Mission
The mission of the Voorhees High School Ocean Conservation Club is to educate students on the challenges that the ocean is facing, reasons why the ocean is so important, and how we can help. We will educate students through the use of posters, videos, newsletters, and more. Another goal is to raise money for the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center.
Why is the Ocean important?
The ocean is extremely important because it provides food for millions of people, it is the home of over 9 million species, provides millions of people with jobs, and it is the source of many fun leisure activities.
Challenges that the Ocean is facing
1. Overfishing
2. Bycatch
3. Pollution
4. Ocean Acidification
5. Species Extinction
2. Bycatch
3. Pollution
4. Ocean Acidification
5. Species Extinction
Solutions
1. Clean Ocean Initiative- Make sure you dispose hazardous or toxic waste properly and use any reusable items. (ex. reusable water bottles or cloth grocery bags.)
2. Sustainable Fisheries- Try to carry around a sustainable seafood card and ask a seafood restaurant or a local fish market where to buy from sustainable fisheries.
3. Ocean Planning- Let people know who are impacted by the ocean the most to plan for the future.
4. Beach Clean-ups- Volunteer for beach clean ups or bring a garbage bag with you to pick up trash.
5. Marine Protected Areas- Industrial activities, like shipping and oil drilling could have consequences for a region that is already under stress.
2. Sustainable Fisheries- Try to carry around a sustainable seafood card and ask a seafood restaurant or a local fish market where to buy from sustainable fisheries.
3. Ocean Planning- Let people know who are impacted by the ocean the most to plan for the future.
4. Beach Clean-ups- Volunteer for beach clean ups or bring a garbage bag with you to pick up trash.
5. Marine Protected Areas- Industrial activities, like shipping and oil drilling could have consequences for a region that is already under stress.
How we can help
1. Vote for good ocean policies-Trying to elect the right public officials is important to good ocean policy.
2. Eat sustainable seafood- "Line caught", "diver caught", "sustainably caught", or "sustainably harvested" are good terms to look for when buying fish.
2. Eat sustainable seafood- "Line caught", "diver caught", "sustainably caught", or "sustainably harvested" are good terms to look for when buying fish.