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Little kids, big questions: a special interview with Dr Sylvia Earle on World Oceans Day

Do children ask the toughest questions? This World Oceans Day, we get renowned oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue, to field questions from curious kids on the mysteries of the deep.

Ask oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr Sylvia Earle what her favourite marine animal is and you will be surprised at her answer — humans.

“No oceans, no humans,” she explains when asked by three young interviewers Hilary, Tristan and Emma aged 8 to 11.

In this video to mark World Oceans Day, Dr Earle, 86, responds to a range of burning questions from the kids on the state of the oceans and more.

She was in Singapore recently to open a climate action exhibition “Change the Present. Save the Ocean.” organised by City Developments Limited, the National Parks Board and Ocean Geographic.

Celebrated annually on 8 June, World Oceans Day is a reminder that the oceans are the lungs of our Planet, a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of our biosphere.

They produce at least half of the planet’s oxygen, and it is estimated that 40 million people will be employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.

This year’s World Oceans Day is themed “Revitalisation: collective action for the ocean” — a year framed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science and the celebration of the United Nations Ocean Conference — two years after it was cancelled because of the pandemic.

The United Nations will also host the first hybrid celebration in-person at the UN Headquarters in New York which will also be broadcasted live.

Watch this video, and check out our full interview with Dr Sylvia Earle here.

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