REBECCA HUBBARD Marine Coordinator Environment Tasmania
World Oceans Day event … Our Coasts, Our Oceans, Our Future
World Oceans Day is marked on June 8th by communities around the world to celebrate our oceans and our connection to them. In Hobart, Environment Tasmania will hold a press conference and photo shoot by the water with a group of children, to celebrate Tasmania’s unique and diverse marine environments and their importance to life on our island home.
“World Oceans Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate our coasts, our oceans, and the future they offer us. In Tasmania, many of us live close to the coasts and have lifelong memories of spending time swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, surfing and fishing. They offer spiritual and creative inspiration, and an opportunity to appreciate the beauty and wilds of nature,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Marine Coordinator with Environment Tasmania.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have one of the most diverse and unique marine environments in the world. We have over 1300 species of seaweed, 500 species of colourful sponges, and rocky reefs, that provide homes to a range of fish including the bizarre Handfish and beautiful seadragons, over 500 species of sea slugs, penguins, seabirds, and shelled creatures right up to the big mammals, like whales, turtles and seals,” continued Ms Hubbard.
“Our oceans not only support a wonderful lifestyle for people on the coast and valuable industries such as fishing and tourism, but they provide ecosystem services to everyone on land that we couldn’t live without, such as producing oxygen, providing seafood, controlling our climate, cleaning our water, and providing potential medicines,” said Ms Hubbard.
“Today is a day to celebrate the value and beauty of our oceans, and we hope that everyone can take a moment to appreciate this important environment, and the future it provides us,” concluded Ms Hubbard.
What: Press conference and photo opportunity with children for our ocean future
When: 11.30am Monday 8th June, World Oceans Day
Where: Antarctic sculpture, Franklin Wharf, Hobart (next to the bridge, near the AQIS building)
Environment Tasmania is Tasmania’s conservation council, an umbrella body that represents 25 Tasmanian conservation groups, with collective representation of over 6000 Tasmanians.
