IYOR contribution to the World Ocean Day
June 8th, 2008

On Sunday 8th June 2008, a community Mural (11 m. x 4m.) was realized by marine artist Carlos Hiller, with the help of more than seventy local children (with the support of the non profit children's association Proyecto de Luz).

The theme of the mural was "Coral Reefs" in order to celebrate the international Year of the Reef 2008.

In addition, Carlos Hiller painted a huge Bull Shark, portraying how beautiful and imposing these wonderful marine inhabitants really are. During the painting, children filled in the outlines of marine life around the coral reefs and also wrote letters and created drawings to send to different governmental institutions, indicating their perceptions, desires and hopes about the importance of protecting the marine environment.

This first Marine awareness mural is part of a Carlos Hiller`s national level campaign to encourage different cities and towns simultaneously to educate and raise awareness about the importance of protecting our marine resources.

This event was also attended by hundreds of children and parents united to clean the beaches, build sand sculptures, and experience boat rides. Everyone was eager to learn more about the protection of the marine resources. For more information, contact Carlos Hiller

In celebration of Palau Year of the Reef 2008 & the World Ocean Day an "Arts & Crafts Week at Palau Aquarium" was held from June 3 to June 9, 2008 for children from ages 6 to 10 years old. During the "Arts & Crafts week", children use their artistic skills to sketch and color the animals they have had a chance to observe at the aquariums, learn about the basic needs for different marine animals to survive, and use their creativity skills to assemble and design crafts with marine themes, and paint marine animal patterns on fabrics. Participants bring home with them all the crafts and artworks they create during the week. The aim was to cultivate awareness of our coral reefs to this age group.

Kids working on poster title "Our Reefs, Our Lives". They choose their favorite marine organisms, color it and glue it to the reef.	Kids out on a rock island swimming. The purpose of the field trip was to study algae and seagrass.

As a part the celebrations held for National Environmental Awareness Week, June 1-7, The Ecosystems Management Branch of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) hosted a booth in celebration of World Ocean Day. Ocean Day, celebrated on June 8, is an annual celebration and call to action for the protection of the world's oceans and is an opportunity each year to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea.

Held on June 5, 2008, on the lawns of the historical Devon House in Kingston, Jamaica, the Expo was well attended, primarily by a host of local schools, with students ranging from kinder to tertiary level. Because 2008 also celebrates the International Year of the Reef, our focus for World Ocean Day was the reef. The booth featured a "touch tank" aquarium, with a variety of marine life including a mangrove prop root community with oysters, an assortment of fish, sting ray, sea star, crab, lobster, sea urchin, sea cucumber, sponges and sea squirt

The booth also displayed examples of different types coral skeleton, turtle shells, and preserved exhibits of a Nurse Shark and Lion Fish. A host of printed material was available for perusal, along with pamphlets which were distributed as reminders of how we can all play a part in saving our ocean.

During the course of the day, a short television interview and a 15 minute radio broadcast were done highlighting World Ocean Day and International Year of the Reef, calling for a concerted local effort to protect our ocean and reefs. As part of our media campaign, an article was also printed in the primary local newspaper, the Gleaner. The article, titled "Coral Reefs – rainforests of the ocean", spoke of IYOR and drew attention to coral reefs as very important parts of the ocean environment.

Stickers, drawstring tote bags and water-bottles were given as souvenirs, each printed with an Ocean Day message - "Protect our ocean, save our reefs".

For more information, contact Stacey-Anne Moses, Ecosystems Management Branch, Integrated Planning and Environment Division, National Environment and Planning Agency.

Booth being prepared before start of activities	Curious onlookers of all ages	The kids learn about marine life
Booth being prepared before start of activities	Curious onlookers of all ages	Drawstring bag and water bottle souvenirs

To celebrate World Ocean Day during International Year of the Reef 2008, and to raise awareness about the value and importance of coral reefs and threats to their health and sustainability, Project AWARE is holding a parade on 28 June 2008 in the online virtual world of Second Life (SL). Residents of SL are invited to participate in the float competition by building coral reef themed floats.

The building competition launches on 8 June (World Oceans Day) and runs until 28 June with prizes on parade day for the best 3 floats and coverage in real life publications.

Following the parade, stay and celebrate our ocean environment with others and mingle at the beach party where you can enjoy food, drinks, hovercrafts and inner tube races. Contact “Kaikou Splash” in-world or email: lauren.wiskerson@projectaware.org for a float vehicle script and an invitation to the float builders group.