In December 2008 the United Nations officially designated June 8 of every year as World Oceans Day, an idea first proposed by Canada at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.In a speech to the UN General Assembly on the first observance of the event, then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan remarked that “…World Oceans Day allows us to highlight the many ways in which oceans contribute to society. It is also an opportunity to recognise the considerable challenges we face in maintaining their capacity to regulate the global climate, supply essential ecosystem services and provide sustainable livelihoods and safe recreation.”Last year, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon added that “World Oceans Day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of oceans to humankind’s sustainable development.”Now, 20 years after its inception, World Oceans Day is being celebrated around the world with a focus on the 201½012 theme Youth: the Next Wave for Change.The global event, coordinated in a joint effort between The Ocean Project (theoceanproject.org) and the World Ocean Network (www.worldoceannetwork.org), is expected to raise awareness of how people especially young people can engage in ocean stewardship.Activities planned around the June 8 event include art exhibits, community festivals, public workshops on ocean conservation issues, shoreline clean-ups, and ocean-themed programmes at zoos and aquaria.Last year more than 400 events were held in 70 countries as part of the World Oceans Day celebration. You can celebrate World Oceans Day on June 8 here in Bermuda at a reception at HSBC beginning at 5.30pm. Four local experts will share their perspectives on ocean research, management and activism. For more information or to RSVP for this event contact Vanessa.Shorto@bios.edu.If you’re looking for a way to get involved with ocean stewardship activities here in Bermuda, take a moment to check out these opportunities:1. Join or start a shoreline/beach cleanup through Keep Bermuda Beautiful. Find out locations and dates of upcoming cleanups or learn how to organise your own community cleanup by visiting their website www.kbb.bm.2. Volunteer your time with Bermuda BREAM Programme, a non-profit research and conservation initiative. Learn more about their activities and how you can get involved at bermudabream.blogspot.com.3. Join the ranks of volunteers at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. You can get involved in everything from education programmes, animal husbandry, exhibit maintenance, special events and more! Contact their Volunteer Coordinator at 293-2727 ext 2130 or email volunteers.bzs@gov.bm for details.4. Assist on the frontlines of ocean science research by becoming a volunteer at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science (BIOS). For more information e-mail Vanessa.Shorto@bios.edu or call 297-1880 ext 204.If you can’t volunteer your time, remember these five easy steps to keeping Bermuda’s waters clean and healthy:O: observe wildlife (like whales, birds and turtles) from a safe and respectful distanceC: clean up after yourself (and others!) at the beachE: enjoy beach trails but stay off the sand dunes, as this contributes to erosionA: always use recycled or re-usable containers and bags when possibleN: never leave pet waste on the ground. Remember to pick up after your pet!***For more information on World Oceans Day visit worldoceansday.org.You can also follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/CelebrateOceans or on Facebook at facebook.com/WorldOceansDay.