet, actually?

These marvellous marine mammals:
• Help produce up to 50% of the air that we breathe (by supporting the production of phytoplankton)
• Act as incredible carbon sinks
• Sustain fish stocks
• Circulate nutrients in the ocean

Sadly, major threats like marine pollution, climate change, habitat loss and entanglement in fishing gear threaten the future of these amazing creatures. So, let’s help them to help us – by protecting them and their ocean home.

What you can do:
• Boycott krill nutritional supplements (and fish in general), so they have enough food
• Contribute to lower CO2 emissions, so their habitat regains its health
• Live as Zero Waste as possible, so their home is less polluted

- - -
Research credit: ifaw.org
Photo source: Dmitry Osipenko on Unsplash

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Feb 14

💙 AN IMPORTANT REMINDER ⁠
.⁠
On this fourteenth of February⁠
Love yourself, as you love the sea.⁠
.⁠
(Background photo by Silas Baisch on Unsplash)⁠
.⁠
#oceanlovers #oceanlover🌊 #loveyourselfmore #oceanheart #savetheocean #savetheoceans #lovetheocean #savethesea #lovethesea #marineconservation #natureloversofinstagram #oceanquotes #valentinesday2023 #natureloverforlife

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Dec 28

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Dec 20

FINALLY there’s a deal on #biodiversity. 🙌🏼🙌🏽🙌🏾 We feel relieved that 200 countries agreed to this historic agreement to reverse decades of environmental destruction at #COP15.

With this deal, reducing pesticides, plastic waste and to protect 30% of land and 30% of the ocean is "officially" on the international agenda. 🌍🌊

Now we wonder... what exactly will this protection look like? Will industrialized countries finally listen to indigeneous communities? Our biggest hope is that nations are able to start letting go their endless economic greed for the sake of life on this planet, fragile mother earth.

#cop15 is a moment of humanity “admitting” that it needs to turn the tide. It is a major step but the real work only starts now. 💙💚♥️

Picture: Aurore Murguet, Pexels

#ocean #oceanprotection #sdgs #un #sdg14

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Dec 13

Over decades, the ocean has been seen as a vast place where things can be dumped (in the 60s and 70s, the ocean was systematically used for waste disposal). In recent years, there has been some movement in understanding the ocean...#UN conferences (list in this clip) started integrating the ocean as an integral ecosystem playing a crucial role for life on earth. 🌎

At the same time, humans living in the industrialized society are so at the beginning - the ocean is overfished, suffers from our greenhouse gas emissions, it is polluted with noise and ends up being a dump (even more than before - due to our plastic consumption).

At the #GlobalPlasticsTreaty #INC1 conference in Uruguay last week, large petrochemical companies presented the plastic problem as a "recycling issue", whereas their very own production is the actual problem ❗Ocean. Now! will contribute to the next #INC2 in Paris in 2023. We will be gearing up for action soon! 💪💪🏼💪🏽💪🏾

This week, we spiritually stand by the participants of the #CBD #COP15 happening in Montreal until the end of the week. The crucial #30x30 negotiations are happening right now - we must protect 30% of land and ocean by 2030. 🍃🐝🪳🌍🌊🐋

#oceanprotection #sdgs #sdg14 #ocean

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Nov 25

Our pledge today: ditch the #blackfriday madness! Make it a #bluefriday. 🌊 🙂Consume less!, consume wisely, vote for the right political party, raise your voice for the ocean. 📣

It is absolutely not understandable that humans are still after #blackfriday - by now it must be clear, where the idea of growth and profit has led us: mother earth is in bad health (and so are we). 🌎 We need to turn the tide (fast).

According to the #oecd, global plastic waste set to almost triple by 2060. ❗😡Our blue planet suffers, the ocean and its inhabitants are literally choking on the waste we produce.

Consuming less is a first step, and on a day as today, we can make our own choice - still, we believe, that first and foremost, we need strong regulations on the political level, to lever impact. The #globalplasticstreaty is on its way, a second meeting will be happening next week in Uruguay and we re keeping our eyes on it. We are mentally participating and continue pushing for change - this summit must show a better result than #COP27!

We at Ocean. Now! are still working with politics behind the scenes on the national and EU level, maintaining the pressure - for an effective ban on #microplastics in cosmetics and cleaning products. It has been 3,5 years but we will not give up on protecting the ocean. 💙

Source: oecd.org

#banmicroplastics #breakfreefromplastic #globalplasticstreaty #sdg14 #ocean #protecttheocean

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