What we can learn from Finding Nemo on this World Ocean Day

Finding Nemo is how we at JAGRAT were introduced to the astonishing flora and fauna beneath our oceans. In a father's quest for his son we are introduced to everything that is magnificient about the oceans - the breathtaking Great Barrier Reef, all sorts of marine lifeforms and how they are delicately linked to one another, the working mechanism of oceans - who can forget the mind numbing shortcut Merlin and Dory undertake via East Australian Current?. But most importantly the movie portrays the impact humans can have on the oceans.

Today our oceans need our support more than ever because of the following -

1. oceanic pollution - they are becoming a dump yard of plastic waste, oil leakage and other waste disposal.

2. over exploitation of marine natural resources.

3. increasing ocean acidification due to global warming

4. increasing threat to ocean biodiversity, the most prominent example being coral bleaching.

It is owing to these that United Nations has specifically added SDG 14 - LIFE BELOW WATER, among the 17 sustainable development goals.

Apart from institutional actions we believe collective small steps can have domino effect on any issue and one small thing that each and every one of us can do is SAY NO TO SINGLE USE PLASTIC like water bottles and plastic straws, which form a majority of plastic waste dumped in the oceans.

Oceans are the sustainer of our planet providing vital ecosystem services. Among there many important roles here are a few which we all must know and appreciate

• oceans produce 50% of world's oxygen and act as a great carbon sink by absorbing huge amounts of CO2

• oceans regulate weather and climate of earth through temperature distribution across both terrestrial and marine realms

• ocean are great enabler of trade, providing livelihood to millions of people

• oceans are important source of tourism. they are a source of awesome aesthetic travel destination. can we imagine our planet without its terrific beaches and oceans? Hell no!

Its our responsibility to ensure that Nemo doesn't get lost in the ocean.