Human survival is inseparable from pure water, food and air. Glaciers conserve clean freshwater resources, and water nourishes land with rich nutrients. Water then follows rivers and merges into oceans to let the ocean breathe. Oceans exhale oxygen, and absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide to let the glacier cool, glaciers maintain a balance of accumulation and ablation, stabilize the planet’s temperatures, enable sustainable water resources, and fosters biodiversity and food crops in urban wildlife corridors. This recurring force of nature ultimately allows the health, peace and prosperity of humans and nature to develop sustainably.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) special report on global warming shows that once global temperatures rise by more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, we will lose the vast majority of coral reefs on the planet. Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization warns us that on current trends in CO2 emissions, temperatures will rise between 3°C and 5°C by the end of the century. In other words, if current trends in greenhouse gas emissions continue, coral extinctions will double.

In view of this, the United Nations General Assembly launched the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (‘the Ocean Decade’) seeks to stimulate ocean science and knowledge generation to reverse the decline of the state of the ocean system and catalyse new opportunities for sustainable development of this massive marine ecosystem. The United Nations also designated June 8 every year as “World Oceans Day” in the hope of awakening the public to jointly protect the oceans. The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth and supports the life of humans and every living thing on the Earth. However, nearly 90% of the large fish in the ocean have disappeared, and nearly 50% of the coral reefs have been destroyed. Humans extract far more from the ocean than they actually need, and more than the forces of nature can repair themselves. In line with the vision of the international community, Will Legend hopes to create a healthy and resilient ocean where humans and nature can coexist harmoniously.

“Respect the ocean and protect it.” Wind carries the message of nature

In order to avoid the toxic substances in the air, Willy Bee Tashi and Flowery Delek muster up their courage, take a deep breath and immediately dive into the blue ocean. Then a pink and white halo slowly swims towards them.

“I am the ‘sea spirit’ that connects the land and the ocean. Glacier, land and ocean are originally integrated. Because of human demands and pollution, nature can no longer repair itself. This is how the climate crisis begins to emerge and extreme weather occurs frequently.” White Dolphin said

“If the situation continues, eventually all glaciers will be melt and fresh water will become hard to find. Marine life and phytoplankton will become extinct, causing the Earth to be filled with greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, and humans will no longer be able to breathe clean air. The land will be polluted to the point where food can no longer be grown, and forests will disappear, causing life to become extinct.” Big Whale said

“I know that Willy Bee is the messenger of nature. Can you and Flowery bring the ‘Green-blueprint’ and work together with my two friends, Small Algae and Big Whale, to use the power number 608 to decode the ‘Air’ seed of life?” White Dolphin said

“Every second of oxygen humans breathe comes from the ocean! The ocean is a natural carbon sink, absorbing greenhouse gases produced by human activities and protecting biodiversity. Big Whale and I will protect you all the way to the Third Pole, absorbing excess heat and greenhouse gas carbon dioxide for you along the way, and delivering oxygen for you to breathe.” Small Algae said

“You need to drive the human world to protect the ocean, reduce marine pollution, and moderately take marine resources to promote sustainable development, to Let the Ocean Breathe.” Small Algae said

“When the time comes, the gods of the sun and wind will create new energy and release clean energy back to the Earth, mitigating the climate crisis. In this way, we can create a healthy and resilient ocean and achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.” Willy Bee said

“You two need to ride on Xue Long. Then, go through the polar regions to find the God of the Ocean. You must show flexibility, perseverance and courage, and stick to your goal, so that you can obtain 17 sustainable gems from him to open the door to the polar Tianshan Mountain.” Big Whale said

“The meltwater from the Tianshan glaciers forms an ice lake, creating an “Ocean” on land, allowing people in the mountainous areas to protect the health of the ocean through sustainable fisheries. This is the integration of Glacier, Land and Ocean.” Willy Bee said

“I see! By protecting the glaciers, we protect the land; by protecting the land, we protect the oceans; by protecting the oceans, we protect the glaciers. Nature and humans are closely linked, influencing and relying on each other.” Flowery said

Finally, with the help of White Dolphin Elf, Small Algae and Big Whale, Willy Bee and Flowery cross the ocean successfully. Integrate wisdom on a legendary journey and connect to the sustainable future of mankind!

