When astronaut Christina Koch looked back at Earth from her journey around the Moon, she described seeing “this lifeboat hanging, undisturbingly, in the universe … Planet Earth, you are a crew.”
It is a striking metaphor—and an appropriate one for Earth Day 2026. This year’s theme, Our Power, Our Planet, is less a slogan than a reality check. The defining challenges of our time are global by nature. They demand shared responsibility, coordinated action, and above all, a common understanding of the planet we are trying to protect.
Nowhere is that more urgent than in the ocean.
The ocean regulates our climate, produces much of the oxygen we breathe, supports global food systems, and underpins the stability of life on Earth. Yet for all its importance, it remains profoundly underexplored. We have mapped more of Mars than our own seafloor—a gap that has real consequences for conservation, governance, and accountability.
For the past 20 years, Communications INC has worked at the intersection of science, policy, and storytelling to change that. As a co-founder and communications arm of the High Seas Alliance—recipient of the Earthshot Prize—we have helped build global awareness around the need to protect the high seas and supported the momentum that led to the entry into force of the High Seas Treaty at the beginning of this year.
Now, as the world turns from negotiation to implementation, the challenge has shifted. The question is no longer whether we will protect the ocean, but how.
That is why we are proud to provide communications support for the Copernicus Marine Service, the marine component of the European Union’s Copernicus Programme. Together, we are working to bring the power of ocean observation into the public conversation, translating complex science into clear, compelling stories that drive political action.
At its core, Copernicus Marine provides a previously unimaginable living, continuously updated picture of the global ocean.
Its integrated monitoring system combines satellite observations, in-situ measurements, and advanced models to track change at scale:
– Physical data map temperature, currents, sea level, and waves—the forces that shape ecosystems, weather, and coastal risk
– Biogeochemical data reveal ocean health, from plankton productivity to oxygen levels and acidification
– Polar data monitor sea ice extent, thickness, and movement—critical indicators of climate change
This is not abstract science. It is environmental intelligence, used every day to understand change, anticipate risk, and inform decisions across sectors.
It also gets to the heart of some of the most urgent questions in marine conservation today: Where are vulnerable ecosystems in the high seas most at risk? How do activities beyond national waters affect coastal communities? What are the cumulative pressures of fishing, shipping, and emerging industries? And in a rapidly changing ocean, what does a meaningful environmental baseline even look like?
These are not academic questions. They are the foundation of effective policy.
The High Seas Treaty represents a breakthrough in multilateral decision-making. For the first time, there is a legal framework to establish marine protected areas in international waters, require environmental impact assessments, and ensure more equitable sharing of marine genetic resources.
But a treaty on paper does not protect ecosystems.
Its success will depend on implementation—on whether decisions are grounded in credible, science-based evidence, and whether the tools exist to monitor, measure, and enforce protection over time.
This is where ocean observation becomes indispensable.
Without consistent, high-quality data, there can be no meaningful baselines, no effective oversight, and no accountability. With it, the treaty has a chance to deliver real protection on the water—not just ambition, but impact.
Through this partnership, Communications INC and Copernicus Marine are opening a window into that world. By connecting scientists, policymakers, and the public our goal is to turn ocean knowledge into political power.
Because Our Power, Our Planet is not just a theme. It is a choice.
What we need now is follow-through. Because if Earth is our lifeboat, then protecting the ocean is how we keep it afloat.