From the Desk of Dr. Rick Spinrad: ‘What World Ocean Day can look like in 100 years’

By noaa.gov, noaa.gov.

More often than not, when we talk about ocean conservation, the conversation naturally gravitates toward what we stand to lose if we don’t act. This is only natural, as the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crises forces us to consider a future where our most cherished natural places are irrevocably harmed and keystone species are lost.

I know that we cannot be naive in the face of science, but I’d like to propose an alternate frame of mind – one that focuses on the tremendous economic, public health, and climate benefits we stand to gain from protecting our ocean at the scale that’s needed. As the theme of this World Ocean Day is “Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing”offsite link, I’d like for us to imagine a future where those tides bring in possibility and abundance rather than loss and sacrifice.

I like to imagine the accomplishments my successors will tout decades from now, especially those which resulted from the comprehensive protection and restoration of our ocean. One of those key building blocks is the first-ever United States Ocean Climate Action Plan, released in March by the Biden-Harris Administration. It charts a path to harness the power of the ocean to build a sustainable future for all.  NOAA’s work to safeguard and restore our coasts and waters as well as our scientific and technological advancements will play a role in these successes, but we can’t do it alone. We need every person to know what’s possible and help push for it — starting at the local level.

What if we could say that we adequately curbed climate change and ocean conservation was a key part of the solution? That the world finally realized that the ocean could not act as a sponge for polluting emissions and global warming forever and stepped up its protection of our waters? We now live in a carbon-neutral society, and as a result, the ocean has had time to recover and bring its capacity to store heat back into balance.

Read the full article here: From the Desk of Dr. Rick Spinrad: ‘What World Ocean Day can look like in 100 years’

Originally published on 8 June, 2026.

A fish-eye view of the wake of a ship out at sea. Here's an ocean fact: The surface layer of the ocean is teeming with photosynthetic plankton. Though they're invisible to the naked eye, they produce more oxygen than the largest redwood trees. (Image credit: NOAA)