World Oceans Day - Collective Action for the Ocean.
As an island nation, the sea and seabed are essential to the UK, but we often take them for granted. Each year we ask the oceans to do more for us: food, energy, building materials, wellbeing and leisure...the list goes on.
As we find ourselves amid a climate and biodiversity crisis, we need to maximise green energy whilst protecting and restoring the amazingly rich UK marine wildlife. If we get this right and work together to balance the short-term and long-term needs, we can develop our seas sustainably, whilst protecting the precious marine environment.
On the 8th June, every year, people all over the world celebrate World Oceans Day. We all connect differently to the ocean and have different priorities or expectations, but as a nation, we need to fit all these demands together. To do this and to make informed evidence-based decisions, we need access to trusted data and insight that can bring stakeholders together to understand each other's needs. Therefore the theme of World Oceans Day this year is one that really resonates with us:
“Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean”
The Crown Estate have been investing in data and evidence for over 20 years and the Marine Data Exchange is one example of a world-leading data platform that celebrates collective action for the ocean, through collaboration between The Crown Estate, our stakeholders and our customers. The MDE is the first of its kind and the largest repository of marine industry survey data, evidence and research. By working with our customers, such as offshore wind farm developers, to make this data and evidence publicly available we hope to drive the sustainable development of the seabed for future generations.
To share what the ocean means to us, here are some thoughts from our colleagues and customers about what the oceans mean to them, and how data and evidence can support the revitalization of our beautiful marine environment.
Courtney French, Lead Environment and Consents Specialist at Ørsted.
"The ocean for me, like many, is my happy place. In order to protect our oceans & meet renewable energy targets, we need an environment where renewable energy, marine biodiversity & sustainable fisheries are able to coexist & thrive doing so. It is important to collect and share data gained through research, industry and via other sea-users knowledge to help understand the current status at sea, allowing us to better protect the marine environment which in turn, protects our future."
"We don't just need to protect our seas, we must do everything we can to let them thrive and flourish once again. For me, data is the prism through which we understand the oceans, and the impact we have on them. Utilising all sources of marine data, from academia to industry, allows us to gain the broadest possible view and act decisively to change the future of our seas for the better.
John Mitchell, Marine Data Advisor at The Crown Estate
Chelsea Bradbury, Marine Evidence Manager at The Crown Estate
“It still amazes me that we know more about the moon than our oceans, and that more children want to be astronauts than marine biologists.
The oceans have everything that we as humans need and love; generating renewable energy, placing food on our tables, facilitating research that can cure illnesses, generating oxygen and storing carbon, providing flood defenses, and supporting amazing habitats and species. Here in the UK, we have some of the best marine life in the world living alongside world-leading industries such as offshore wind, and unlocking the data to tell this story is something that I am passionate about, so that more people can understand just how amazing our oceans are.”
