Marine Life & Conservation
Your Vote Counts! Help Fund an Ocean Action Project
Help a conservation dream come true! Project AWARE’s Ocean Action Project supports individuals working on ocean and marine life protection at a local level.
Show your support for these ocean heroes by visiting the Project AWARE Facebook page, and voting for your favorite finalist in the Ocean Action project. These grassroots movements are key to protecting our oceans, and these dedicated individuals need your support with your vote. The winner will receive key backing from Project AWARE to give the extra push the project needs to help it succeed in the months ahead.
Your vote makes a difference! Here is a summary of the 10 finalists – vote today and show your support! Full project descriptions are available on the voting page.
1. This Project is Rubbish! South African Shark Conservancy, South Africa
The South African Shark Conservancy will compare the amount and the type of microplastics that enter the environment between beaches which get cleaned daily versus beaches which do not get cleaned.
2. What Goes Around Comes Around – Communicating Marine Debris Science Through Visual Arts, The Plastic Ocean Project, USA
Plastic junk collected from thousands of miles of ocean research has been transformed into a visual arts exhibition which is now travelling across the United States to educate people about ocean pollution.
3. Protecting Africa’s Sawfishes, Marine Megafauna Foundation and Eyes On The Horizon, Mozambique
This project aims to work closely with local fishermen to document where in Mozambique sawfishes still exist and to educate local communities about the importance of protecting sawfishes and their habitats.
4. Ecotourism and Awareness for Manta Ray Conservation, Planeta Oceano, Peru
The need to engage communities in manta conservation is essential, so Planeta Oceano will kick start a manta ecotourism and awareness project in Peru.
5. Developing a Solid Waste Management Network within Koh Rong Archipelago, The Song Saa Foundation, Cambodia
The majority of marine debris originates from land. The Song Saa Foundation will establish a solid waste management center and community education programs for the Koh Rong Archipelago.
6. Protecting Sharks and Rays from Fishing Boats in the Andaman Sea, Blue Guru Conservation, Thailand
Blue Guru will continue their surveys of shark, ray and fishing boat sightings to build key arguments to expand zoning and expand their work to include Koh Phra Thong sites.
7. The Marine Debris Thermometer Wall, Association of Coastal Conservation of Mozambique, Mozambique
This project brings together the entire community to take part in monthly beach and underwater cleanups and build a marine debris thermometer wall to measure progress.
8. Marine Debris Action Teams Create Plastic-Free Sea Turtle Habitat, Costa Rica
Partnering with local and international conservation groups, more than 1 ton of marine debris will be removed from important sea turtle nesting sites in Costa Rica.
9. Thailand eShark Project, Shark Guardian, Thailand
The Thailand eShark project will collect historical data from past diver logs as well as future dives where sharks are sighted or not sighted.
10. The Great Fiji Shark Count, Fiji Dive Operators, Fiji Islands
Information collected by divers aims to demonstrate that living sharks are more valuable than dead ones, and that shark fishing for the fin trade needs to stop before marine life populations crash.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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