Marine Life & Conservation
Fourth Element Closes the Loop with OceanPositive
On World Oceans Day, Fourth Element launched OceanPositive: swimwear and rashguards made using recycled marine waste.
OceanPositive swimwear and hydroskin rashguards are made using recycled nylon from fishing nets which have been abandoned by fishing vessels having snagged on reef, wrecks etc.
These “Ghost Nets” amount to nearly 640,000 tonnes of lost gear per year. The main hazard is to marine life from invertebrates to large marine mammals, as well as divers.
Dive teams from the Ghost Fishing Project are “harvesting” these nets, removing them from the sea, and bringing them back to port, after which the nets are collected, recycled and spun into nylon yarn. Fourth Element uses fabric made from this yarn in Italy, combined with Lycra to make a line of active swimwear.
Oceans advocate and figurehead of Mission Blue, Dr Sylvia Earle said: “This is a fantastic idea, [one which] demonstrates what we can, and should, do for the oceans,” when she saw the range previewed at the DEMA show in Las Vegas in late 2014.
“The OceanPositive range is a statement of what we feel is our responsibility to protect the environment which we love, and we believe we should protect,” said Jim Standing, co-founder of Fourth Element. “It is part of a strategy that has seen us adopt more environmentally responsible policies including recycling old neoprene, changing our packaging to reduce single use plastic packaging, favouring reusable or recyclable solutions.
“We also wanted to address a requirement of divers for great looking products which are also practical. Every diver wears swimwear under their dive gear – some bikini styles have no clasps, others have a single clasp or tie to as be more comfortable under a wetsuit.”
The OceanPositive swimwear concept reverses the traditional Cradle to Grave product development models to deliver a Grave to Cradle solution, to produce a product designed by divers for diver, made from marine waste, sourced by divers.
OceanPositive will be in stores late Summer 2015.
To watch a video about OceanPositive and to sign up for updates visit oceanpositive.net (full website coming soon).
For more information about Fourth Element visit fourthelement.com.
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants
The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.
Campaign Aims
- Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
- Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
- Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
- Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!
Donate, and double your impact. Click Here
Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
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