Mother Oceania

Humans depend on marine resources for all aspects of life, and yet, almost 95% of the ocean is unexplored.

In the past century, fueled by technological advances, we’ve become the only predator of the ocean that harvests fish and other resources far beyond our needs. By 2018, it was estimated that nearly 90% of the global fish stock was “exploited, overexploited, or depleted.”

Additionally, it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by volume. Every year, the plastic waste equivalent of 100,000 blue whales is dumped into the ocean.

In light of this year’s Ocean Day on June 8th, let us explore the ways we can give back to the ocean and its inhabitants. And let us remind ourselves of the nurturing, awe-inspiring ways the ocean helps all of us survive.

This award-winning photograph is from the ninth season, “Water”, of the Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Rashid al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) Archive. The Climate Tribe has partnered with HIPA, leveraging the power of photography to inspire global awareness of sustainability and advance climate action.