One of the virtues of OCEANOISE is that while it includes many academics, it also includes people in ocean policy, marine conservation, and ocean industries. So a lot of work gets done – not just through the presentations, key notes, and poster sessions, but also through the long lunches and social events that orbit around the many discussions stimulated by the programming.
While taking this Earth Day to punctuate our appreciation for the our entire planet may seem a stingy expression of gratitude for Mother Earth that sustains all life, it is a great day to take a pause and honor those people who have dedicated their lives to honor Her – every day.
For most of modern economic history, the ocean has been valued by what can be taken from it: fish landed, oil extracted, minerals surveyed. The living systems that produce those things, and the much larger web of processes that sustain the planet, have been treated as background. Free. Assumed.
Taking a day to celebrate those who have dedicated their lives to supporting our blue planet.
Once the sails went up, the deck was anything but level. For the kids, the first 30 minutes were “pure adrenaline!”