On 8 June 2023, UNPA issues new stamps to celebrate World Oceans Day – focusing on coral reefs. The United Nations recognizes World Oceans Day every year on 8 June to celebrate the world’s shared ocean and our personal connection to the sea, as well as to raise global awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in our lives and the important ways people can help protect it.
The theme for World Oceans Day 2023 is “Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing”. The ocean covers most of the earth, but only a small portion of its waters has been explored. Despite humanity’s utter reliance on oceans and compared to the breadth and depth of what they give us, the oceans receive only a fragment of our attention and resources in return.
Oceans feed us, regulate our climate, and generate most of the oxygen we breathe. They also serve as the foundation for much of the world’s economy, supporting sectors such as tourism, fisheries and international shipping.
But despite their importance, oceans are facing unprecedented threats as a result of human activity. Every year, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in the world’s oceans. At the same time, climate change is damaging coral reefs and other key ecosystems; overfishing is threatening the stability of fish stocks; nutrient pollution is contributing to the creation of dead zones; and nearly 80 per cent of the world’s wastewater is discharged without treatment.
Coral reefs are well known as some of the most beautiful, biologically diverse and delicate ecosystems in the world. They are also vital to maintaining food supply and protecting the shoreline of low-lying island nations. Nevertheless, the UN Environment Programme estimates that about 25 to 50% per cent of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed and another 60 per cent are under threat.
The Designs:
US$ 0.63 The Florida reefs, United States
