World Ocean Day 2023: An Actionable Guide to Ocean Conservation

Happy World Ocean Day!

World Ocean Day is a global movement to celebrate and honor our shared ocean, that connects us with all living beings. Our ocean provides us with so much - resources, food, habitats, happiness, peace ... the list goes on. It's only right that we do all we can to protect it! 

©️ Jianca Lazarus (top) and Domenic Mosqueira (bottom)

Avasol's Commitment

As individuals, it's an honor to be able to enjoy all the beauty that nature has to offer us.

As a company, it's a privilege for us to take an active part in protecting our environment.

For us, respect for nature is a reciprocal process. Whether its basking in the sun or harnessing the power of waves, we believe in giving back to nature for the inner peace that it brings us. We are intrinsically driven to both harmonize with nature and protect that which gives us the most joy!

©️ lotta_and_the_waves

The Ocean is at the heart of Avasol's foundational mission. We do all we can to ensure that our ingredients, packaging, and production process are the safest for our people and our oceans.

• We take great care in selecting the best, and safest ingredients we could find from the best farms and suppliers.
• We use our products every day, for ourselves, our children our family and friends.
• We have independent labs conduct tests (on humans only) for both effectiveness and safety.
• Our ingredients are 100% bio-based and are the safest that we can find for the Ocean and other aquatic habitats.
• We have also made a tremendous effort to create plastic-free packaging with the introduction of our stick product.
• We are continually working towards improving the sustainability and earth-friendliness of all of our other packaging as well.

What's more, we partner with a wide variety of nonprofits and businesses that focus on ocean conservation. In this blog, we'll provide a comprehensive list of our partners for you to support so you can get involved in this global mission to protect our most vital resource.

©️ Saxon Thomas Chang

Why does going in the ocean feel so good?

Did you know that when you go in the ocean, your body chemistry literally shifts?

This is because oceans, along with most bodies of nature, contain high concentrations of negative ions*(~2000/cubic cm versus ~100/cubic cm in a city!). According to a study done by WebMD, "Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes," ... in the form of serotonin, a feel good chemical that's produced in your brain when exposed to them.

It's no wonder that the ocean seems to wash away all our worries, because negative ions have been shown to help stabilize our mood as well!

Of course, don't forget to make Avasol a part of your ocean-worshipping rituals, so that you can soak up all the ocean has to offer while protecting yourself and the planet. 

©️ Domenic Mosqueira 

A Bit of Background on World Ocean Day

World Ocean Day is a collective movement to unite climate and ocean activists worldwide, on June 8th and throughout the year. The Ocean Foundation works in conjunction with youth leaders, museums, aquariums, nonprofits and businesses to engage our public and policymakers. They educate and empower the masses to speak out for our oceans and work to create a stable climate. Visit their website to learn more.

Conservation Focus: 30x30

According to the Ocean Foundation, "To create a healthy ocean with abundant wildlife and to stabilize the climate, it’s critical that 30% of our planet’s lands, waters, and ocean are protected."

At this past UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), an agreement was reached to protect 30% of our planet by 2030. This was the result of a far-reaching global effort, and is a huge win for our Earth and all of its inhabitants. 

It’s time to celebrate, and keep the momentum going! In the months ahead, together we can make sure that our national leaders follow through on their commitments and ensure that at least 30% of lands, waters, and ocean get protected by 2030!

©️ Domenic Mosqueira 

Why 30x30?

Did you know that currently, only 17% of land and 8% of water on our Earth is protected?!

Seeing as our land and water are the foundation of our self-preservation, its vital that we protect them for ourselves if not for anything else!

Our ocean connects us with our planet's life support systems. Leading scientists worldwide have determined a healthy ocean is a critical part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crises. 

But don't fret - due to the efforts of the growing 30x30 movement, our national leaders are committed to seeing it through. It's up to us to hold them accountable so we can ensure a happy and healthy future for our life on Earth.

©️ Domenic Mosqueira 

"How Can I help?"

Learn

At the end of the day, education is critical to inciting change. We can't change the behavior of others if they don't know what they are doing is harmful in the first place! You can serve as an ocean steward by doing your part to educate yourself  on the interconnectedness and interdependency of our oceans and the life on our planet. Armed with this information, go out into the world and inspire change - this doesn't have to be anything big or drastic! Even just simple sustainable swaps - such as transitioning away from single-use plastics on a daily, moment-to-moment basis - is effective, and inspiring others to do so as well is even better!

Consume Consciously

Further, our decisions as consumers have a domino effect on our planet. Vote with your dollar and seek out transparency in the companies you are buying from. Learn about the chain of events, people and byproducts that ultimately lead to the purchase you are making.

