Celebrate World Ocean Day

Nova Scotians can celebrate World Ocean Day on Friday, June 8, by attending an exhibit on the Halifax waterfront and an evening lecture at Dalhousie University.

Representatives of government, industry and non-government organizations will gather behind the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic to raise awareness of the important impact oceans have in our lives.

"Nova Scotians have a long historical connection to the ocean and it continues to play a role in our everyday lives by providing jobs, food and recreational opportunities," said Ron Chisholm, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. "We all need to do our part to ensure that the ocean is protected and conserved for future generations."

World Ocean Day activities will be held on the wharf behind the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be interactive and educational exhibits and displays, a touch tank, demonstrations, and face painting. The event will take place rain or shine.

A lecture will be held at 7 p.m. at the Dalhousie law school with speaker Kathleen Conlan, a research scientist with the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Her research is focused on Arctic and Antarctic Oceans.

June 8 was identified as World Oceans Day by the United Nations at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It is part of Environment Week, which runs June 3 to 9.