Horrifying aquarium display highlights how polluted our oceans truly are - pictures
A SHOCKING new installation highlighting the reality of what lies within our waters has been unveiled.
Penguins watch Christmas films in London's Sea Life Aquarium
To mark World Oceans Day on June 8, SEA LIFE London Aquarium has created one of its most horrifying displays to date. It is aiming to show people the state our oceans are currently in, so that the public can be more aware of how human actions are impacting the world we live in. The display was created by expert Aquarists at the facility, who filled a 15,000 litre tank with fishing nets and plastic waste to replicate the ocean.
There are also a range of faux fish, attempting to highlight the volume of marine life being harmed and often killed due to pollution.
According to National Geographic, oceans make up 70 percent of our plant and produce 50 percent of the oxygen we breathe - making them a vital part of our ecosystems.
However, they are routinely being heavily polluted by single-use items such as household products, cigarette butts and plastic bottles.
The World Economic Forum claims that plastic bottles can take a whopping 450 years to fully decompose, showing the threat they face to oceans.
Catherine Pritchard, General Manager at SEA LIFE London Aquarium said, “Whilst the stats are truly shocking, they unfortunately aren’t surprising.
“You only need to head to your local beach or river to see the amount of plastic that has been left behind and which washes up on our shores.
“At SEA LIFE London Aquarium, we are proud to be supporting United Nations World Oceans Day.
"We hope that through our exhibit we’re able to highlight and raise awareness of the dangers plastics are having on our oceans and sea life and encourage everyone to take care when visiting these places of beauty.”
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For more than two decades, World Ocean Day has been celebrated by the United Nations in an effort to make the public play a more active role in protecting our marine resources.
SEA LIFE London Aquarium will be joining other SEA LIFE attractions across the UK to celebrate World Ocean Day, with similar displays being shown in Birmingham, Manchester, Loch Lomond and Bray.
SEA Life London is situation on London’s South Bank and is open seven days a week, with information and tickets available here.
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