Marine Life & Conservation
Celebrate World Oceans Day with the Marine Conservation Society
For the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), the UK’s leading marine charity, every day is World Oceans Day, which means there’s always plenty to get involved with to safeguard and celebrate our ocean. Here’s a few ways to celebrate World Oceans Day today, 8th June, and beyond!
Save our Seagrass
Seagrass meadows growing in the shallow shores of the UK’s coast are extremely effective at absorbing CO2 dissolved in seawater, taking it up in its tissues and locking it into sediment in the seabed. Seagrass can absorb as much as 10% of the carbon buried in ocean sediment every year, making it a brilliant weapon in the fight to halt the warming of the planet. However, at least 35% of seagrasses worldwide have been lost or damaged over the last 40 years. MCS is on a mission to ‘Save Our Seagrass’ and protect these vital habitats for the future health of our ocean, and the planet.
Bring the #OCEANINDOORS
MCS research found that even when we’re far from the coast and ocean, we still feel deeply connected to it. 69% of people surveyed who visited the coast in the last year felt the benefit even when far from it and a further 77% of people who visited the sea in the last year felt happier. The enduring mental and physical health benefits which the ocean provides spurred MCS on to create #oceanindoors, bringing the benefits of the coast into the public’s homes during lockdown. With webinars, moments for mindfulness and recipes to try, there’s plenty of ways to stay connected to the ocean, even from afar.
Plastic Challenge Yourself
For the last six years, every July MCS tasks the public to try and go plastic-free for the whole month. With so much plastic still blighting the coastline and polluting the ocean, small changes individuals can make will have a huge impact on the health of the sea. This year, the charity is asking people to set their own Plastic Challenge and share their journey along the way. Sign up, #PlasticChallenge yourself and stop the tide of plastic entering our ocean. For tips, inspiration and support from the plastic-free community, visit the Plastic Challenge site.
Stop Ocean Threads
For every load of laundry washed, as many as 700,000 microfibres can flow into our water systems. An estimated four trillion individual microfibres are lost from our clothes every year in the UK, with many of them ending up in the ocean and on our beaches. MCS wants to ‘Stop Ocean Threads’ by requiring washing machines to include, by law, filters which will reduce the amount of microfibres flowing into the ocean.
To learn about more of the Marine Conservation Society’s ongoing work to celebrate and safeguard the ocean, please visit the charity’s website, become a member or follow along on social.
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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