“In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we have been taught.” -Baba Dioum
I attended a very interesting meeting last week. Based on recommendations from the US Commission on Ocean Policy, forty marine science educators, researchers and advocates all came together to come up with a basic formula for what all citizens should know about the ocean. The idea behind this concept is that only 0.6% of the general public could be considered “ocean-literate” and people need to have at least a very basic understanding of how the ocean works if they are ever going to put effort into protecting it.
As surfers and ocean enthusiasts we may take for granted the fact that the tides move in and out in a balancing act between the moon, sun and earth’s gravitational pull. Or that the majority of the oxygen we breathe is created by microscopic plants living in the ocean (not from the rainforests.) Or that all water on the land is actually just borrowed from the ocean through the hydrologic cycle. But we intrinsically know that this is so. By being embedded in this water environment we have come to know and understand it.
Surfrider Foundation members are particularly suited to lead the effort to educate our communities on the importance of a healthy ocean to our lives. We’re part of that 0.6% who already recognizes that we cannot continue to use and abuse our oceans without thought to the consequences. So be sure to pass that knowledge on: speak at your child’s classroom; tell your neighbors why it’s important not to over-fertilize and over-water their lawn; work with your local businesses to promote ocean-friendly practices. Teaching is interactive, we can all do it, and it’s the best way to understanding the world around us.
-Mark Rauscher, Environmental Director
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