Marine Life & Conservation
Fall in love with the Super-Dads of the Sea
Worthing’s amazing underwater world revealed this Valentine’s Day
Each spring thousands of Super-Dads migrate across the sea to Worthing in one of nature’s most spectacular events – the trouble is, almost no one knows about it. Welcome to Worthing’s underwater nursery run by a fatherly fish – the black sea bream!
All this will change on Valentine’s Day, with the launch of a brand new interactive, public exhibition ‘Worthing’s Super-Dads of the Sea’ and website Kingmere Marine Conservation Zone. They tell the story of the spectacular black bream breeding migration to the Kingmere reef, just off Worthing, as well as all the other amazing marine wildlife that lives there, and the local people who use and love the reef.
‘Worthing’s Super Dads of the Sea’ will immerse you in stunning images and film of the black bream dads, who build nests and guard the eggs, as well as Kingmere’s fragile chalk reefs, sharks, lobsters, crabs, Ross corals, multi-coloured sea slugs and a whole host of amazing marine life that live right on Worthing’s doorstep – a reef so colourful, you won’t believe it’s in Sussex!
‘Worthing’s Super Dads of the Sea’ exhibition will be launched on February 12th at Worthing’s Colonnade House, and the Kingmere Marine Conservation Zone website will be launched on valentine’s day (14th February) at the exhibition. The website will be available at: www.kingmeremcz.uk . There will be experts on hand to guide visitors through the reef and answer any questions, and there will be a craft corner for kids of all ages to create a glorious model Kingmere reef during the exhibition.
The Marine Conservation Society’s Alice Tebb, who has organised the exhibition says:
“We are hoping that lots of local people will come along to the exhibition to learn about the amazing underwater landscape on their doorstep. The exhibition will show for the first time incredible photos and film from the 2018 black bream breeding season, images captured by a team of volunteer photographers who went out to explore the Kingmere reef during the spring and autumn of 2018. The website also introduces some of the local people who have a strong connection to the site – including fishermen, divers and anglers – and tells the story of why they treasure the precious Kingmere Marine Conservation Zone.”
The Kingmere Marine Conservation Zone lies four miles off the West Sussex coastline, south of the River Arun at Littlehampton and off Worthing Pier. It covers an area of 47km2 and hosts a rich abundance of marine habitats and wildlife in waters ranging from 6 to 19 m deep. Kingmere MCZ is treasured by local fishermen, anglers and divers who regularly visit the site.’Worthing’s Super-Dads of the Sea’ is a free exhibition at Colonnade House, Worthing and runs from the 12th to the 24th of February 2019. The website will be launched on February 14th at the exhibition.
Worthing’s Super-Dads of the Sea is funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, as part of the Agents of Change project, an initiative led by the UK’s leading marine charity – the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), Fauna and Flora International and the New Economics Foundation. This exhibition is supported by Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, Sussex Wildlife Trust and Lafarge Tarmac. The Kingmere website is created in partnership with the Angling Trust and funded by The Rampion Fund at the Sussex Community Foundation.
Images credits: Matt Doggett – www.mattdoggett.com
For more information about the work of the MCS please visit their website by clicking here.
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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