CNN’s Call to Earth Day 2026: More Than a Million Sign Up to ‘Think Blue’ for the Ocean on 8 October

LONDON — More than one million people have signed up to take part in the sixth edition of CNN’s Call to Earth Day on 8 October 2026, according to CNN International Commercial. This year’s theme, “Think Blue”, puts the ocean — described by the organizers as the force that connects every country, coastline and community — at the centre of a global day of action for environmental awareness and conservation education.

A million-strong day of ocean action

Call to Earth Day, held in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, invites schools, organizations, families and individuals around the world to take action in support of the world’s waters. Suggested actions include organizing beach or river clean-ups, creating ocean-themed artwork, reducing single-use plastics, restoring marine habitats, planting mangroves, teaching students about conservation and pledging more sustainable everyday choices.

Organizers stress that protecting the ocean is not only the responsibility of coastal communities. “Every action matters,” the campaign’s school programme notes say, “because protecting the ocean belongs to each and every one of us.”

Why the ocean is this year’s focus

From the coral reefs of the Pacific to the rivers and waterways that flow through cities, the health of the oceans touches everyone. According to the campaign’s educational materials, oceans feed billions of people, help regulate the climate and produce much of the oxygen we breathe — yet rising temperatures, overfishing and plastic pollution are stalling what the organizers call “the planet’s blue engine”.

A week of ocean lessons in schools

The day sits inside Call to Earth Week (5–9 October), when the education platform Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants is running live classroom lessons with ocean explorers and scientists. The line-up includes deep-sea submersible pilot Kate Wawatai, a virtual field trip to the Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys, Fabien Cousteau and Jason Link presenting their ocean exploration game, a session on sharks with conservation scientist Arzucan Askin, Peru’s ocean “Big 5” with Sustainable Ocean Alliance representative Daniel Cáceres Bartra, deep-sea explorer Victor Vescovo, and oceanographer Dr Ariel Pezner on how warming waters are draining oxygen from coral reefs.

On 8 October itself, classrooms can join a livestream from the Madeira ocean scientific expedition aboard the Santa Maria Manuela, meeting the scientists collecting data at sea.

CNN’s all-day special programming

Throughout 8 October, CNN International will spotlight stories of people making a difference for the oceans — marine researchers, young activists, communities protecting waterways and innovators developing long-term solutions — with reports gathered from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and both North and South America running in every live hour of programming.

Reports will air across CNN’s news and sports programming, including a special edition of Connect the World with Becky Anderson, and CNN Creators will air a Call to Earth Day episode showcasing ‘super coral’ in the Red Sea near Saudi Arabia and highlighting how students in Doha are marking the day.

FAKTA

• What: Sixth edition of CNN’s Call to Earth Day
• When: 8 October 2026 (Call to Earth Week runs 5–9 October)
• Theme: “Think Blue” — the ocean
• Participation: More than one million people signed up, according to CNN International Commercial
• Partner: Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative

A global day of ocean awareness lands just weeks before COP31 opens in Antalya — a reminder that the climate and ocean crises are one fight. Follow Watan News International’s climate coverage for more stories on ocean action and the road to COP31.