Marine Life & Conservation
Marine Conservation Society celebrate human connection to the sea on Blue Monday with three new films
The Marine Conservation Society has released a series of three short films, exploring human connection to the ocean.
Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and created by filmmaker Dominic Joyce, the films follow three individuals as they explore the different experiences which led them to a deep connection to our blue planet: surfing, diving and beach cleaning.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “The sea means something different to each of us. These films capture the awe-inspiring nature of the sea, the close emotional connection that individuals have with it and the positive impact it has on health and wellbeing. But the films also highlight the vulnerability of our ocean and how susceptible it is to the negative impact of humans.
“Our players have raised £3.25 million to support Marine Conservation Society. I’m delighted this money is helping protect our ocean and marine environments, helping them to thrive so they can continue to be enjoyed by everyone.”
Dominic Joyce, filmmaker, said: “I was so happy when this project first entered my inbox as the ocean has always been a point of fascination to me. It has always been such an integral part of the human experience (and I say that as a man born and raised in the midlands).
“Each of our contributors have such an incredible relationship with the sea from both an environmental standpoint and a personal one. Each story demonstrates what power the ocean has over us. My hope is that people watch these films and see that the British coast is truly one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world and one that is so clearly worth protecting.”
The films are available to watch, in full, via the charity’s website.
Charlotte, who has autism, mild cerebral palsy and bipolar disorder, is now a competitive parasurfer and volunteer for the Wave Project. In the film, Charlotte speaks of her fear of the ocean, until her Mum signed her up for surf therapy lessons. As someone who was very scared of the sea, and spent much of the first lesson on the beach, Charlotte’s journey to surfing competitively is a wonderful story of the restorative power of the ocean.
“As soon as I walked into the water, I just felt very calm, in control and happy – the first time I’d been in the sea, happy and not worrying about anything else”
Charlotte has since competed in, and won, several surfing competitions and now supports the Wave Project helping other young people like her.
Georgie is a Marine Conservation Society volunteer, and part of the charity’s Seasearch programme for divers. In her film, Georgie takes viewers underwater to see some of the wonders of UK seas and the unfortunate reality of human impact.
The film highlights the incredible diversity of life, colour and beauty in the UK’s waters, “if you’re willing to get a little bit chilly”, as Georgie says. As a photographer, Georgie’s goal is to capture the UK’s seas in a way that inspires and motivates others, and builds a connection between people and the sea.
“I don’t think I’ve ever done a dive and not seen some form of human impact”
Whether on a small or large scale, Georgie’s film highlights the issue of marine pollution, from fishing nets to microplastics, and how it’s become part of experiencing the ocean. But the film is full of hope and inspiration, as Georgie says, “there is a lot we can do as individuals”.
Divers and snorkellers can sign up for Seasearch; volunteers survey the state of UK seas, providing data and insight into marine flora and fauna. For more information, please visit the Seasearch website: www.seasearch.org.uk
Vaishalli is a Marine Conservation Society volunteer, and in her film, speaks of her connection to the ocean which she found through beach cleaning.
“Going to a calm and quiet beach, it helps you focus better – blows away the cobwebs – It cleanses your mind and you go home feeling relaxed, happy and rejuvenated”
As a dedicated beach cleaner, Vaishalli sees firsthand the impact of pollution on marine life; she speaks in the film of spotting a seabird tangled in fishing wire on the first beach clean she attended. “We don’t think our actions can have major consequences”, she says. But everyone can make a difference: “It’s really important for us to change things now, and we can.”
The Marine Conservation Society’s beach cleaning project runs year round, with volunteers able to organise their own beach clean, or join one at their local coast. To see beach cleans happening near you, or to sign up as a volunteer, please visit the charity’s website: https://www.mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do/join-a-beach-clean/.
To watch all three films, please visit the Marine Conservation Society’s website.
The Ocean Cleanup, the global non-profit project, has removed a verified all-time total of ten million kilograms (22 million lbs.) of trash from oceans and rivers around the world – approximately the same weight as the Eiffel Tower.
To complete its mission of ridding the oceans of plastic, The Ocean Cleanup uses a dual strategy: cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) to remove the plastic already afloat in the oceans, while stopping the flow of plastic from the world’s most polluting rivers.
Through cleaning operations in the GPGP and in rivers in eight countries, the cumulative total of trash removed has now surpassed ten million kilograms. This milestone demonstrates the acceleration of The Ocean Cleanup’s impact, while underlining the astonishing scale of the plastic pollution problem and the need for continued support and action.
