Marine Life & Conservation
Sign up for Blue Initiatives – free ocean conservation event this Thursday April 8
This Thursday, April 8, 2021, Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) Mexico is hosting Blue Initiatives, an online event aimed at highlighting the stories of the humans behind several NGOs, civil associations and initiatives that work towards ocean conservation around the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. This free one day event in partnership with The Blue Quest features talks from esteemed scientists and conservationists actively working on different fronts in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.
The day will start off at 9am CST with a quick introduction by SOA before renown shark scientist Dr James Ketchum & Carmen Pasos of Pelagios Kakunja research center kick off the first talks at 9.30am CST. They’ll be followed by two of the remarkable scientists behind Whale Shark Mexico – Deni Ramirez & Karen Acevedo – at 10am. Throughout the day participants will also hear talks from marine mammal researchers Esther Jimenez and Maria Laura Marcias (11:15 am), as well as sea turtle researchers Helena Fernandez-Sanz and Agnese Mancini (11:35 am).
There is also a special talk at 10:45am CST on creating impact for conservation with underwater photography & cinematography by the creator of The Blue Quest, Clément Pourtal, and award winning photographer & founder of Dive Ninja Expeditions – Jay Clue. The talks will be in English and are free to join and open to all. Following the talks there will be a special screening of The Blue Quest documentary.
SOA is a global community of youth, entrepreneurs, and experts in diverse fields collaborating to solve the greatest challenges facing our ocean. Their mission is to support people and startups working to meet the targets of United Nations SDG 14 and define the future of ocean health. SOA’s Ocean Leadership Program empowers youth to lead the restoration of ocean health in one generation through their Ocean Solutions Hubs (OSHs), which are organized groups of ocean leaders taking action around the world to promote ocean health and sustainability.
SOA México is one of the many OSHs from the Sustainable Ocean Alliance that works to protect Mexico’s high and deep sea while educating the community on diverse ocean-related themes. Recently, they partnered up with The Blue Quest team in order to broadcast their documentary during a virtual event aiming to highlight several ocean conservation stories from the people behind local NGOs around the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. This collaborative project goes by the name of Blue Initiatives.
Marine Life & Conservation
Shark Trust launches Oceanic 31 Shark Art Auction
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.
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
Marine Life & Conservation
Meet Steve Backshall in the Bite-Back Prize Draw
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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