HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — June 8 is World Oceans Day, and there are events happening all across the Tampa Bay region. It's a day dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of our waterways.
For people in the Gulf Coast, World Oceans Day is more than just one day on the calendar. Volunteers are working every day to protect and preserve our oceans, bays and beaches. This weekend is about celebrating that work and inspiring more to join in.
WATCH Tampa Bay prepares to celebrate World Oceans Day this weekend
According to the United States Geological Survey, the ocean covers 71% of the Earth's surface. In Florida, we are lucky enough to experience the ocean regularly, but with that privilege comes responsibility.
“We’re so close to the water, and 80% of litter ends up in our water systems. So having that education and letting the community know," Rebecca Tolbert from Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful said.
Tolbert went on to say that once litter enters the ocean, it never truly goes away.
“Plastic never breaks down 100%, it turns into microplastics, so that’s always affecting marine life,” Tolbert said.
She said they are still finding trash and debris in the water that was blown in during the hurricanes last fall.
This is not just a local issue. Ping Wang is a geology professor at the University of South Florida. He said keeping our oceans clean is a worldwide effort.
“It needs to be solved on a global scale. However, it has to be done realistically at a local scale,” Wang said.
The World Oceans Day events aim to do just that by bringing people together to clean up, educate and celebrate the vital role the ocean plays in our lives.
World Ocean Day events are listed below.
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Keep Pinellas Beautiful host World Ocean Day celebration
- June 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- The Florida Aquarium World Ocean Soiree
- June 7, 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
- Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful hosts backyard bash
- June 7, 9 a.m.
Clearwater Senior Condo owners still waiting for elevator to return to service 5 months later
Residents at "On Top of the World" senior condominium have been forced to live without a functioning elevator for more than four months. The latest notice posted on the elevator stated that it would likely return to service on June 4, but by the end of the day, they were still left without service.
