Saving Oceans and Ocean Life: For Climate, For Our Future

While May's observations were about biodiversity, June is about the ecosystems that support them and the processes and species that are indicative of ecosystem health. The  environment, the ocean, prevention of desertification through rangeland management, the summer solstice as well as rainforests day. Protecting and restoring ecosystems is vital to enable climate action (SDG 13) and thus ensure a future for ourselves.

 June 8th is observed annually as World  Oceans Day. In 2026 it has a three themes, the United Nations' evocative theme was:

REIMAGINE: Beyond the world we know, a new relationship with our ocean.

 

The World Ocean Day network that supports "a multi-year initiative to drive collective action for ocean health and climate stability, supporting the global '30x30' goal to protect at least 30% of oceans by 2030"  has amore action oriented Oceans Day 2026 theme: 

“Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet” 

 “Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean & Climate”

Source: Meraki By Me, Raakhee, 16 April 2026.

Orca Awareness Month and Sea Turtle Day

June is observed as Orca Awareness Month and June 16th is Sea Turtle Day, both species at the top of their respective food chains are indicators of Ocean Health.

The apex predator - the Orca or Killer Whale the largest of the dolphin family as an alpha in many ways is rightly celebrated through the month of June. 

Meanwhile the sea turtle is no slouch as efforts to restore its population have improved ocean connected lives and livelihoods in coastal areas especially in Tamil Nadu this year. Also, it was originally a video of a pulling out a plastic straw from the bloody nostril of a sea turtle that exponentially improved legislations and efforts to clean up beaches, oceans as well as ban the use of single use plastic including the young people initiated No Straw November movement from California. 

Marine Plastic Pollution & OBP Menace

Be it the massive Ocean Cleanup  organized by Boyan Slat since 2013 after encountering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or our local heroes working to restore the ocean and coastal ecosystems (river estuaries and mangroves) by cleaning it up and removing the plastic pollution from it and preventing city plastic reaching the oceans through urban waterways (ocean bound plastic), each are Ocean heroes and their efforts build sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) while also improving the lives of local coastal communities ( SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth). In a way they are humans churning the ocean through cleanup (EFI & Its Weekend Beach Cleanup OhShun Trash; Afroz Shah cleaning up Mumbai's mangroves and tourist beaches, Bapi Gochhayat of Odisha, or Taiwan's Ryan Wang of Rhinoglass and many many more)  to reveal its secrets and treasures to sustain us humans in the future. Buffeted as we are by the climate crisis we need this modern human churning of the ocean.

Sustaining Life and Livelihoods: SDG 14

Life and Livelihoods, Blue Economy and Sustainable Development and  Climate Action efforts on the ocean create economic opportunities and wealth sustainably while also protecting the ocean ecosystem and our environment. Be it SDG 14 - Life Below Water or SDG 13 - Climate Action the Ocean SDGs & Economy SDGs (SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 10) there is hope in peaceful coexistence through restoration of the ocean as well as protecting it well. Sustainable coastal and marine tourism is just one such opportunity. 

For Climate:  For Our Future 

Oceans are heaven as well as the best carbon store. It is through protecting our marine ecosystems can we ensure true climate action on an exponential scale. Strong Marine Protected Areas will lead to carbon credits and indirect carbon sequestration as well as improving  the lives and livelihoods of adjacent local communities. 

A bonus for getting to the end of this blog post

In honor of Oceans Day and my ocean-loving young nephew's birthday all in the same week in June I have recorded a playlist of 8 videos of the 8 chapters of the story, The Hermit and the Rose by Boris Lakhoder - a creative and imaginative explanation of the real-life symbiosis between the hermit crab and the sea anemone. 

Protect Our Environment: For Our Future

 If May was about biodiversity. June is all about ecosystems. As mentioned in the previous post the theme for World Environment Day 2026 (WED2026) is

Inspired by Nature.

For Climate.

For Our Future.

Source: Meraki By Me, Raakhee, 5 June 2026.

Protecting Our Environment

The month of June while observed as Orca Awareness Month (All About Killer Whales) otherwise has an enhanced focus on the ecosystems that support the biodiversity that's celebrated through May. 

Between World Bicycle Day (June 3rd, "Cycling into a Greener Future," 2026 theme), Environment Day (June 5th), Ocean Day (June 8th), International Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (June 17th), the Summer Solstice (also observed as Yoga Day, where Surya Namaskar a.k.a. Sun Salutations from India in the Northern Hemisphere is vital to the ancient practice and the sun too reaches its exaltation over the Tropic of Cancer running through the heart of India with two Sun Temples in the East and West along the latitude), and Rainforests Day (June 22nd), the focus is firmly on the ecosystems and environment that supports life and livelihoods. 

The time is now. Action is necessary urgently as security risks abound in India, South Asia and beyond due to climate change and the heating planet supercharging weather phenomena such as the El Nino. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres himself took time out to mention the impending climate disasters likely triggered by the Super El Nino as warned by the World Meteorological Organization: 

While our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are environment coded, protecting our planet in the quest to truly progress is all about putting people, planet, progress and profits in the same page of the plan of action. 

As mentioned by internationally recognized voice from the Global South for the environment, Centre for Science and Environment's (CSE) Sunita Narain in her insightful analysis ahead of WED2026 in the CSE publication Down To Earth, inclusive growth and sustainable development in modeling our growth story is vital to protect our environment: 

Inclusive plans of action and an intersectional lens are vital features of true environmentalism. The effects of the climate crisis are gendered and classist hence the process of protecting our environment needs to voices of women, girls, minorities and the marginalized, with a responsive ground up, grassroots grown approach.

For Our Future 

Nations are institutions are doing quite a bit to protect our environment "for our future," but a lot more needs to be done. 

The pace of destructive activity and our crude oil addiction outpaces conservation and restoration efforts and the mainstreaming of renewable energy sources.  

Ecofeminism is needed as the growth model now more than ever. Gender Equality (SDG5), Reduced Inequality (SDG10) and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG16) are all vital to Climate Action (SDG13) and the path to Just Transition and robust environmentalism. 

Meanwhile, as an individual, this environment day and beyond you can track your personal carbon footprint (Check out OnlyPlanet.in) and find means to shrink it to reduce your impact on the environment in order to protect it ... for our future. For, to quote the immortal Jane Goodall, 

"Every single one of us makes an impact on our planet every single day and we can choose what kind of impact we make."