Currents Magazine by Lina E Johansen

CURRENTS CURRENTS MAGAZINE JAN 2021

Issue 01

NEW BEGINNINGS THE 2020 OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS SPECIAL: THE AQUARIAN ISLES DISCOVERIES OF NEW SPECIES & EVERYTHING BELOW THE SURFACE

CONT 12.

25.

January

04.

Editors Letter

05.

Our Mission

06.

Let me introduce you to Currents Magazine. by Lina E. Johansen

Find out how your purchase contributes to healing the ocean. by Our Team

Snøhetta Completes Europe’s First Underwater Restaurant in Norway

Long for a cold Norway evening dining underwater. By Lizzie Crook

9. 10.

New Species Discovered in Puerto Rico

Learn about the new species of comb-jelly. by Tom Bachelor

Shahar Livne Designs Jewellry for Balenciaga from Ocean Plastic A look at Balenciaga’s Fall 2021 collection. by Natashah Hitti

Message in a Bottle Found After Two Years

The message that travelled more than 2,500km. by Lyanne Togiba

TENTS 28.

08.

12.

The Best of the 2020 Ocean Photography Awards

28.

18.

SPECIAL: The Aquarian Isles - A Nation Underwater

30.

26.

See the winners and our honorable mentions. by Lina E. Johansen

Learn the ins and outs of 2020’s most talked about country. by Lina E. Johansen

OMA designs underwater sculpture park The ReefLine for Miami Beach While in Miami... by Eleanor Gibson

32.

16.

Some Good News at Last for our Ocean Read an Experts’ opinion on Ocean Politics. by Brad Sewell

Film Review: A Plastic Ocean Shows Us a World Awash With Rubbish Can an Award-winning movie save the ocean? by Gary Truong

The Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean is Back Learn about their cause and how to join!

EDITORS LETTER

“a thing that makes me happier is putting positive energy into the universe”

The ocean is a marvelous place, full of resources and precious wildlife that needs our protection - now more than ever. As there has been a rise of charities that produce products in exchange for donations, I found that magazines was a quite untapped market. As the ocean relies on us so deeply as climate change worsens, paying attention is vital. Our aim is to make issues that not only brings awareness to real life issues, but that entertains

the reader as well as allowing them to learn. Whether you are interested in ocean wildlife, politics, tourism or heartwarming interviews, we provide lots of content to pique your interest. However, if you are not a reader, or not even particularly interested in the ocean, but want to help, we try to make our covers look as stylish and sleek as possible, so it won’t look awful lying on your coffee table. This year has been a struggle for most of us, in some way or another, and whenever I am feeling down, a thing that makes me happier is putting positive energy into the universe. This can be by helping others, bringing awareness to injustice and standing up for what you believe in. So if you want to help preserve our oceans and every creature in it, I highly suggest you visit our website, and see what you can do. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this magazine as you read, knowing your purchase is making a difference.

FOUNDER

Lina E. Johansen www.CURRENTSMAGAZINE.co.uk

OUR MISSION Currents Magazine is curated by a team with vast experience in ocean activism in an effort to bring attention to the utter importance of the ocean and its perseverance. Our magazine features stories, interviews and news in everything ocean-related, allowing you to enjoy different kinds of ocean content all in one magazine. This magazine is a non-profit as all earnings from our bi-monthly subscription is donated to various Ocean charities. This however, excludes our writers and editors that earn a minimum wage for their skills and precious time, as we believe all workers should be able to sustain themselves for the hard work they do. In order to uphold our promise of sustainability, the printed magazine is made entirely of recycled material, ready to be broken down and to be made into another issue of our magazine.

@currentsmag www.currentsmagazine.co.uk

@CURRENTSMAG

Snøhetta completes Europe’s ﬁrst underwater restaurant in Norway Lizzie Crook

Snøhetta has completed Under, the “world’s largest underwater restaurant”, which plunges from a craggy shoreline in the remote village of Båly, Norway.

That makes it much more interesting. It takes you directly into the wildness,” Rune Grasdal, lead architect of Under.

“If the weather is bad, it’s very rough. It’s a great experience, and to sit here and be safe, allowing the nature so close into you. It’s a very romantic and nice experience.” “The idea was to make a tube that would bring people from above sea level down under the sea,” Grasdal added. Out of hours, it will double as a lab for marine biologists to study fish behaviour, specifically their reactions to light, whether it is possible to train wild fish with sounds, and also whether fish act differently in different seasons.

Designed by Snøhetta to resemble a sunken periscope, the 495-square-metre restaurant is fronted by a huge panoramic window that gives visitors a view of marine life. The building on Norway’s southern coast, which can seat up to 40 people and will also be used as a marine research centre, is Europe’s first underwater restaurant. “For most of us, this is a totally new world experience. It’s not an aquarium, it’s the wildlife of the North Sea.

