Climate change, overuse of marine resources, and pollution constitute a threatening triarchy for the Earth’s oceans and, ultimately, for life on Earth as we know it. In addition to natural aspects such as climate change mitigation and food supply, the ocean provides countless benefits to humans, such as employment, transportation, cultural aspects, etc. Our dependence on the ocean is so profound that around 60% of our civilization lives in regions up to 60 km from the sea, with around 50% of cities with more than one million inhabitants, representing important economic centers, located in coastal areas.

Ocean literacy is key

It is widely agreed that only through firm, efficient, and rapid action to combat climate and ocean imbalances will we have a chance to restore environmental homeostasis—such actions involve changes in our lifestyles, particularly those related to overproduction, overconsumption, and unsustainable consumption choices. Only a joint effort by all stakeholders in society at different levels can, in fact, lead to the sustainability of the oceans by 2030. To this end, strategies are needed to improve society’s connection to the ocean and to highlight this type of literacy.

An Ocean Literate individual could be a student, a parent, a senior citizen, a construction worker, a scientist, and so on—the premise of being such an individual is that they can communicate effectively about the Ocean, are aware of its challenges, and understand how actions and behaviors interconnect to impact the Ocean.

B2E’s Mission in Ocean Literacy

B2E is deeply committed to developing Ocean Literacy campaigns, hoping to shape the minds of present and future leaders, students, parents, consumers, and inhabitants of Earth. At B2E, we are strongly focused on actions related to sustainable aquaculture, conscious consumer choices, and the global appreciation of marine bio-resources. We act through initiatives that bring fact-based knowledge to the forefront, thereby strengthening the connection between the public and blue bio challenges, while raising awareness about these issues.

Our campaigns have been publicized not only on our website and social media, but also on major platforms such as the Ocean Decade Satellite (by the UN), UNESCO’s Ocean Literacy Portal, and the side event of the UN Ocean Conference. Ocean Literacy is in our DNA, and we work daily to improve how we contribute to a better ocean. Follow us, subscribe to our newsletter now to stay up to date with all our initiatives, and become an Ocean Literacy agent. Are you ready?

Referências

1. Wisz, M.S.; Satterthwaite, E.V.; Fudge, M.; Fischer, M.; Polejack, A.; John, M.S.; Fletcher, S.; Rudd, M.A. 100 Opportunities for More Inclusive Ocean Research: Cross-Disciplinary Research Questions for Sustainable Ocean Governance and Management. Front. Mar. Sci. 2020, 7, 576.

2. Garcia-Soto, C.; Cheng, L.; Caesar, L.; Schmidtko, S.; Jewett, E.B.; Cheripka, A.; Rigor, I.; Caballero, A.; Chiba, S.; Báez, J.C.; et al. An Overview of Ocean Climate Change Indicators: Sea Surface Temperature, Ocean Heat Content, Ocean pH, Dissolved Oxygen Concentration, Arctic Sea Ice Extent, Thickness and Volume, Sea Level and Strength of the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation). Front. Mar. Sci. 2021, 8, 642372.

3. United Nations. The Second World Ocean Assessment: World Ocean Assessment II, Vols. I and II United Nations; United Nations: San Francisco, CA, USA, 2021; ISBN 978-92-1-1-130422-0.

4. European Marine Board. Navigating the Future V: Marine Science for a Sustainable Future; Position Paper 24 of the European Marine Board: Ostend, Belgium, 2019; ISBN 9789492043757.