How Disney Helps Keep Our Oceans Amazing
BY CATHY SALUSTRI
Who hasn ’ t wanted to make their own sea creature ?
Also , who hasn ’ t wanted to do their part to protect the world ’ s most imperiled ocean life ? All you need to see is footage of turtle hatchlings , desperately trying to make their way toward the big blue , to feel compelled to help these pint-sized terrapins survive and thrive .
But wanting to do something and feeling as if you can actually do something may sometimes feel oceans apart . Fortunately for us , Disney and The Nature Conservancy found a way that anyone with a smartphone can help . And , because it ’ s Disney , you can help in a way you may never have imagined .
WHY OUR OCEAN NEEDS HELP The Beluga and blue whales , hawksbill sea turtle , manatee , whale shark , mangrove , staghorn coral , parrotfish , sea lion , and manta ray are all on climate change ’ s hit list , and not in a good way . Some face a more prescient danger than others , but all of them need humans to help them survive .
All these animals ( and the mangrove ) face a bevy of threats on all fronts : Ships strike whales and manatees ; warming oceans threaten coral reefs ; and fertilizer runoff and boat propeller strikes pose a clear and present danger to manatees . Our increasing need for fuels to power our cars , deliveries , and , well , just about everything , threatens every one of these 10 creatures , and , by extension , the oceans .
That ’ s … a lot to worry about . Every move we make can seem to imperil something , and that makes it hard to feel like you can do anything meaningful . Some may throw up their hands and say , “ Well , why even bother ?”
The Nature Conservancy suggests easy ways to help : Buy local . The shorter distance the things you buy have to travel to get to you , the less oil and gas gets used . Dispose of your fishing line properly , don ’ t harass ocean life , use less fertilizer , use reef-safe sunscreen ( no matter where you live ), and , of course , don ’ t buy products made from turtles , sharks , or any endangered species .
HOW WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
That ’ s a mighty task for one person , but when The Nature Conservancy and Disney partner — and ask their supporters to help — anything feels possible . Through the end of July , anyone can go to avatar . com / keepouroceansamazing and design
Click Here
© DISNEY
a sea creature inspired by the Avatar films . Every creature created translates into $ 5 that Disney will donate to The Nature Conservancy ( up to $ 1 million ). The Nature Conservancy will put that million dollars toward protecting these 10 ocean creatures .
What sea creature will you make ? Well , that ’ s up to you . You get to choose everything , from where in the ocean your creature lives ( from the trenches to near the surface ) to what it looks like , what type of skin it has , what it eats , how it finds food , and what sort of bioluminescence it has . After you create the creature , you can name it and follow it throughout the virtual ocean ( make sure to keep the link !).