Photo is by Inger Marie Grini/Bo Bedre Norge

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Photography is by Ivar Kvaal

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Shahar Livne

designs fossil-like jewellery for Balenciaga from ocean plastic

Shahar Livne worked with Balenciaga to design a line of “dystopian” ocean-plastic jewellery for the luxury fashion brand’s latest Fall 2021 collection.

The jewellery range, which comprises three different bangles, one ring and two pairs of hooped earrings, was designed to complement Balenciaga’s Afterworld: Age of Tomorrow collection. The Balenciaga accessories team adapted the shapes of vintage jewellery pieces from their archives, before handing them over to Livne, who remolded them to give them a new “fossilized” texture. This was done by recreating them from a mixture of ocean plastic retrieved by Oceanworks and calcium carbonate – a waste product from the marble industry. The final pieces were 3D scanned and 3D printed to create a unified look for the collection. These models were then reproduced, moulded again using the same, initial process of heat, pressure and hand-shaping. Each piece was finished by hand by Livne, who employed techniques used by goldsmiths to give the accessories a unified, yet still handmade look. This included fitting the jewellery with metal parts such as the ear pieces of the earrings.

Each of the pieces were 3D-printed before being remoulded by hand.

Natashah Hitti

The collection is set to be made available for purchasing in May 2021.

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

New Species

Discovered in Puerto Rico Scientists have discovered a new species of comb jelly in deep underwater trenches off the coast of Puerto Rico that they said was observed moving like a hot air balloon tethered to the seafloor. The discovery marks the first time NOAA scientists have relied on high-definition video alone to describe a new creature, as no physical samples were collected. Although they look similar, comb jellies and jellyfish are not closely related. There are between 100–150 known species of comb jellies.“We didn’t have sample collection capabilities on the ROV at the time,” said Mr Ford. “Even if we had the equipment, there would have been very little time to process the animal because gelatinous animals don’t preserve very well; ctenophores are even worse than jellyfish in this regard.“ High-quality video and photography were crucial for describing this new species. The species, named Duobrchium sparksae, was located 4 kilometres below the

“It moved like a hot air balloon attached to the seafloor on two lines maintaining a specific altitude above the seafloor.” surface-and could only be observed by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which beamed high-definition footage back to the research team. After studying the video, the scientists observed unusual behaviour. The ctenophore has long tentacles, and we

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

© Provided by The Independent observed some interesting movement,” said NOAA fisheries scientist Mike Ford, who spotted the comb jelly and recognised it as a new species. “It moved like a hot air balloon attached to the seafloor on two lines, maintaining a specific altitude above the seafloor. Whether it’s atached to the seabed, we’re not sure. We did not observe direct attachment during the dive, but it seems like the organism touches the seafloor.” He added: “We saw the species three times in a relatively small area; hopefully that means they’re not extremely rare.”

Tom Batchelor

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Message in a Bottle Found After Two years

Lyanne Togiba

Photograph: Conﬂict Islands Conservation Initiative

Conservationist on a remote Papua New Guinean island ﬁnds message from American girl thrown overboard more than 2,500km away. This bottle was different. Glass, with its lid sealed tight, it contained a handful of rice grains and a few seashells. And a note. In November, on the remote Conflict Islands of Papua New Guinea, conservation ranger Steven Amos was cleaning the beachfront on Panasesa island when he stumbled across something that was not thoughtlessly thrown away, but consciously sent as a message to an unknown recipient, somewhere in the world. Nearly two years earlier, then 17-year-old American Niki Nie had dropped the message overboard as she crossed the equator, sailing with her family between Vanuatu and the

Marshall Islands. “I suppose if you are reading this, it means that this bottle has survived its long journey and managed to safely land in your hands. I hope it finds you well!“I am extremely curious to know where this bottle landed and how long it took to get there.” Amos has invited Nie to the Conflict Islands when Covid-19 restrictions ease. Nie and her family were sailing from Vanuatu to the Marshall Islands after working for six years on humanitarian missions across the Pacific, when she threw the bottle overboard on 8 January 2019 as she crossed the equator from the southern hemisphere to the north.

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Niki Nie’s message in a bottle travelled more than 2500kms across the Pacific Ocean “I just wanted to leave a little piece, a memory bobbing around the ocean that we spent so much time in.” She had since returned to the US to begin college when her note found its way back into her life. The note, in its tightly sealed bottle, had travelled more than 2,500km to the remote Conflict Islands.

