Coral Misool
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In 2018, Ocean Geographic Magazine invited me to be the artist onboard a scientific expedition to Raja Ampat, Indonesia as part of group of scientists, marine biologists, oceanographers, National Geographic photographers and filmmakers. We began our ocean expedition in Ambon, in the Maluku Islands, known as the Spice Islands, sailed all the way to Sorong, the capital of Papua New Guinea. Our mission - a health check of the surrounding ocean to measure the amount of plastics and microplastics in one of the most biodiverse areas of the world.
For three weeks, we sailed through the archipelago of islands, trawling for plastics. This image was inspired by one of the underwater photographs I took off a sea wall at the island of Misool, one of the four major islands in the Raja Ampat island region of West Papua, Indonesia. Being able to dive underwater is one of the greatest joys of my life. It is like traveling to another world. Like floating in outer space. The colors of the coral, the fish, the plant life is mesmerizing. What I learned from this exercise is that we need to take care of the inhabitants of our oceans and the oceans themselves, because if we continue to carelessly treat our environment as a trash receptacle, we are not only destroying the beauty and health of our planet, but our own, as well. |
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70% of the air that we breathe comes from our earth’s largest bodies of water. It comes from tiny marine microorganisms called phytoplankton. Like plants, they get their energy from carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. This is integral to the air that we breathe. If we don’t change the way we live, if we don’t refuse to support the single use plastic industry, we will not only kill what is most important to our lives. It doesn’t matter if you live near an ocean. The plastics that are throw away after one use will end up in a landfill, in a pond, a lake, a river, our soil. Plastic does not decompose for 500 to 1000 years. Today, most of the fish we consume, or sea salt or our drinking water is infused with microplastics. We are now the direct recipients of our carelessness. Our lack of regard and respect for our environment has now backfired on our own bodies. Our air. Our health. Not to mention the trillions of tons of plastic that has become toxic food for fish and all living creatures. If we can each do one thing to stop the damage. Our world and our lives will be better for it.
Mixed Media Acrylic on Acrylic Reverse Painting with Recycled Plastic, 20” x 16.” Click here to inquire about purchasing this piece. |