While encouraging for the mission, this milestone is only a staging point: millions more tons of plastic still pollute our oceans and The Ocean Cleanup intends to continue learning, improving and innovating to solve this global catastrophe.
This announcement comes as governments from around the world meet to continue negotiations to develop a new legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution at INC4 in Ottawa, Canada. Representatives of The Ocean Cleanup will be in attendance and the organization will be urging decision-makers to collaborate towards a comprehensive and ambitious global treaty which addresses plastic at all stages of its life cycle and in all marine environments worldwide, including in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
It is encouraging to see that the need for remediation is reflected in the various options for potential treaty provisions. It is essential that the final treaty contains clear targets for the remediation of legacy plastic pollution, and reduction of riverine plastic emissions.
Tackling plastic pollution requires innovative and impactful solutions. The treaty should therefore incentivize the innovation ecosystem by fostering innovations that make maximal use of data, technology and scientific knowledge – such as those designed and deployed by The Ocean Cleanup.
‘After many tough years of trial and error, it’s amazing to see our work is starting to pay off – and I am proud of the team who has brought us to this point.’ said Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup. ‘While we still have a long way to go, our recent successes fill us with renewed confidence that the oceans can be cleaned.’
The Ocean Cleanup was founded in 2013 and captured its first plastic in 2019, with the first confirmed catch in the GPGP coming soon after the deployment of Interceptor 001 in Jakarta, Indonesia. After surpassing one million kilograms of trash removed in early 2022, the non-profit project has since progressed to the third iteration of its GPGP cleaning solution, known as System 03, and a network of Interceptors currently covering rivers in eight countries, with more deployments set for 2024.
About The Ocean Cleanup
The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit organization that develops and scales technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. They aim to achieve this goal through a dual strategy: stemming the inflow via rivers and cleaning up the legacy plastic that has already accumulated in the ocean. For the latter, The Ocean Cleanup develops large-scale systems to efficiently concentrate the plastic for periodic removal. This plastic is tracked and traced through DNV’s chain of custody model to certify claims of origin when recycling it into new products. To curb the tide via rivers, The Ocean Cleanup has developed Interceptor™ solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean. Founded in 2013 by Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup now employs a broadly multi-disciplined team of approximately 140. The foundation is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
For more information, visit: theoceancleanup.com and follow @theoceancleanup on social media.
Marine Life & Conservation
Steve Backshall to headline Shark Trust’s flagship event: For the Love of Sharks
Join a host of amazing, shark loving, speakers including Steve Backshall and the Shark Trust team for an evening celebrating shark conservation at the Royal Geographical Society in London this November.
Date: 29th November 2024
Time: 6-10pm
Location: Royal Geographical Society, London
Tickets: https://www.sharktrust.org/Event/flos24
The event will be a celebration of all things shark. Those lucky enough to get hold of tickets will hear from engaging guest speakers with a passion for sharks.
The line-up includes (*subject to change if unforeseen circumstances arise)
Steve Backshall: One of television’s busiest presenters, BAFTA award-winning wildlife expert Steve has been passionate about the wild world ever since he was young.
Steve’s impressive TV career has taken him all around the world, investigating a wide array of species and environments. Steve has filmed over 100 hours of children’s wildlife programmes with the BAFTA award winning Deadly 60 franchise and recently, with Sky Nature, for his new series ‘Whale with Steve Backshall’. He has been a patron for the Shark Trust for 10 years.
Simon Rogerson: is a photojournalist specialising in natural history, diving and the sea.
He is editor of SCUBA magazine, the official journal of the British Sub-Aqua Club. Simon started his career as a crime reporter but gravitated towards his ‘less depressing’ interest in underwater exploration, joining the staff of DIVE magazine in 1999. In 2005 he was named ‘Editor of the Year’ in the PPA’s Independent Publishing Awards. Simon also works as a freelance writer, contributing frequently to the Sunday Times and Telegraph, in addition to BBC Wildlife, Esquire, and a host of international diving magazines. He is the author of a book, Dive Red Sea, published by Ultimate Sports. Now based in Berkshire, Simon has been a Patron of the Shark Trust for 20 years.
More speakers to be announced soon. Head to the Shark Trust website to learn more.
The evening will also allow guests the final chance to see the Oceanic 31, shark art exhibition. Some of the artwork will be auctioned/raffled at the event, while the rest will be auctioned online to raise money for the Shark Trust Oceanic Programme.
For the Love of Sharks is an evening with something for everyone who is interested and fascinated by sharks. Join the Shark Trust, their Patrons, Trustees and Staff, along with a host of supporters for this celebration of shark conservation.
For more information or to buy a ticket: https://www.sharktrust.org/Event/flos24
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