"The high seas are facing a cycle of declining ecosystem health and productivity. It is our joint responsibility to act urgently and decisively to reverse the decline of this immense global commons. Failure to do so would be an unforgivable betrayal of current and future generations." -- Global Ocean Commission Report 2014
Here's How you can help Right now
1. Help PRODUCE VR Content About the Ocean
The structure of the film is similar to a dive profile. The viewer dives in at the beginning, descends, explores the reef, and ascends towards the end. Our goal is to immerse the viewer and show them the beauty and complexity of these ecosystems (as well as the threats they face), introduce them to people that rely on coral reefs, and share a strong, science-based message of ocean optimism.
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The Hydrous is producing a virtual reality (VR) film about the ocean that will take viewers on a virtual dive, exploring Palau and in the Philippine coral reefs. They've worked with teams from around the world to produce this film, and will bring it to classrooms and policy makers globally.
You can get involved! Donate on KickStarter, and/or reach out to me if you've questions or want to do something special: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/376269604/the-hydrous-presents-immerse
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2. Stay educated and updated
Whenever you see an article or video on the ocean, look at it! The more you know the more interested you'll get. The more interested you get, the more you'll care. The more you care, the more others will care! Then governments and industries will care, and make better, more informed large-scale decisions regarding ocean management. I try to post the most interesting articles I read on my Twitter (@grace_h2o).
"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand." -- Baba Dioum.
3. Know about plastics
There's currently, undoubtably, too much plastic pollution in the ocean. Read more about the problem. You can help the situation by making sure to properly dispose of trash, and reducing, reusing, and recycling. Try not using plastics for a whole day! It's challenging. For inspiration read about this girl who hasn't made any trash for two years.
4. CAREFUL WITH Seafood
Not only is most seafood caught in a way that can decimate ecosystems, but also it's frequently mislabeled. Some scary facts are: If you buy fish labeled red snapper or tuna in the US, there's a 87% and 59% chance, respectively, that you're eating something else entirely. "Fried calamari" can actually be fried bung (pig intestine). Bottom line: You don't know what fish you're eating unless you DNA test it. Sadly big fish stocks have fallen 90% since 1950, and if we continue current fishing practices there may not be any seafood left by 2048. So, be conscious about fish and other marine creatures you consume! I personally only eat bivalves (oysters, mussels, etc.) and cephalopods (squid, octopus, etc.) because this and this.
PREVIOUS "#1" ACTIONS
(EXPIRED) SUPPORT SAIL FUTURE THIS MAY 1st
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SailFuture provides alternatives to youth incarceration in America. This is a cause I really believe in, and I've blogged about them four times before:
I support SailFuture because I believe that a child's future should not be determined by the mistakes of their parents.I also believe in the power and beauty of the ocean.
How can you help?! Donations to keep their fantastic programs running will be DOUBLED ON MAY 1-2 thanks to the Patterson Foundation. Put it on your calendar! I'll Tweet a reminder as well. Learn more about SailFuture here, or ping me if you'd like a reminder about May 1-2.
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(STILL ACTIVE!) Donate to Aquarius Hurricane Relief
If you want to help the Florida Keys after Hurricane Irma please consider donating to rebuild Aquarius Reef Base. It sustained significant damage both externally on the habitat and on its life support buoy. We need to raise around $200,000 to make her operational again. This facility conducts cutting edge research on our oceans, trains astronauts, and inspires the next generation of explorers. We need to help Aquarius through this. Please click on link below to donate.
~ Quoting Cathy Guinovart from Aquarius Reef Base
Click here to donate on Aquarius' YouCaring page.
~ Quoting Cathy Guinovart from Aquarius Reef Base
Click here to donate on Aquarius' YouCaring page.
(Still Active!) HAVE AN OCEAN ADVENTURE!
... now possible without donning a wetsuit!
This October (2017) National Geographic is opening its first Encounter---an immersive entertainment experience right in Times Square. And it's ocean themed! Through the beauty and power of virtual and artificial reality, visitors of all ages and abilities can experience the ocean; they'll be right in the middle of battles between giant squid, migrations of humpback whales, mazes of kelp forests, and the brilliance of fluorescent, larger-than-life reefs. I can't wait to visit myself! Updates from the opening will be on my Instagram. I saw the attraction while it was in construction phase, and I know it'll be great! Amazing projects and people will be featured at the exhibit, including my friend, Daniela, who organized the Our Ocean sessions in DC (see blog post) as well as restoration projects around New York City such as the Billion Oyster Project (which you can volunteer for!).
