This time of year, many of us gather around to give thanks for our family, friends, and delicious food, but we should give our thanks to the ocean and Great Lakes as well. After all, they give us so much.
The ocean gives us over half the oxygen in our atmosphere.
The ocean and Great Lakes give us places to swim, fish, kayak, boat, and enjoy.
They give us dynamic animals to watch, fueling ecotourism and providing joy to those who get to see them.
These bodies of water give us food, whether it’s the fish you have for dinner, the seaweed around your sushi, or the carageenan in your ice cream.
Over three-quarters of all U.S. trade travels on the oceans or Great Lakes at some point, so you can also thank our ocean and Great Lakes for the packages you order on cyber Monday.
Here at the NOAA Marine Debris Program, we are thankful for the community of partners who support our mission and are the key to keeping our sea free of debris. We could not do our work without them. We will show our thanks by continuing support the incredible projects that remove debris from our shore, educate the public about this important issue, and conduct research on this vital topic. How will you show your thanks?