Here are a few comments from those involved in the day! Please Excuse the different text! Heres to LivWOD 2013 so it seems! 

Jen 


From Blue Ocean Planet 

Liverpoools World Ocean Day (WOD) organised by Jen Cooper, was one of the first of such events to be held in Liverpool to raise awareness about the oceans.
 
These events are crucial to raising awareness about the plight of our marine ecosystems, especially for the benefit of children. We cant underplay anymore the state of our oceans due to overfishing,  deep sea oil drilling,  and ever increasing amounts of plastic entering our seas. The facts need to be conveyed to the public and our children so we can take more care and take steps to do our own little bit to reduce our impacts on the oceans. In the past decade, fish stocks have been depleted and huge plastic islands called Gyres now exist in the oceans, where samples of sea water contain 6 times more plastic than plankton. We need to address these problems, and work together.
Several organisations attended, including Wildlife Trust, Sea Watch, Blue Ocean Planet and Liverpool Museums. Wildlife Trust had a wonderful interactive game to teach children about local habitats and species, Liverpool Museums had a display of rockpool species. There was face painting and videos of local porpoise filmed at the mouth of the Mersey. The activities gave a good overview of local marine life and wider global issues. We were encouraged to talk to so many interested parents, who signed our 'ban shark fin soup' petition and 'ban the plastic bag' petition.  The children helped paint a dolphin and signed their names as part of a campaign that aims to establish a Southern Atlantic Whale Sanctuary, where cetaceans would be protected from hunting. Blue Ocean Planet feels that more events like these should be held on a regular basis.
 
We enjoyed the day, despite heavy rain later in the day and feel encouraged to meet other organisations and undergraduates who all share a passion for the marine world, which we hope to pass onto other people, so we can hopefully become a more aware community about just how crucial it is to protect our oceans and manage them sustainably.
 
I think more events should be held.
 
Blue Ocean Planet.




The National Museums Liverpool

At the beginning of June aquarium team headed down to Liverpool One with some of our more outgoing animals to celebrate World Oceans Day.  Passers by had the chance to get up close to our rock pool animals and even touch some of them! 

The ocean-loving people from The University of Liverpool, The Marine Conservation Society and The Wildlife Trust were also on hand, to name but a few. Despite the weather it was a great day with arts and crafts, face-painting and a heap of activities all free and great for kids. The event was full of passionate and knowledgeable people.

People all over the world get together every year for this international event to highlight and celebrate our oceans. Not only are our oceans full of amazing creatures, they are vital for life itself. Life started from the oceans and the majority of the oxygen we breathe comes from algae in the oceans. The weather and climate is regulated by our oceans. It was great to meat so many people to celebrate the ocean and talk about the wildlife in our waters.

Cheers

Clare

 

The Sea Watch Foundation 

Ahoy there!

Yesterday was World Ocean Day and I was out in Liverpool to celebrate with the students of Liverpool University, Liverpool World Museum, the Living Seasproject from the Wildlife Trust, Blue Ocean Planet,Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities, Marine Stewardship Council and many more fishy characters at the first ever Liverpool Fish Fest. Of course I was there representing the Sea Watch Foundation raising awareness for local marine mammals, a lot of people could not believe their eyes when they looked at our ‘recent sightings’ board!

Since the river Mersey has had quite a poor reputation in regards to water quality and wildlife sightings, many people were startled to learn that it supports a good population of cod as well as thornback rays but the sightings that no doubt surprised people the most were those of marine mammals; grey seals, harbour porpoise and even the occasional group of bottlenose dolphins! Although quite a few people we spoke to had heard of sightings or even seen harbour porpoises themselves, most believed this to be an exceptional rather than an everyday occurrence!

Some of our most recent sightings include:

08.06.2012 6 bottlenose dolphins off Blackpool South promenade

03.06.2012 1 grey seal in the Mersey

01.06.2012 1 harbour porpoise feeding off  Marine Point, New Brighton

28.05.2012 6 harbour porpoise off Blackpool

For more check out the Sea Watch recent sightings page!

With a severe weather and flood warnings issued for many parts of the UK, we were all doing our best to ignore the weather report, think happy thoughts and enjoy the impeccably organised event. And sure enough, despite persistent drizzle, the first visitors arrived while many of us were still setting up. With Murdock, the Marine Stewardship Council’s cat mascot, and Liverpool’s very own story telling mermaid promoting the Fish Fest, the event soon filled up despite the dismal weather.

By the afternoon, there was a steady stream of interested visitors, particularly children who enjoyed the many ocean related activities that were on offer, including Sea Watch’s very own fin matching game which gave them the chance to have an insight into an important aspect of scientific work: photo-identification, matching individual dolphins by the markings on their fins. While the children played, there was plenty of opportunity to chat with the adults- and reduce them to a state of child-like wonder with fun facts about UK cetaceans! Hopefully a few more people will now keep their eyes fixed on the sea when they’re out and about in Merseyside- and of course report their sightings to us!

Unfortunately, it was not only the amount of visitors that increased throughout the day, by 2PM, several stands had to be relocated as they were threatening to blow away, and finally, at around 3 PM, the event had to be cut short as several tents achieved lift off and flew several metres in the air, knocking over stands and displays- though luckily no bystanders.

Despite the early end, the event was thoroughly enjoyable and while the rain certainly dampened many things, it was not successful in dampening anyone’s spirits! Everyone seemed to take the freakishly bad weather (extreme even for a British summer) in their stride and in good humour and enjoyed the exhibits, probably not least due to the highly helpful and cheerful Jen, who organised and financed the whole event through an incredible fundraiser.

Thanks again to the incredible Fish Fest team!

Let’s hope next year brings better weather -and another Fish Fest to look forward to!

The Marine Stewardship Council
 

Liverpool World Oceans day will be using this site to tell you about all the going son at the fish fest and to update photos and goings on from our fundraising event. Keep checking up to find out WHATS new with the Liverpool WOD.