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BLUE HILL --– The Marine Environmental Research Institute
(MERI) is gearing up for a celebration of World Ocean Day
on June 8, 2003 at its Center for Marine Studies in Blue Hill.
This year is the 11th annual World Ocean Day, created in 1992
at the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. While not yet officially
designated by the UN, organizations and individuals from around
the world come together on this day to celebrate the oceans
and reflect on their importance in our lives. According to
The Ocean Project (www.theoceanproject.org), World Ocean Day
represents four main opportunities:
- An opportunity to change perspective - encouraging individuals
to think about what the sea means to them and what it has
to offer
- An opportunity to learn - many people do not realize the
wealth of diverse and beautiful creatures and habitats which
are found in the sea, how we are all interconnected and
how our daily actions affect them
- An opportunity to alter our ways - people can be encouraged
to become caretakers of our seas and to conserve them for
the present and the future
- An opportunity to celebrate - whether you live inland
or on the coast we are all connected to the oceans and you
can organize or participate in celebrating our seas
Locally, MERI is planning an afternoon of ocean-themed activities
for the entire family, including art exhibits, story-telling,
an open house and more. A detailed schedule will be released
in the coming weeks and available on the MERI website (www.meriresearch.org).
In the meantime, MERI has announced a World Ocean Day Poster
Contest for elementary school-aged kids. Participants are
encouraged to design a World Ocean Day poster illustrating
what the ocean means to them. Runners-up will receive a MERI
t-shirt, and the overall poster design winner receives a MERI
summer Eco-cruise for two. All poster entries will be displayed
at the MERI Center on World Ocean Day. Entry forms have been
made available to local elementary schools and are also available
at the MERI Center at 55 Main Street in Blue Hill. Deadline
for poster submissions is Wednesday, May 28.
The Marine Environmental Research Institute is a non-profit
organization founded in 1990 to protect the health of the
marine environment through research and education. For information
on MERI’s most recent research and World Ocean Day, or
to learn about the programs offered through its Center for
Marine Studies, call 207-374-2135, Email: meri@downeast.net,
or visit MERI online at www.meriresearch.org.
Click to download entry form.
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