“It is a curious situation that the sea, from which life first arose should now be threatened by the activities of one form of that life. But the sea, though changed in a sinister way, will continue to exist; the threat is rather to life itself.” ~ Rachel Carson, The Sea Around Us

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Full disclosure: I am a thalassophile.

That is, I am a lover of the sea, the ocean—and I am fascinated by most things of a marine or aquatic nature.

And so, this week’s edition of “Catch you on the Flip Side” is devoted to the ocean, in celebration of World Oceans Day.

World Oceans Day takes place every year on June 8th, and this year’s theme is “Our Oceans, Our Future.” The focus is on conservation action—encouraging finding solutions to the plastic pollution and marine litter problem, so we can have a healthier ocean and a better future.

Plastic is a problem. 

The impact of plastic on marine animals is tragic.

There are many things we can do to help protect our oceans and the ecosystems that live within them, but we all need to take steps to do this. This is the purpose of dedicating a day each year to our world’s oceans—to raise awareness of this ongoing issue, and to motivate us all to do better. 

And when we put our thinking caps on, the ideas we can come up with are impressive. What are some ways that you help preserve our beautiful, salty waters? Please share in the comments, if so inspired!

In the meantime, here are some songs that have taken their inspiration from the briny deep. Enjoy!

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“Octopus’ Garden” by The Beatles.

“Big Blue Sea” by Bob Schneider.

“Wetsuit” by The Vaccines.

“Rock Lobster” by The B-52s.

“Sloop John B” by The Beach Boys.

“At Sea” by Electrelane.

“Wading in the Velvet Sea” by Phish. (This one doesn’t really get going ’til about 30 seconds in.)

“La Sirenita” by Plastilina Mosh & Tonino Carotone with Chalo. (A fun tune in Español about a guy who falls in love with a mermaid; they have a baby together who’s born with a fish tail!) **Bonus: an awesome article en Español on ways to be more eco-friendly and use less plastic!

“Yellow Submarine” cover by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.

“Under the Sea” steelpan cover by Ravon Rhoden. (As much as I am a fan of the original, as sung by Sebastian, this steel drums cover version is too damn cool not to share!)

“Save the Ocean” by “Schoolhouse Rock! Earth.” Had to include this, as it has the most relevant message in terms of being mindful and protecting our oceans!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWLlunokwCs

Happy World Oceans Day! (And Happy World Oceans Month as well!)

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**Author’s note: This marks the third installment of a new weekly(ish) column. It is my pleasure and privilege to offer some fun, light-hearted mini-compilations for your listening enjoyment.

So, as this side of our virtual turntable scratches to an end, I shall lift the needle up…until we meet again.

Catch you on the flip side.

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Author: Yoli Ramazzina

Image: Unsplash/Razvan Narcis; Flickr/Adam Asar