As BP and the the federal government battled the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the United Nations held an event Tuesday commemorating World Oceans Days. Sylvia Earle from National Geographic Explorer said human life would not be possible without the ocean.

Sylvia Earle: “The ocean drives climate and weather, shapes the character of the planet. We do know now that the ocean, where 97 percent of earth’s water is, is vital, not just to the dolphins, the whales, the coral reefs, the kelp forests; it’s our life support system, too. We are sea creatures as much as any of the other creatures who actually live in the ocean, because without the ocean, our lives would not be possible. Anything we care about — our economies, our health, our security, life itself — depends on the fact that this is a blue planet. The ocean is the key to our survival.”