The Ocean makes Planet Earth a place where we can live. The marine environment is a vital source of benefits to human health.

How?

From March 2015 through February 2018 the Sea Change project aimed to spark a fundamental change in the way that European citizens view their relationship with the sea. It did this by empowering them, as citizens with knowledge of the Ocean, to take direct and sustainable measures in favor of healthy oceans and seas, healthy communities, and finally, a healthy planet.

The Sea Change project involved a wide range of target audiences, from scientists to sailors and from students to political leaders. Sea Change not only bears on the vital importance of a healthy ocean and its relationship to human health. This project also addresses the role of humans in nurturing ocean-friendly healthy activities and habits (through simple, everyday actions), leaving a legacy of awareness and care for the planet’s most important resource: the Ocean.

Sea Change’s key objectives:

– To compile an in-depth review of the associations between the Ocean and human health based on results from the most recent research.

– To build upon the latest social research on the attitudes, perceptions and values of citizens and interested parties to help design and kick off successful mobilization activities focused on education, the community and governance agents that target citizens directly.

– To build upon the important work carried out to date, adopting best practices and consolidating ocean literacy into established initiatives and strategic networks. The purpose of this is to contribute to magnifying results and guaranteeing sustainability to the maximum extent possible.

– To ensure that efforts to build a society with ocean skills in Europe continue beyond Sea Change’s life cycle with codes of good practices, public campaigns and other community activities underway.

– To guarantee that all of Sea Change’s activities are carefully monitored and assessed to ensure the highest sustainability, effectiveness and efficiency.

– To guarantee exchange of knowledge with transatlantic partners for a global approach to protecting our planet’s shared oceans and seas.

Would you like to learn more about this incredible project and its results? Please visit http://www.seachangeproject.eu/

OCEAN LITERACY

Most European citizens are unaware of the medical, economic, social, political and environmental importance of the sea for Europe, or even for the rest of the world. Many of us aren’t cognizant that our everyday actions can have a cumulative effect on Ocean health, which is such a necessary resource that must be protected for all life to exist on Planet Earth.

You can find all the videos from the campaign MAKE A SMALL CHANGE FOR SEA CHANGE: #OurOceanOurHealth on our SUBMON YouTube channel

This project received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 program.