If Blue Planet II has inspired you to help our oceans, then you've come to the right place!
Below we share some links and information on the issues our oceans face and how you can help.
And remember, the oceans connect us all so what you do doesn't just help marine life in and around the coast where you live, but will help our oceans globally.
Things you can do!
Join a beach clean
Take part in a community clean up and help pick up litter at the beach. If you can’t get to a beach, no problem, a litter pick anywhere will help to improve your environment. Beach cleans take part in communities all around the world. Ocean Conservancy lists coastal clean-ups around the world and check with community groups in your area.
What's on your plate?
If you have ever wondered where the fish you eat comes from then this handy guide will help you to choose sustainably caught fish, which in turn protects fish stocks and other marine wildlife and habitats.
The problem with plastic
What on earth is a nurdle?
These tiny, lentil sized plastic pieces are by-products of various manufacturing processes and end up in our oceans in their millions as a result of mishandling and accidental spilling in industry.
These small pellets never go away, instead breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces, which in turn are ingested by birds and fish, entering into the foodchain with fatal effects.
Some of the world’s deepest living sea creatures have been found to have plastic in them including those off the Scottish coast. Researchers at the Scottish Association for Marine Science sampled creatures off the Western Isles and a staggering 48% were found to have plastic in them, at depths of up to 2,000m (6,561.8ft). Read more.
These plastics consisted of polyethylene and polyester found in plastic shopping bags and clothing. Polyester fibres can reach the seas in waste water from washing machines. To add to the problem, many household and cosmetic products contain tiny pieces of plastics, known as microplastics. Even smaller than nurdles, these microplastics are washed down the drain when you brush your teeth, scrub your face or clean the house and can end up in our oceans as they are too small to be caught in water filtration systems.
The UK government pledged to ban plastic microbeads by 2017 and the good news is that there’s a free app, which can help you find out whether your facescrub or toothpaste contains plastics. The Beat the Bead app scans the barcodes on household and cosmetic products, checking whether they contain these harmful plastics, allowing you to make an informed choice.
Used for just a few minutes, plastic straws can take hundreds of years to decompose if not recycled. Seabirds like the wandering albatross travel thousands of miles in search for food. Often mistaking plastic for food, this ends up in their stomachs and so in their young as well.
Paper over plastic
By choosing cotton buds with cardboard sticks instead of plastic, you’re making a big difference.
Click here to discover how you can contribute to positive change. Not only in our oceans, but for endangered species and habitats around the globe.