The new Oceans Advocate, globally-acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter Cody Simpson, learned how to swim before he could walk.

Cody took on his new role to help raise awareness of the ocean’s importance in the health of the planet and people.

He was appointed on 8 June, World Oceans Day, during the United Nations’ first Ocean conference in New York.

The oceans, which cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface, play a vital role in the global climate system, generating oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The avid swimmer and surfer told Liz Scaffidi what drove him to speak out on behalf of oceans.

Duration: 2'27"