Our oceans define our planet. Their waters cover up nearly 80% of the earth’s surface, coloring the globe blue and making our lands seem miniscule in size. Something of that magnitude often gets overlooked, so this June 8, we celebrate World Oceans Day — a day dedicated to honoring, protecting, and conserving the ocean.

With the kind of expanse the ocean has, it naturally plays a pivotal role to life on earth. We take an abundance of resources from its waters such as food; it helps regulate our climates and influence weather; it serves as a primary source of livelihood to the population; we even cultivate its depths for medicine.

According to un.org, the oceans are also “the lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe.” By being a source of so many necessities and habitat to so much life, the oceans represent the wonders and value of our planet.

But as we benefit from the oceans, our actions often leave it damaged and degraded. Human activity still stands as one of the biggest threats our marine waters face. According to greenpeace.org, plastic pollution, destructive and excessive fishing, and failure to protect ocean sanctuaries and marine ecosystems still plague the very life and structure of our boundless seas. Conservation efforts are continuously made in light of these threats, but we must all recognize our collective and individual duties to help protect it.

Our oceans are what set us apart from the other planets. It is through its vast richness and services that we are supported to thrive even on land. As terrestrial beings, we should support the oceans and benefit from them, keeping in mind this World Oceans Day that they are what makes us the Blue Planet.