A comfy chair, a cup of coffee, my library, the garden nearby ,a view of the ocean on one side and green mountains on another. That is my kind of place to live in. I have written about ways to beat plastic pollution and how an uncontrolled population can lead to more pollution of the environment in previous posts.The world needs a balance and what we do today for mother earth will help our children tomorrow.

When I visited Araku Valley and saw the sea beach at the foothill of the green mountain. I knew I wanted to live there.

When I visited Palolem Beach in Goa, I was sure.

In West Bengal, Mandarmani is a favorite beach destination for our family. We often spend time at Sonar Bangla and Aqua Marina Drive. Both locations offer direct access to the beach at Mandarmani and peaceful days admiring the ocean, swimming in it, and searching for shells.

I visited the ocean at Mandarmoni at least a dozen times, maybe more, in the last ten years.It was so frequent that we lost count.But it was during the pandemic in 2020 December that we visited with family that made us realize how blessed we are to even see an ocean.

Oceans existed before we came on the earth and the earth is three-quarters water and for a good reason. The sight of flowing water, milky frothy waves building up a crescendo and crashing down and starting all over again has a hypnotic effect. After the cyclone, we visited Mandarmani and it was sad the appearance of the property . But the ocean stood as glorious as ever.

I looked at it in wonder, awe, and sometimes I was little afraid. It feels wonderful to breathe in it but it’s unforgiving. It’s a reflection of the cycle of life and death that we go through repeatedly.

Life’s cycle – birth, crying, growing up, finding love, giving birth, and growing old.

On World Ocean Day I am grateful for the seas and oceans I have seen.

I am grateful for their beauty.

I am grateful for how they have given me a sense of calm when the world was chaotic.

I am grateful for the moments of peace they give me when my daughter played in the sand as a s toddler.

I am grateful for the golden sunsets and the beautiful seagulls.

I am grateful for the dolphins I saw playing in the Arabian Sea when I went on an early morning cruise in Goa. I thought it would be some people in dolphin costumes and it wasn’t that! The cynical me gave dreaming another chance.

I am grateful for the beautiful shells we collected.

I am grateful for the beautiful friends we made on the sea beaches.

I am grateful for the blue in the ocean (I hope it stays).

I am grateful for the golden sandy beaches bordering the ocean.

Ocean provides food, energy, and economic support to the world.That all goes inside the gratitude basket .

I am grateful to realize that “every drop makes an ocean”.

I am grateful that the world under the ocean exists. Because there are aquatic plants that help make the world’s environment cleaner and oxygen-rich.

Do you know?Ocean Trivia I loved

What percentage of oxygen comes from ocean plants?

Prochlorococcus and other ocean phytoplankton handle 70 percent of Earth’s oxygen production. Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, a National Geographic Explorer, has estimated that Prochlorococcus provides oxygen for one in every five breaths we take. (Source1)

What amount of Carbon Dioxide is absorbed by the Ocean?

25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by oceans. They also help reduce up to 90 percent of the heat from emissions. Oceans are the largest carbon sink and also the ‘lungs of the planet’. (Source 1,2).

How does the Mangroves help create a greener world?

Mangroves are the perfect trees for creating carbon-rich ecosystems. They not only support the livelihoods of fishermen but help improve the quality of water and prevent coastal erosion. West Bengal has seen a decrease in 110 square kilometers of mangroves in two decades. Deforestation, agriculture, and aquaculture can all threaten mangroves. Irresponsible shrimp farming can lead to more damage to this already at-risk ecosystem. (Source 3,4)

Do you know how long India’s coastline is?

It is 7.5 thousand kilometers of coastline gives India a unique position in the world.

Blue Economic policy is drafted for India by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) to take care of our seas and oceans and the life that is supported by them. (Source 5).

There is a plan to generate clean, green energy and fresh water from the ocean using the latest technology. The UN General Assembly has declared the 2021-2030 decade as the Ocean Decade. The plan is to increase ocean research and raise public awareness of the importance of sustainable ocean use.

How to prevent pollution of the ocean?

Plastic pollution seen on the surface of the oceans makes up only 5% of the actual plastic in the ocean. The major part pollutes the ocean bed destroying the critical ecosystem

• Reducing the use of plastic and picking up your own trash and these ideas I shared in this post can help us do our part in reducing plastic pollution.
• Preventing excessive seafood farming.
• Avoiding irresponsible tourism activities can go a long way in helping keep our oceans clean and blue.

Writing this for #CauseAchatter with Blogchatter .