“Let the Ocean Breathe” Experiential Learning:

1. Ocean: The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth, supporting the lives of humans and every living thing on Earth. However, nearly 90% of large fish in the ocean have disappeared, and nearly 50% of coral reefs have been destroyed
2. Climate Change: Refers to long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 19th century, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas
3. Greenhouse Gases: Greenhouse gases are naturally produced and can block some sunlight from being reflected back into space, making the Earth’s temperature habitable for life. They are essential for the survival of humans and millions of other species. However, as population grows, economies develop and living standards improve, total greenhouse gas emissions also increase. Carbon dioxide (CO2), the most abundant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, accounts for about two-thirds of its total volume and is mainly produced by the burning of fossil fuels
4. “Air” Seed of Life: The ocean absorbs about 40% of the total carbon dioxide on Earth and produces at least 50% of the Earth’s oxygen
5. Power Number 608: The United Nations designated June 8 as World Oceans Day to inform the public of the impact of human activities on the ocean and encourage global citizens to protect the ocean
6. Let the Ocean Breathe: Will Legend is the initiator of the “Let the Ocean Breathe” Conservation and Education programme. It aims to promote ocean protection, reduce marine pollution, moderate the extraction of marine resources, and restore marine biodiversity
7. Polar: The polar regions of the Earth are the regions near the two poles and the third pole. The Arctic Ocean in the North Pole and the Antarctic continent in the South Pole are both surrounded by large amounts of ice
8. The Third Pole: The Third Pole is also called the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which includes China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, the entire Qinghai Province, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Gansu Province, Sichuan Province, and part of Yunnan Province
9. Xue Long: Xue Long is a Chinese icebreaking research vessel
10. 17 Sustainable Gems: The United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)
11. Clean Energy: such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power
12. Sustainable Fisheries : Sustainable fisheries development aims to protect the marine environment and ensure the long-term health of fishery resources while taking into account economic, social and environmental benefits

UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean Urged Let the Ocean “Breathe”: “Every Second Breath of Oxygen We Take Comes from the Ocean”. The health of the oceans is declining. Human pollution, chemicals and plastics, as well as overfishing, all pose challenges to ocean protection. Making good use of the ocean and controlling human carbon emissions is a topic worthy of discussion by marine scientists.

Peter Thomson, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Ocean Issues, addressed the (IOC/UNESCO) 2021 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission-UNESCO Ocean Literacy Training Courses, and the 2024 Global Ocean Development Forum respectively. He elaborated on the importance of “Let the ocean exhale oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.”. He expressed:
“In so saying I reiterated the fact that every second breath of oxygen we take comes from the Ocean” (UN News, 2024)
“Making good use of the ocean and controlling human carbon emissions is a topic worthy of discussion by marine scientists” (China.org.cn, 2024)

“Let the Ocean Breathe” – absorbing heat and carbon dioxide, playing an important role in mitigating the impact of climate change, the ocean also produces at least 50% of the Earth’s oxygen. Today’s climate change is mainly caused by excessive emissions of carbon dioxide produced by human activities. Rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are leading to significant climate warming, rising sea levels, consequent melting of glaciers and ocean acidification, leading to loss of biodiversity. In other words, the relationship between glaciers, land and oceans is inseparable. Without healthy ecosystems, we cannot have a healthy Earth.

Fish provides 20% of animal protein to about 3 billion people. Will Legend promotes “Supporting Social and Economic Development with Marine Ecology, and Giving Back to Marine Conservation with Economic Achievements.” That is, while improving economic and social development, we practice peaceful and balanced coexistence with nature, and seek peace and prosperity for mankind now and in the future, healthy and prosperous sustainable development to achieve “Coexisting of Humans and Nature”.

Will Legend advocates protecting the ocean to build a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future. The ocean is the largest “Treasure House of Resources” on the Earth, containing about 80% of the biological resources on the Earth, with as many as 200,000 species of marine life; marine oil and gas resources are rich, accounting for about 45% of the world’s total oil and gas; polymetallic nodules, cobalt rich crust, rare-Earth metals, flammable ice and other mineral and energy resources. In addition, the ocean can also provide a variety of clean energy sources such as offshore wind energy, tidal energy, wave energy, and temperature difference energy. Many human economic activities such as marine fisheries, maritime transportation, ship construction, marine energy, and marine tourism rely on the ocean. Peter Thomson, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Ocean, said, “According to data analysis, the amount of plastic in the ocean will exceed fish by 2050, which requires us to take action to prevent plastic pollution of the ocean. Another example, according to the United Nations Food and According to statistics from agricultural organizations, overfishing currently accounts for 34% of global fishery catches, which requires us to crack down on illegal fishing and manage vessels well.”

