World Ocean Day highlights the importance of the ocean for life on Earth and the role each of us can play in helping create a healthy ocean. The ocean is our planet’s life support system—it regulates the climate, produces over half of the oxygen we breathe, powers the global economy, and as the world’s largest ecosystem, it sustains an incredible wealth of biodiversity. The ocean also provides deep cultural, recreational, and spiritual value for people everywhere, whether they live on the coast or far inland.
Officially recognised on the 8th of June each year, World Ocean Day is more than a day – it’s a growing worldwide movement of youth leaders from all sectors uniting for the ocean. It’s also a call for ocean and climate policy action throughout the year. The United Nations has officially recognised the Day since 2008.
This year, Wikimedia Community Ireland is celebrating by launching our special Wiki Muir Prize for the Wiki Loves Earth Photo Contest 2025.
What’s Wiki Loves Earth?
Dedicated to documenting our stunning natural heritage, the competition covers the whole island of Ireland (the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) in collaboration with Wikimedia UK.
The Wiki Loves Earth Photo contest aims to capture the diverse natural landscapes and biodiversity found on our small island. By adding these images to Wikipedia with an open license, we can help to create articles that better illustrate how climate change is affecting the Earth. In turn, this can help to contribute to efforts to counteract its impact.
Special Wiki Muir Category for 2025
Muir means Sea as Gaeilge, and to celebrate our new collaboration with Taigh Ceilidh (Scotland) and Wikimedia UK, we are launching a special prize for any photos with a Sea theme. This can be of the ocean, cliffs, habitats, wildlife, beaches, shipwrecks, rockpools, sea caves and swimming spots.
Find out more about this upcoming collaboration that aims to document and celebrate shared maritime traditions, language, and biodiversity between Ireland and Scotland here.
Find out more about this special prize and the contest rules here.
Do you have sea themed photos ready to go? Upload them here to celebrate world oceans day!
