World Oceans Day remains ‘most exciting’ event of the year for organizer

The Marine Institute in St. John's opened its doors to those wanting to learn about the vast waters that surround Canada on Oceans Day. Garrett Barry reports.

Almost two decades of work on World Oceans Day events in St. John’s have not lost their shine for DFO biologist Dawn Mercer, the long-time chair of the World Oceans Day committee in Newfoundland and Labrador.

A 17th family-friendly event was held Saturday at the Marine Institute in St. John’s to again mark World Oceans Day — with even more kids attending than before, according to Mercer.

“For every adult, there’s at least three kids walking through the doors,” Mercer said. “To me, that’s three conservationists walking out.”

World Oceans Day was first proclaimed by the United Nations in 2009, after years of proposals by Canadian groups the International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada.

It’s held on June 8 every year.

In St. John’s, it’s marked every year with an event at the Marine Institute, with touch tanks and other interactive displays to bring nature and the ocean a little closer to families and children.

“I really liked holding all the sea animals and learning about how to care for the ocean,” remarked nine-year-old Lucy Singleton.

Along with starfish and sea cucumbers, one particularly small juvenile rock crab was a hit among children at the event.

“The little things and the really large animals are what they get most excited about,” said Christine Vickers, a research assistant and fish health specialist at the Ocean Sciences Centre in St. John’s.

For Mercer, the event is a great opportunity to engage with children on some of the challenges facing ocean ecosystems and other topics related to climate change.

“It’s also a concept that kids can really kind of grab onto,” she said. “And kids are our next generation to help protect our oceans.”

Marine debris and shoreline cleanups, she said, are another big issue that resonates well with families and children.

Newfoundland and Labrador has seen some positive indicators of ocean ecosystem health this spring — assessments of the capelin stock show the population of that important forage fish is improving, which is good news for cod, seals, seabirds and whales that eat them.

There has also been, according to DFO, continued improvement in the Northern Cod stock, which is continuing its slow recovery since the 1992 moratorium.

Commercial fishing has been opened further since 2024, and this year the provincial recreational fishery will expand — allow for more fish to be caught on more days throughout the summer.

United Nations organizers have given this year’s World Oceans Day the theme of “Reimagine,” asking people to rethink their relationship with the ocean.

“We live in Newfoundland and Labrador and we’re surrounded by water,” said Mercer. “Of course we’re connected and we want people to walk away knowing that what we do affects the ocean.”