This exhibit is a dream come true for me. A year ago, unrelated to this project, three other Oxford grads and I presented virtual and artificial reality entertainment as an alternative to SeaWorld's captive animal attractions (see "Oxford University Animal Ethics Society Wins at IBECC 2016" and my blog post). I'm thrilled to see it have become a reality!
Book your encounter today! It's open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays!
This exhibit is a dream come true for me. A year ago, unrelated to this project, three other Oxford grads and I presented virtual and artificial reality entertainment as an alternative to SeaWorld's captive animal attractions (see "Oxford University Animal Ethics Society Wins at IBECC 2016" and my blog post). I'm thrilled to see it have become a reality!
Book your encounter today! It's open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays!
(EXPIRED) VACATION WITH PURPOSE
Have you ever wanted to try being a pro underwater photographer? Learn alongside Prof. Keith Ellenbogen, acclaimed underwater photographer and former MIT visiting artist, January 2017 in Belize through the unique expedition he's hosting with Wildlife Conservation Society. Information in the PDF below. The more people interested in the living ocean, the better!
There are a few other unique expedition opportunities I can recommend with Shark Team One, Seven Seas Scuba, and The Hydrous (the last if you're interested in 3D reefs and VR). You're guaranteed to build character (as a family or with your friends) and come home with stories. Use the contact form to drop me a line if you'd like to chat more before signing up to something.
(EXPIRED) SUPPORT TEAM SEDNA
"Team Sedna will introduce the Inuit (who are largely non-swimmers) to what lies below the waves... introducing them to careers in ocean science and technology, conservation, fisheries management, and polar diving as a form of ecotourism." You can learn more and help send them to Baffin Island, Nunavut on their GoFundMe page; click here.
Image © Antony Galbraith
(Expired) SUPPORT ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION FOR GLOBAL LEADERS
The 2041 Foundation is hosting a team of 60 emerging leaders in Antarctica 13 - 25 March 2016 for "Leadership on the Edge," a conference of sorts where the team will learn from global experts on climate change, sustainability, and energy use. They'll learn how those issues affect us worldwide and what we can do to protect Antarctica. And... I'm hoping they collectively come up with solutions for our oceans, or at the very least walk away more educated and inspired about ocean issues!
One of the kindest and most fabulous people I know was selected to be on the team. He has to raise some of his costs for the expedition, however. You can learn more and donate on his Indiegogo campaign HERE - only until September 1st!
One of the kindest and most fabulous people I know was selected to be on the team. He has to raise some of his costs for the expedition, however. You can learn more and donate on his Indiegogo campaign HERE - only until September 1st!
(STILL ON!) IDENTIFY PENGUINS IN IMAGES!
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And you could win a trip to Antarctica!
My office mates at Oxford are asking citizen scientists to help them identify penguins in a large set of images. Their online platform for sorting through the images is fun (and addicting!). Give it a try! The more you tag, the more likely you are to win the trip to Antarctica! Get started at www.penguinwatch.org |
Credit: Quark Expeditions
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(EXPIRED) TAKE A VACATION!
We may have found the cheapest Mediterranean cruise that does not involve a hairy Italian man and a dinghy. For $850, Sarasota-native Michael Long and a crew of volunteers with SailFuture will ferry you across scenic parts of the Mediterranean for seven days and seven nights. That price doesn’t include airfare, but it includes booze, meals, lodging and all port fees. You can check out the itineraries of the different trips here.
Read more at Michael Long takes teens from Incarceration to open ocean. Sailing for a great cause. I'll be on the week 4 cruise!
Read more at Michael Long takes teens from Incarceration to open ocean. Sailing for a great cause. I'll be on the week 4 cruise!
(EXPIRED) JOB OPPORTUNITY! CONSIDER, OR PASS ONTO APPLICANTS!
