Ocean Journal
Stories from the sea
Ocean days worth marking, and the surprising lives of the nine animals behind Sea Soul.
Sea Soul series: nine creatures, little-known habits
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Part 1Sea Turtle SecretsSea turtles respond to Earth's magnetic field, return to nest near where they hatched, and can dive to nearly 4,000 feet. -
Part 2Dolphin SecretsBottlenose dolphins call each other with signature whistles, rest one half of the brain at a time, and pass a hunting tool from mother to daughter. -
Part 3Octopus SecretsOctopuses have three hearts and blue blood, change colour while being colour-blind, and guard their eggs for months. -
Part 4Manta Ray SecretsManta rays have the biggest brains of any fish, react to their own reflection, and somersault while they feed. -
Part 5Jellyfish SecretsOne jellyfish can turn back its life cycle, one seems to sleep without a brain, and one has 24 eyes. -
Part 6Pufferfish SecretsPufferfish swell to about three times their volume, eat with a beak of fused teeth, and one small species draws 2-metre circles in the sand. -
Part 7Seahorse SecretsMale seahorses give birth, couples greet each other with a morning dance, and seahorses are the slowest-moving fish on record. -
Part 8Shark SecretsSharks sense electric fields, one species lives for centuries, and the biggest shark of all eats plankton. -
Part 9Crab SecretsHermit crabs queue to swap shells, fiddler crabs wave to court, and some crabs dress up in sponges and anemones.
Ocean days and months
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2February World Wetlands DayOn 2 February the world looks at wetlands, which cover a small share of land but hold a large share of life. -
1March World Seagrass DaySeagrass covers a tiny part of the seabed but stores a large share of ocean carbon, and Thailand has more than 159,000 rai of it. -
30March International Day of Zero WasteEach 30 March the UN asks how much we throw away, and the answer starts with what is on our plates. -
AprilAll month Earth MonthApril is the month of Earth Day on 22 April, which began in 1970 when 20 million Americans took part. -
22May International Day for Biological DiversityOn 22 May the UN looks at the variety of life on Earth, including the two thirds of the marine environment already changed by people. -
23May World Turtle DaySince 2000, 23 May has been a day to learn about turtles, a group that has lived for 220 million years and now faces steep losses. -
JuneAll month National Ocean MonthIn the United States, June is National Ocean Month, a reminder that the ocean holds most of Earth's water and makes about half its oxygen. -
5June World Environment DayHeld since 1973 and led by UNEP, 5 June is a reminder that plastic made on land often ends up in water. -
5June Day Against Illegal FishingOn 5 June the UN draws attention to illegal fishing, which is estimated to account for 1 in every 5 fish caught. -
8June World Oceans DayOn 8 June the world turns to the ocean, which covers over 70 per cent of the planet and produces at least half of its oxygen. -
9June Coral Triangle DaySince 2012, 9 June has celebrated the Coral Triangle, home to 76 per cent of the world's coral species. -
JulyAll month Plastic Free JulyPlastic Free July began in Western Australia in 2011 and now invites people in 190 countries to refuse single-use plastic for a month. -
14July Shark and Ray Awareness DayOn 14 July aquariums turn the spotlight on sharks and rays, a third of which face extinction. -
26July Mangrove DaySince 2015, UNESCO has marked 26 July for mangroves, forests that can cut wave heights by up to 99 per cent. -
12September World Dolphin DayOn 12 September, World Dolphin Day asks us to learn about dolphins and the threats they face, from fishing gear to habitat loss. -
17September World Manta DayEvery 17 September, the Manta Trust celebrates manta and devil rays and calls for stronger protection. -
8October World Octopus DayOn 8 October aquariums celebrate the octopus, an animal of around 300 species found in every ocean. -
3November World Jellyfish DayFirst marked in 2014, 3 November is a day to learn about jellyfish, animals that are about 95 per cent water. -
4December Thai Environment DaySince 1991, 4 December has been Thailand's day for nature, a good time to look at the country's 3,151 kilometres of coastline.
From Waste to Wonder