Today we have a guest post from Gopal Patel, a member of the Forum Advisory Group and the co-founder and director of Bhumi Global.
See an interview with Gopal on Interfaith Environmentalism in Season Three of our Spotlights podcast.
Water speaks to the heart of our spiritual traditions. It connects and flows through our diverse faiths and the ocean in particular has long stirred the spiritual imagination.
As the world prepares for the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), a new multi-faith declaration for the ocean offers a unique spiritual reflection on the ocean’s layered significance as well as its urgent peril. It invites us to see the ocean not only as an ecosystem or economic resource, but as a teacher, offering wisdom that can guide humanity toward a more mindful relationship with water, the source of all life.
This builds on practices found across many religious traditions, where the natural world is seen as a sacred “text,” offering signs, symbols, and wisdom through which the sacred can be revealed and moral insight can be drawn. This multi-faith declaration organizes its reflection through the ocean’s vertical zones, from the sunlight zone through the twilight zone and into the midnight zone.
The sunlight zone, extending from the ocean's surface to about 200 meters deep, teems with life, producing half the world’s oxygen and supporting vital fisheries that feed and employ millions. Yet this vibrant region faces converging threats: overfishing has depleted 90% of fish stocks, marine nurseries like mangroves and seagrass are vanishing, and climate change is bleaching coral reefs and acidifying waters. Spiritually, this zone reflects the fullness of life made possible through faith, where the diversity of marine life parallels the rich tapestry of global religious traditions. Just as life here thrives through interconnection, our faiths teach that we, too, are bound together, reminding us that our choices ripple across the web of creation.
The twilight zone, spanning depths of 200 to 1,000 meters, is home to Earth's largest daily migration and a crucial part of the planet’s carbon cycle. Containing vast, largely uncharted biomass, this zone is increasingly threatened by unsustainable fishing, climate-driven changes in ocean circulation and oxygen levels. Spiritually, this liminal space between light and darkness reflects the inner journey of transformation, a sacred passage between the material and the transcendent. Just as creatures move between layers of the ocean, faith calls us to navigate uncertainty with trust, recognizing that growth often unfolds in shadow before returning to light.
The midnight zone, plunging from 1,000 to 4,000 meters beneath the surface, exists in perpetual darkness and extreme pressure, yet harbors extraordinary life: from glowing bioluminescent creatures to unique ecosystems around hydrothermal vents. Though largely unexplored, this deep realm is under growing threat from deep-sea mining, bottom trawling, pollution, and climate impacts, with damage that could take centuries to heal. Spiritually, the extreme conditions of the deep ocean, where life thrives despite enormous pressure, mirror how contemplative traditions find transformative potential in life's most challenging circumstances. This zone teaches us profound lessons about resilience, patience, and humility, as we acknowledge how little we know about these ancient ecosystems that have existed long before human presence.
Taken together, these ocean layers mirror our spiritual journey—from awareness and connection, through transformation, to awe and reverence. They teach us that the ocean is not only a site for economic activity or recreation but also is a site for the sacred, and that it is crying out for compassion and care.
The Declaration reminds us that caring for the ocean is a moral imperative. Protecting marine biodiversity, halting deep-sea mining, reducing pollution, and advancing ocean justice are acts of spiritual integrity and planetary stewardship. From supporting marine protected areas to advocating for fair climate policies, from educating our communities to changing our habits, each of us has a role to play in restoring our relationship with the sacred waters that sustain life.
We encourage you to read and sign the full multi-faith declaration, a testament to the spiritual and moral urgency of ocean protection. May it inspire contemplation, courage, and collective care.
