The Earth has one big, connected ocean. The ocean covers over 70% of the Earth's surface, surely making this a water planet. And, did you know that the same ocean, river or bay that you swim, fish, surf and dive in can also be a fabulous classroom? The ocean provides students of all ages with unlimited opportunities to learn about the world around us.

Sadly,one of the lessons the ocean and waterways are teaching us today is how hazardous marine debris (trash) is to the health of our ocean. While there are many different types of trash and debris, the one thing it has in common is people. When we don't put our trash in the proper place, it often ends up in the ocean. How does this happen? Many times trash blows around on the ground and ends up in storm drains, rivers and streams which carry the trash directly to the ocean.

The ocean is like a blue blanket that covers magical places and mysterious creatures. Just as there are forests, grasslands, fynbos and deserts on land, the ocean has many types of ecosystems. In this book we will explore some of them.

• Rocky Shores: Windows to the Sea • Sandy Shores: Playgrounds with Purpose • Islands: Pockets of Safety • Kelp Forests: Undersea Jungles • Coral Reefs: Cities in the Sea • Shallow Rocky Reefs: Sunlit Gardens • Sandy Shelves: Hidden Life • Muddy Shelves: Richness from Rivers • Rocky Reefs: Twilight Forests • The Open Ocean: Liquid Highways • Seamounts and Ridges: Mountains Under the Sea • Canyons: Ocean Valleys • Slopes: Midnight Margins • The Abyss: Life in the Slow Lane.

Names of ecosystem types are shown in isiXhosa (X), isiZulu (Z) and Afrikaans (A).

UNDER NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: INTEGRATED COASTAL MANAGEMENT ACT, 2008 (ACT NO. 24 OF 2008)

WHY CONTROLLING VEHICLE USE IN THE COASTAL AREA?

• Vehicle use in the coastal area have the potential to irreversibly damage our coastal landforms and coastal ecosystems if access is not controlled properly.
• Vehicle use damages coastal dunes which protect us from flooding and other coastal process such as high sea level rise
• Vehicle use damages coastal sensitive environment that harbours indigenous birds, such as white fronted sand plovers, African black oystercatcher's, damara tern's etc.
• To protect our coastal sensitive environment.
• Minimize conflict between authorized off-road vehicle drivers and other coastal users