Marine biologist and zoologist at the Conflict Islands Conservation Initiative Hayley Versace told the Guardian nearly 900 female nesting Hawksbill sea turtles had been tagged since 2017 – but only three have returned. “From the tagging, we’ve discovered that the turtles actually go back to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to feed and forage, and only use the islands as a nesting ground.”

Amos said it was vital to conserve the remote and fragile ecosystem of the Conflict Islands, a nesting ground for numerous turtles. “It is very important to do plastic collection on the beaches to conserve turtles and other marine life. We ensure turtles are relocated during nesting season from outer islands to where it’s safer and release them later. The increased plastic pollution has seen a decrease in the number of turtles coming to nest on the islands,” he said.

“If we don’t change, turtles will become extinct, and without them the future won’t get to see them, and more importantly, they will be lost forever and their important role in the food chain and ecosystems in the ocean will be lost as well.”

Message in a bottle travelled more than 2,500km.

Deep Dive:

The Best of the 2020 Ocean Photography Awards

Tobias Baumgaertner: Community Choice Award Winner 12

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

A magnetic photo series of 2020’s most fascinating ocean wildlife photography.

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

We take a look at the winners and our honorable mentions.13

The Winners

Matt Sharp: Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year – Winner

Jason Gulley: Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year – Winner

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Cruz Erdmann: Young Ocean Photographer of the Year – Winner

Nadia Aly: The Ocean Photographer of the Year – Winner

Ben Cranke: Ocean Exploration Photographer of the Year – Winner

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Our Honorable Mentions

Karim Iliya: Ocean Exploration Photographer of the Year – Runner-Up

Sean Scott: Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year – Runner-Up

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Henley Spiers: Collective Portfolio Award – Second

Kyla McLay: Young Ocean Photographer of the Year – Third

Duncan Murrell: Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year – Third

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

THE AQUARIAN ISLES A NATION UNDERWATER After 50 years of slowly becoming submerged underwater due to climate change and the ice caps melting, this country has reformed their way of living to create a fully functioning underwater society. Lina E. Johansen

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

As their land mass started to become submerged back in 1970, The Aquarian Isles adapted to its fate and became the first nation to exist in its entirety underwater. Previosly known as the Faroe Islands, they gained their independence from Denmark in 1970 and has been the Aquarian Isles ever since. This fairly new country has recently gained traction in the media after the TV show Inside the Aquarium was released on Netflix this year, following the lives of Aquarian citizens, that all take place under the surface. The TV show revealed new technology from The Aquarian Isles biggest tech Company Aqua Tech, whose stocks exploded after the air of the first season. The show also explored the socio-economic structures and policies in the country, showing us a society quite radical compared to our own, where homelessness is eradicated and a home is a human right. This raised questions on a global scale, on how they made it happen and what they did to reach this utopia that so many desire.

Therefore, Currents Magazine travelled to the mysterious nation of The Aquarian Isles to figure out what the rest of the world wanted to know. We interviewed the nation’s Prime Minister Maje Eleron, among with some of the biggest influencers of The Aquarian Isles. We analysed everything down to their flag, passport and bank cards, as well as we dove into what most people wanted to know; how does living underwater affect your mental health?

Concerns also arose from politicians and animal rights activists on how Aquarians presence under the surface affect the ocean’s wildlife as well as how they handle their waste, in fear of further polluting the ocean.

The stunning view from the lift as we go down from the Aquaria airport to the base of what used to be above sea level.

Since the show aired in August, people around the world have have wanted to know more about this aquatic country and have questioned why their way of living has been so hidden before.

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

“The imminent highlight of visiting The Aquarian Isles was deﬁnitely its ethereal sights of complicated structures being hit by the sunlight shining down from the surface” says Currents designer Gina Gore.

Since the land mass of the Aquarian Isles have continually become submerged for the past 50 years, a hundred percent of Aquarians now live their lives completely underwater. They have electricity, stores, houses and transport, although most make their way around by swimming. The last land mass that is still above the surface is the designated place for their airport, with a single runway of 1200 metres.

