A marine coalition looks to reframe our relationship with international waters

The monumental task of protecting the world's oceans from ecological destruction is made doubly difficult when you consider that 64 percent of ocean water lies beyond national jurisdiction. That means that the waters that cover 45 percent of the earth's surface, and that produce between 50 and 85 percent of the oxygen we breathe, are virtually unprotected. You do the math (we can't).

Enter the TerraMar Project, a coalition of NGOs, scientists and activists who aim to reframe our relationship with international waters, offering concerned people a chance to become "citizens" of an imaginary aquatic country.

By symbolically transforming the earth's unclaimed waters into a nation, the founders hope to take on the issues affecting all of our oceans today, including but not limited to deep seabed mining, overfishing, oil spills, and plastic pollution. 

"45% of our planet is abused, overlooked & not preserved for future generations,” the group writes on their site. "Just because the high seas are out of sight does not mean they should be out of mind. The TerraMar Project's number one goal is to change attitudes and governance as it relates to the world’s largest ecosystem."

Hit up the TerraMar site to get a free passport, and follow TerraMar’s news aggregate, "The Daily Catch," for breaking news about the seas and marine life. 

(via GOOD) 

Photo: guzzzt / Flickr