We all know about Earth Day, but there’s another holiday in honor of the Earth: World Water Day. For some this could mean celebrating the water we drink, but today I am going to use this as an excuse to talk about the environment.

About 71 percent of Earth is covered in water, and the oceans alone hold 96.5 percent of the water on Earth. Needless to say, our oceans are an important part of our world. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on our planet. because of this, these reefs are extremely valuable, not to mention their economic and recreational value- however they are in danger due to pollution, overfishing and climate change.

A lot of sea life is in danger because of these reasons as well. Dolphins, sharks and turtles are just some of the animals that die each year because they get caught in fisher nets, a term called bycatching. A new study shows that there are 8 million tons of plastic in our oceans and that number is on the rise. Sea turtles suffocate when they mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, their favorite food, and plastic water bottles can be mistaken for food for other animals as well.

We must preserve our beautiful oceans and marine life. One way you can help our oceans and the animals that inhabit them is to use less plastic and eat less fish.