Voices for the Ocean, Video

We protect what we love. We can all speak out for change—and for some of us, the ocean is where we find our voice.
North Korea might be making millions — and breaking sanctions — selling sand. Yes, sand.

North Korea is barred from exporting earth and stone under United Nations sanctions passed in December 2017. Trading North Korean sand is a violation of international law. Despite those measures, North Korea raked in at least $22 million last year using “a substantial sand-export operation,” UN investigators said in a report released in April.
Fuel from Russian Arctic spill reaches large lake, says governor

Diesel fuel from a major spill in Russia’s Arctic has reached a pristine lake which is the basin for a river flowing into the Arctic Ocean, a regional official said on Tuesday, but the mining giant embroiled in the scandal rejected his allegation.
Report: European bathing water quality remains high

The quality of bathing waters in Europe remains high according to a study by the EU environment agency that found that minimum water quality standards were met at 95 percent of the sites monitored across the continent last year.
We looked for South Africa’s ‘missing’ plastic litter. This is what we found

A recent study suggests that 96%-98% of litter from land-based sources washes up within one year of entering the sea. They conclude that most of the missing plastic has been under our noses all the time, on our beaches.
Washed Up and Washed Away | Online Photographic Exhibition

Washed Up and Washed Away is a photographic reflection on beach detritus. The Cyanotype series highlights environmental issues of our decaying marine ecosystems. It offers pictorial results from a small census of what can be found on our local beaches.
World Oceans Day 2020: New IAEA Research Records Dramatic Increase in Microplastic Pollution in Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

We celebrate World Oceans Day at a time when about 8 million tons of plastic waste are ending up in the oceans each year, damaging ecosystems and wildlife. The major challenge scientists and policy makers face today is a lack of knowledge on the biological impacts of microplastics in marine organisms…
A message for World Oceans Day, June 8, 2020

There can be no environmental justice without social justice. A very short sentence, with millions of lives and stories behind it.
‘Dogged pragmatism’ needed to save Ocean: UN Special Envoy

Peter Thomson, who hails from the Pacific Ocean island of Fiji, spoke to UN News ahead of World Oceans Day marked annually on 8 June, and explained why it’s crucial not to forget how important the Ocean is, to the future of the planet.