World Oceans Day 2027 is on Tuesday

About World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day focuses on the body of water that covers more than 70 percent of the planet. According to the UN, the ocean produces at least half of Earth's oxygen, holds most of its biodiversity and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people. The day encourages people to see the ocean as part of daily life, even far from any coast.

The idea was first proposed at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro as a way to celebrate the shared ocean and people's personal connection to the sea. Ocean groups marked June 8 for years before official UN recognition, and since 2002 a network sponsored by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission has helped build support for events on that date. On December 5, 2008, the General Assembly adopted resolution 63/111, designating June 8 as World Oceans Day, and the UN first marked it in 2009.

The day connects to Sustainable Development Goal 14, life below water, and to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which runs from 2021 to 2030. The UN picks a theme each year; the 2026 theme, "Reimagine," asked people to see themselves as caretakers of the ocean rather than only users of its resources.

Sources: United Nations: World Oceans Day, United Nations: World Oceans Day background. How we check dates.

How to mark World Oceans Day

• Join a beach, river or storm-drain cleanup; litter in inland waterways often ends up in the sea.
• Choose sustainably caught or farmed seafood, using a seafood guide from an aquarium or fisheries agency.
• Swap one single-use plastic item for a reusable one and stick with it.
• Visit an aquarium, marine reserve or tide pool and learn what lives there.
• When snorkeling or diving, avoid touching coral and keep a respectful distance from marine wildlife.

World Oceans Day dates