When whales defecate, they release iron to promote the growth of phytoplankton (algae), increase photosynthesis, absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, improving the global climate. Other marine plankton and small fish, including krill, also thrive in the presence of whales. When these whale nutritious meals sink to the bottom of the sea, some organisms that live on the bottom of the sea all year round also receive nutrients.

Therefore, supporting ocean protection and reducing ocean pollution will not only protect the survival of whales (blue whales), but more importantly, other marine life and even the entire Earth’s ecosystem can be protected in the process.

The story begins with the big whales dive underwater to find food and return to the water surface to breathe. Whales bring minerals up to the ocean surface through their vertical movement, called the “Whale Pump”. From time to time, the big whales migrate their feeding and breeding grounds across oceans, called the “Whale Conveyor Belt”. For every journey, they always bring with their good friends – the tiny algae, or more precisely, the microalgae (Phytoplankton). It turns out that whales’ waste products contain substances — especially iron and nitrogen, the nutrients which phytoplankton need for growing. The is how the tiny algae work with big whales and produce oxygen to the atmosphere.

Biological diversity resources are the pillars upon which we build civilizations. Fish provide 20% of animal protein to about 3 billion people; Over 80% of the human diet is provided by plants; As many as 80% of people living in rural areas in developing countries rely on traditional plant‐based medicines for basic healthcare. The United Nations established the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (also known as the Biodiversity Plan) with the purpose of promoting the belief of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. It is hoped that different countries, organizations, and sectors can support the implementation of diversity in their own ways.

Safeguard the last piece of pure land on Earth, let the glacier cool, let the ocean breathe, run through the pulse to wildlife corridor, draw a “Green-blueprint”, build a cradle of ecosystem, nurture biodiversity, make human health and prosperity sustainable. Will Legend protects glaciers and water resources, food and biodiversity, marine ecology and clean air through the Glacier, Land and Ocean Programmes respectively.

Regarding biodiversity, it is easier for the public to understand that there are many types of plants and animals, and a large number of microorganisms are included. But it turns out that real biodiversity also includes ecosystems such as glaciers, rivers, forests, lakes, deserts, grasslands and oceans. To put it simply, all species on the Earth are interconnected. Each ecosystem has different connections, interactions and influences, and in the end, a beautiful Earth can be achieved.

The ocean produces oxygen through the phytoplankton (microalgae). These single-celled photosynthetic marine algae live near the surface. Microalgae are generally very good at turning carbon dioxide, nutrients and water into proteins, fats and carbohydrates through photosynthesis. They provide food for a wide range of sea creatures in a balanced ecosystem. Just like plants, they consume carbon dioxide, make carbohydrates using light energy, produce at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen.

Besides, these microscopic creatures absorb about 37 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), an estimated 40 percent of all CO2 produced. This is equivalent to the amount of CO2 absorbed by 1.70 trillion trees — four Amazon forests’ worth. Whales accumulate carbon in their bodies during their long lives, each great whale sequesters 33 tons of CO2 on average. When they die (whale fall), they sink to the bottom of the ocean, taking that carbon out of the atmosphere for centuries. A tree, meanwhile, absorbs only up to 48 pounds of CO2 approximately a year*. Therefore, phytoplankton and whales are the excellent examples of carbon sequestration.

Will Legend educates public, and encourages kids to create their unique “Ocean Oxygen Tank” by planting phytoplankton (microalgae). By growing phytoplankton to learn how these tiny creatures can sequester carbon (carbon sequestration, carbon absorption or carbon fixation), and form the bases of aquatic food webs (primary marine food web) for zooplankton and krill. These zooplankton and krill will become the food sources of other marine creatures including whales. Phytoplankton builds a balanced ecosystem, saving marine creatures and whales. And of course, most importantly, it let the ocean breathe (absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen to the atmosphere).

Starting from the “seeds” of phytoplankton, these microalgae will be returned to the ocean. Ultimately microalgae will be transforming into “Ocean Oxygen Tank”. This is the “Green-blueprint” that Will Legend extends from glaciers, lands to oceans, so as to fulfill harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, achieve peace, health and prosperity, create a more beautiful Earth for our next generations.

*Source: IMF – Nature’s Solution to Climate Change