It is undeniable that humans have a deep connection with the ocean. From the ocean's provision of resources, to its inspiration for the arts and literature, to cultural rituals and recreational activities ingrained within our societies, humans have benefitted from the ocean for centuries. With its unfathomable depth and unending shores, it would appear that the ocean is vast enough to be resilient against all human uses and impacts. Afterall, what is one more piece of plastic in the neverending sea? Is it so awful if we kill a few sharks?

However, as human populations began to grow exponentially and the demands from the ocean rose accordingly, humans began to see the destructive impacts we have. One piece of plastic turned into billions of pieces, a few drops of polluted water turned into thousands of gallons of sewage drained into the ocean, and a few sharks became millions of sharks killed every year. We started to see collapse of fisheries, loss of marine species and ecosystems, buildup of oceanic garbage patches, and much, much more.

Combining these demonstrated impacts with our increasing knowledge of the ocean from scientific advances, we now know that we don't have an ocean of unlimited and renewable resources. The ecosystems in the ocean are damaged and the resources will be quickly depleted completely if we keep using the ocean at the same rate. It has become an international and multilateral crisis requiring solutions from every public and private sector.

The United Nations has proclaimed 2021-2030 to be a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Developement to protect the ocean and a Decade of Ecosystem Restoration in order to reverse the damages that had been done. Following suit, the International School of Macao is also proclaiming our school year to be A Year for the Ocean. At TIS, we recognize that we have a responsibility to educate our students so that they become knowledgeable global citizens and are equipped with the problem solving abilities to make positive changes in our world.