Remember that packaging is often one of the biggest pollution culprits, as this lies at the source of the issue. Avoid products packaged in plastic, as this often ends up in the ocean and our waterways. Instead of wishful recycling, turn to the root cause and reuse/refill instead. As refill shops become more widespread, reusing glass jars or paper bags is helping us to transition away from plastic ones! Check out our latest reel for day-to-day sustainable swaps you can make to reduce your single-use plastic consumption, and stay tuned for our Reduce Your Single Use guide coming this July! 

Next time you buy something, use this checklist to re-orient your consumerist mindset:
✅ Does this company have the environment in mind? Or do they function solely to make a profit?
✅ Does this company have a high carbon footprint?
✅ Is this product made with substances that are safe for my body and other living ecosystems it could end up in?
✅ Is this products’ packaging contributing to pollution?
✅ Is there a more eco-conscious version of the product?

Act

Lastly, we've created a list of Ocean Conservation nonprofits for you to get involved with! These groups are committed to creating opportunities for education, activism and awareness. Even if you aren't located in the same place as them, there's always a way to support! Check out each of their links for more information:

Changing Tides Foundation empowers women to protect the planet through surfing and sustainability. Through their Women's Outreach Mentorship Program (WOMP), they use surfing as a tool for empowerment and environmental education, showing underserved teenage girls their strength both in and out of the water. They also run projects centered on beating plastic pollution, community composting, and eating plant-based.

©️ Jianca Lazarus

Heal the Ocean focuses on wastewater infrastructure – sewers and septic systems – as well as ocean dumping practices that have contributed to ocean pollution. They are focused on Santa Barbara County, but their methods now serve as a model for other coastal communities across the country. 

Ocean Futures Society has a mission to explore our global ocean, inspiring and educating people throughout the world to act responsibly for its protection, documenting the critical connection between humanity and nature, and celebrating the ocean's vital importance to the survival of all life on our planet.

The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches, for all people, through a powerful activist network.

SeaTrees believes that the Ocean has the power to reverse climate change by planting and protecting seatrees. They directly support communities and scientists who protect and regenerate blue carbon coastal ecosystems. This includes planting mangrove trees, restoring kelp forests, coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and conserving coastal watersheds.

Save the Waves Coalition envisions a world where surf ecosystems are valued and protected, and where surfing provides a vehicle for long-term coastal conservation. They work to protect sacred surf spots around the globe, through their World Surfing Reserve program and Surf Protected Area networks. Save the Waves manages projects around the world and encourage coastal stewardship, and mounts international campaigns to defend surf ecosystems under threat and inspire the public to take action. Download their app and visit their site to get involved!

Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii is a grassroots, local nonprofit organization run by a small team of dedicated staff and supported by passionate volunteers, just like you! We inspire local communities to care for their coastlines through fun, hands- on beach cleanups. We also coordinate educational programs, team building corporate cleanups, waste diversion services, public awareness campaigns and we help others organize their own beach cleanups.

One People One Reef is a collaboration between Micronesian coastal communities & scientists who develop inclusive, adaptive, & sustainable conservation solutions to protect the health & resilience of critical coral reefs marine habitat & the people who rely on them for food security.

Enter our Giveaway to Support Brands like us that are keeping Plastic out of our Oceans!

🌊 HAPPY WORLD'S OCEAN DAY! 🌊 To celebrate, we've partnered with some amazing ocean-positive brands to gift you everything you need to take care of our planet this summer. It’s HUGE ($500 worth of products!), and we’re giving it away! Here’s how to enter: ⁠

💙 Like this post⁠
👉🏽 Follow all participating brands! @mitaeyewear, @cleanmiamibeach, @meliwraps, @humblebrands, @loveavasol, @wileysfinest.
🌊 Comment why you love our oceans
💫: Tag your friends! 1 tag = 1 entry⁠

Here’s what we’re giving away: ⁠
Mita Eyewear: (1) pair of sunglasses made from recycled materials (the winner can choose the model using our Virtual Try-on Tool)

Clean Miami Beach: (1) water bottle, (1)cup and (1) bracelet

MeliWraps: (1) care bag including 3 packs of wraps, a reusable cutlery set in a matching zipper pouch, a produce bag and more

Avasol: (1) SPF 50 Surfer's stick, (1) SPF 30 Surfer's stick, (1) Environmental Defense Cream, and (1) Barrier Cream Pouch.

Humble Brands: (5) plastic free deodorants and (5) bar soaps ⁠

We’ll announce this winner this Friday, June 15th at 12pm EST. Good luck ocean lovers!