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The Waitt Institute has big, collaborative, exciting, ocean conservation
plans and we're hiring! We're looking for: 1. Operations Manager - based in DC or NYC 2. Curacao Site Manager - based in Curacao 3. Montserrat Site Manager - based in Montserrat We partner with governments and communities to envision, design, and achieve a sustainable ocean future. Looking for folks with diverse skills and a focus on solutions to do important, fun, rewarding work with our small but mighty team. Details: www.waittinstitute.org/jobs Application deadline: April 3rd. Please pass along to top notch applicants! -- Andy Estep Science Manager, Waitt Institute |
(EXPIRED) HELP FIND THE LONELY WHALE
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Join Adrian Grenier, Josh Zeman and world renowned scientists to find the elusive '52 Hertz' whale and fight Ocean Noise Pollution here (Kickstarter ends Mar 12 2015). The 52-hertz whale is an individual whale of unidentified species, which calls at the very unusual frequency of 52Hz. This pitch is a much higher frequency than that of the other whale species with migration patterns. It has been detected regularly in many locations since the 1980s and appears to be the only individual emitting a whale call at this frequency. It has been described as the "world's loneliest whale."
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(EXPIRED) CHECK OUT OCEAN PROJECT!
Last fall I met Ocean Project founder Sarah Weldon at her boat naming ceremony in London, a magnificent event during which she unveiled the shell she'll row around Great Britain - an incredible feat! What's more, although she expects to set four Guinness World Book of Records on the journey, her more prominent mission, and the reason she started the project, is to engage with classrooms throughout the journey and share her passion for the ocean.
Towards that goal, she's currently raising a chunk of her funds through this KickStarter campaign. Support if you can! You can learn more and donate (... receive a dinner on the boat or sponsor an outreach event in your name!) on the campaign page. It closes March 9, 2015!
Towards that goal, she's currently raising a chunk of her funds through this KickStarter campaign. Support if you can! You can learn more and donate (... receive a dinner on the boat or sponsor an outreach event in your name!) on the campaign page. It closes March 9, 2015!
(EXPIRED) Sign the Global Ocean petition
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If you cared enough to click this tab, please take the next 30 seconds to sign this important petition urging the UN to discuss the future of the high seas and how they should be properly governed when world leaders gather next month (Oct. 2014) in NYC for the UN General Assembly meetings. Just click here. It'll expire early September. Sir Richard Branson signed it!
If you've a free minute and 15 seconds, I also recommend watching their video explaining the petition, posted at right as well as on the petition page linked above. |
Sign the petition now, before you forget!
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And if you love signing petitions, here are two more that I strongly support:
- Save Japan's Dolphins @ https://takeaction.takepart.com/actions/cove-help-save-japans-dolphins
- Stop Supporting the Killing of Sharks @ http://www.change.org/petitions/nbc-nbcsn-cancel-sharkhunters-sharks?share_id=OVnODQRTzm&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition
(EXPIRED) CHECK OUT BENJO'S WORK on CORAL REEFS
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My fellow PhD student has finished the most challenging part of his work on coral reefs , i.e., data collection, but grants aren't covering the less-exciting but just-as-important aspect of the work, i.e., data analysis. He's looking for support in this Crowdfunder campaign (expires February 14th). In addition to having an incredible data set on his hands, he's a great guy and is happy to chat with you (or anyone) about coral reefs if you're interested. He's also offering prints (or a coffee table book) of his photography to supporters. Snippet from the campaign:
"We cannot prevent coral bleaching... but we might be able to help reefs regrow and recover. Crucial research into coral reef ecology is needed if reefs are to survive the ravages of a warming world... For the past 3 years I have been gathering data to try and fill some of the gaps in our understanding of coral reefs and climate change. I have spent more than 200 hours in the water, at 38 sites in 4 countries across the Indian Ocean working with a range of conservation and scientific groups to compile a complete dataset. This data is now waiting to be analysed and reports written for my collaborations and the wider reef conservation community. This work will also be submitted for my PhD thesis at Oxford University, where I will receive world-class supervision and support. I need to spend 18 months working full time in Oxford to complete this research." |
Checkout this campaign before you forget!
UPDATE: Benjo's project was fully funded! Hooray! Really looking forward to reading his thesis and helping his research inform ocean management decisions. |
