The note of the head of the research institute on the occasion of the World Day of Oceans and Seas

Note of the head of the National Research Institute of Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences on the occasion of World Oceans and Seas Day - 18 Khordad 1404 (8 June 2025)

The sea "boundless wonder: protection of what sustains us"

The ocean is not just an expanse of water; Earth's memory is the soul of the biosphere and a mirror that reflects our relationship with the world. On World Oceans and Seas Day, we do not simply commemorate, but call for deep reflection: can we still be worthy heirs to this amazing cradle of life?

On World Oceans Day, we look not only into the depths of the waters, but also into the depths of our existential questions: What do the oceans and seas mean to us? Are they only a resource to be exploited, or a roommate to live humbly with?

This year, in the middle of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, the global theme is "Boundless Wonder: Protecting What Sustains Us".  It reminds us of the greatness and fragility of the seas. Wonder not only in the sense of beauty, but in the sense of philosophical wonder in the face of an order we do not yet know, and a responsibility we cannot ignore..

Oceans are no longer an endless myth. They have reached the threshold of their capacity: from the unprecedented warming of the waters and their silent acidification, to the flood of plastic and the destruction of biodiversity. Every wave now carries an urgent message. This crisis is not only environmental; The crisis of our relationship with nature is a crisis of morality, justice, and the future.

Oceans are the memory of the earth. The deep sea sediments tell the story of climate changes for millions of years and warn us: what is happening now has an unprecedented speed. It is against these silent changes, and the dark and unknown depths that our moral responsibility begins: to listen and respond and use with respect..

Science has revealed the truth: more than half of our oxygen comes from phytoplankton; the ocean 93% absorb excess heat; more than 90%Fishery stocks are either collapsing or on the brink of collapse. This data is a cry, if we have ears.

Now is the time to find out what human-centeredness means with ocean-centeredness. We must combine scientific wisdom with indigenous knowledge, and technology with ethical responsibility. We need to understand that saving the ocean is saving ourselves - not in the distant future, but in the very breath we take now..

The National Research Institute of Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences, as a national reference in ocean science and marine science, commits itself to turn this combined wisdom - scientific, philosophical, native - into the basis of policy making and public awareness. We believe that the future of life is tied to the quality of our relationship with the oceans. Therefore, our efforts in the field of research, monitoring, education, international cooperation, and indigenous knowledge production are all in line with the realization of this responsibility..

We invite all institutions, scientists, researchers, artists, activists and local communities to celebrate this "boundless wonder" together; Not only because it is, but because it keeps us stable.

On this World Oceans and Seas Day, let's ask: can we still listen to the life-giving whispers of the oceans and seas? The answer is not in the future; It is in the decision we are making today.

Dr. Morteza Tavakoli

Head of the National Research Institute of Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences

18 June 1404