June 8 is World Ocean Day, which makes it the perfect time to learn how to protect the oceans. There are many things we do on a daily basis that actually cause damage to the ocean, which we don’t even realize. Whether you live right next to the ocean or hundreds of miles away, there is so much that you can do to create a better balance in your life in order to improve the health of the planet. Best of all, these tips won’t force you to spend a small fortune on the changes you make, which can definitely help you feel motivated to do your part.

1. Refuse Straws
One of the biggest things you can do for the ocean is to start refusing straws when you go to a restaurant. Of course, you should also stop buying them for your home use, too. Plastic straws are filling up the ocean and are deadly to most marine life. Apart from that, plastic is getting into our water sources. Although straws aren’t the only source of plastic, they are causing a lot of harm to sea life. So, instead of taking the plastic straw, purchase a reusable option. Bamboo options are some of the best on the market and will help you live an eco-friendly life with just one purchase. Once you make the switch to refusing straws then you might consider moving on to other forms of plastic.

2. Know Your Cosmetics
You might be surprised by how many cosmetics take advantage of marine life. Many utilize parts of whales, sharks, and more to help create their product cheaply. Of course, this is never advertised as most companies know that people are currently wanting animal cruelty-free products. However, often marine life slips between the cracks when people look into cruelty-free items. So, the best thing you can do is investigate a company before you buy. You can also lookup ingredients to figure out what exactly is in your makeup. This might help you avoid some pretty nasty chemicals while also ensuring you are doing right by the marine life in the world.

3. Clean Up Beaches
One of the easiest things you can do when it comes to helping out the ocean is to walk around your local beach and clean up. If you live in an area where tourists frequent, then you will probably notice that there is often litter left everywhere. When the tourist season is over, the build-up can be especially overwhelming. If you head to the beach, then just take some time during every visit to clean up the litter. You can also organize groups to help get the mess cleaned up after a tourist season. Even if you don’t live near a beach, you can do your part by cleaning up litter in your local area. You can also make sure to clean up after yourself when you do visit the beach. It doesn’t take a lot of effort, so you can feel reassured you’re doing right by the environment without having to stress.

4. Volunteer
Giving your time is also a great way to help out the ocean. If you live near the sea then there are many volunteer services that you can sign up for. Some will just have you cleaning up the beach or working to clean the water from a special boat. Other services might have you assist in rescue missions. When there are oil spills, you may be asked to help save animals. There are so many different ways you can volunteer to help out. Even if you don’t live near the water, you can volunteer over summer vacations or you can work in your own area to prevent the waste from reaching the ocean. You may also be able to volunteer remotely by helping to pass out information online or in-person to raise awareness.

5. Know Your Seafood
Believe it or not, but the seafood you eat can actually do the ocean harm. Some seafood is over poached while others are raised in captivity which actually damages the natural flow of things. The best thing you can do before indulging in your love of seafood is to do a little research. There are many guides online that tell you about the seafood on offer, so you will know where it comes from. These guides will give you plenty of insight into why eating specific foods is bad for the ocean. Of course, you will also be able to discover which seafood will actually help out the ocean. So, just be mindful of your food options and you can work wonders for the ocean.

6. Be an Activist
When it comes to protecting the ocean, you may find that being an activist is one of the best things you can do. There are numerous activist groups that you can join to help promote the cause and actually dive in to do the work needed to cleanse our oceans. Oceana is one of the top groups that you might want to check out, especially since they offer so much information about what they stand for. If you don’t have a lot of time on your hands or you’re feeling insecure about helping out, then you can start out easily by just hanging out pamphlets and work up as you are available to do so.

7. Always Vote
One of the most important things you can do to help protect the environment is to vote. When you go to place your ballot, choose leaders that are going to do right by the environment. This will require lots of research to figure out who stands behind what they say and who is just talking. When you research, it is important to look at voting records and how each candidate volunteers. Apart from choosing the right candidates, you should also pay attention to laws that come into play. This means staying on top of things. If you have a hard time doing this, there are newsletters you can subscribe to that will help keep you up to date.

8. Contact Representatives
Apart from voting, you can also make your voice heard by contacting your representatives. If you hear about something negatively affecting the environment or ocean life, then write in to make sure your representatives know that it’s not something you stand for. You might ask others to do the same so your voices can be heard. You can find your representative’s number, email, and address to their office online so you can easily make sure your message is heard.

9. Prep Recycling
Another major thing you can do to help the ocean is to prep your recycling. Most importantly, you should cut up any plastic that you plan on recycling. Marine life tends to get caught up in plastic, may it be plastic from sodas or bags from the grocery store. Even cutting up straws can help change the way they affect marine life. Whenever you can, you should also work to reuse your recycling. This will help to prevent more items from getting into the ocean.

10. Educate Yourself
In any situation, one of the best things that you can do is educate yourself. You will find a wide variety of books and documentaries that will help you get a better understanding of the ocean and how to protect it. Apart from that, you will definitely find a huge selection of articles to choose from online. This will help to understand the dire situation that we are dealing with while also allowing you to feel more capable of doing your part to help change the world for the better.

This World Ocean Day, you don’t have to wonder what you can do to change the planet for the better. Instead, you may want to take the time to check out these ideas and see which you can utilize for the holiday and every other day of the year.