World Aquatic Animal Day
#WorldAquaticAnimalDay
World Aquatic Animal Day is an annual event that takes place on April 3. The day is dedicated to celebrating and learning about the importance of all the aquatic creatures that are found in our waters. Aquatic animals are defined as animals that live in water for most of their lives. This includes fish, amphibians, marine mammals, crustaceans, reptiles, molluscs, aquatic birds, aquatic insects, and animals like starfish and corals.
World Aquatic Animal Day was created in 2020 by the Animal Law Clinic at the Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. The lawyers at the clinic wanted to bring attention to the importance of aquatic animals and the risks many of these species face. The Animal Law Clinic was founded in 2008 with a mission to educate the next generation of animal law attorneys and advance animal protection through the law.
Climate change and human activities are two of the main threats harming aquatic animals. Oceans are becoming warmer and more acidic due to climate change, which is altering ecosystems. The increase in overfishing and plastic pollution found in waters puts aquatic animals at risk and threatens the health of their habitats.
Protecting aquatic animals is important because species play a specific role in the ecosystem, contributing to its health and resilience. Aquatic ecosystems provide essential services, including water purification, flood control, and nutrient cycling. Protecting aquatic animals helps maintain these ecosystem services, benefiting both human communities and the environment. Aquatic animals are also integral parts of complex food webs. Predators help control the population of prey species, preventing overpopulation and maintaining ecological balance.
World Aquatic Animal Day highlights the issues harming aquatic animals. It aims to raise global awareness so that policies, laws, education and outreach can be created to help protect these animals. The hope is to elevate the status of aquatic animals so that people are more motivated and encouraged to take an active role in learning about them and protecting them.
How to celebrate:
- Learn about the threats aquatic animals face
- Visit a local aquarium or wildlife sanctuary to learn more about aquatic animals
- Watch a documentary about sea life, such as The Blue Planet, Mission Blue, and Life in the Blue)
- Research ways to reduce your use of plastics and products using microbeads
- Sign a petition supporting a ban on single-use plastics or other practices that threaten aquatic animals.
- Keep aquatic animals off of your plate; try a plant-based diet instead.
- Donate to aquatic animal organizations.
Fun Facts:
- Many species of fish are hermaphrodites.
- Barnacles are actually crustaceans related to crabs and lobsters
- A shrimp’s heart is in their head
- Octopus can change colours to communicate with each other
- Sailfish are the fastest fish in the ocean, swimming as fast as 70 miles per hour.
- Male seahorses carry the eggs and can give birth to 100 to 2500 baby seahorses.
- Jellyfish have been around longer than dinosaurs.
- Turtles live on every continent except for Antarctica.