“We prefer to disturb wildlife as little as possible, so it’s a co-habitat” To get below the surface, Aquarians use cable lifts to pull them below the surface into the airport terminal, which you can leave with a sub-shuttle that takes you around just like a normal bus route would do. If you do not desire to use the shuttle, you can change into swimming gear, and you and your oxygen tank will be on your way. Every building has a draining chamber so if you wish to come in from the water into your house, you open your door, close it behind you and the water will pulled out so you can open your front door. All this water-based technology has set The Aquarian Isles in the forefront of Aqua Tech, influencing tech companies globally as they prepare for their own land mass to become submerged. Angelica Atkins

As The Aquarian Isles living conditions are quite foreign to the rest of the world, one might ask what a typical day for an Aquarian might look like. Youtube Star Angelica Atkins shows her audience her way of living through daily and sometimes weekly vlogs, documenting what circumstances one might face being an Aquarian. In an interview with Currents Magazine, Atkins explains her daily routine underwater. “I wake up, I look out, and I see water, besides that, I can live a fairly normal life” she says. As she is 20 years old, living underwater is all she knows as her parents moved underwater before she was born. “Living submerged is maybe very foreign to lots of people, but it’s the only way of life I have ever had, so I see it as a normal thing.” She continues to tell us what she does for breakfast. “Well I go to my kitchen, and I pour myself a bowl of cereal, as one does, since we get lots of cargo ships from all over Europe we don’t just eat seafood. We prefer to disturb wildlife as little as possible, so it’s a co-habitat. If we do eat seafood it’s rarely fresh”. As she works online running her Youtube channel, we asked how her family make a living. “I live with my girlfriend and she works an architecht, which she does from home as well via the internet. It’s been kind of interesting to see the rest of the world deal with Covid-19, with Zoom and everything as we always have had to try to work from home”. Most everyone has the chance to work from home, but they do not have to. Because the Aquarian Isles have such an influence in tech, most of their national economy is boosted by the tech industry, being able to cover the living costs of all their citizens regardless of employment. Prime Minister Maje Eleron said “I think it would be strictly unfair to expect our population to stay with us as we go underwater if they were expected to live a traditional life to have food and shelter. We believe food and shelter are human rights here, and they will always be.” CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Because of this scheme most people who are employed work for pleasure rather than monetary value, and if they make money, they use it to travel. Citizens who earn more than others get taxed slightly more based on their income in an effort to eradicate class. “By taxing wealthier citizens we are able to fund the living costs of the entire nation, and we found that when we started taxing the rich, class became a memory and crime rates plummeted. One might say that this is the wrong way to do it, that class is important, but as Aquarians we believe in equity and equality. Greed and hoarding money that could make all of our lives better is very looked down upon by the population. You can achieve happiness in life without sleeping on a mattress stuffed with money” says Eleron. CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Inside Angelica Atkins bedroom, with a view of a coral garden in the ocean.

Design Competition Winner to Clean the Ocean of Plastic “I really wanted our passports to represent our way of living underwater, from our own perspective” Aquarian graphic designers opted to change the tides as national competition was lanched to change the national image of the country, whose winner is changing the game by introducing passports made exclusively from recycled ocean plastic. The Prime Minister of The Aquarian Isles (formerly known as the Faoe Islands), Maje Eleron recently launched a competition for Aquarians best graphic designers to design the contries new image. These projects would consist of creating a brand new debit card for the nations’ bank, Bank of Aquarius, a passport as well as a flag.

All the components in the competition would let the country have a unique image as the first country to becomme fully submerged. “Countries all over the world have started creating more culturally expressive passports and the committe decided it would be great to have an image for the Aquarian Isles, as we still have not broken free from being the Faroe Islands” says Eleron. The winner of the competition was Anna Holloway who did not only win because of her incredible aquatic designs. Holloway

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

won as her passports were made of recycled plastic gathered from the ocean surrounding The Aqurian Isles. These plastic gatherings are apart of the 2019 government scheme for members of the Marine to gather plastic as apart of their service. “I really wanted our passports to represent our way of living underwater, from our own perspective. The background was inspired from what my daily swims look like, watching all the houses from above as the sunshine hits them from the surface”. After being compared to the mythical City of Atlantis, The Aquarian Isles wanted to show the real origin behind their name and iconology the constellation of Aquarius. Every year, Aquarians celebrate the anniversary of the rebirth of their nation, previously being kown as the Faroe Islands and changing their name and government on the 17th of January 1970. As the country was reborn as an Aquarius in the Astrological zodiac, it has heavily influenced the culture which is reflected in the new symbol of the country on the passport.

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Top Left - The Aquarian Isles (De Akvariske øer in Danish) Passport designed by Anna Holloway to be made of recycled ocean plastics. Top Right - The Bank of Aquarius debit card designed by Anna Holloway. Bottom Right - The oﬃcial new ﬂag of The Aquarian Isles, designed by Anna Holloway.

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

How Living Underwater Aﬀects Your Mental Health Scientists were concerned that moving a population of 400 thousand people underwater, away from sunlight or direct fresh air, would severely affect mental health across the nation. Since citizens moved below the surface starting in 1970, their metal health has been monitored on a massive scale, using bi-monthly mental evaluations conducted by doctors, as well as the use of technology that can combat the symptoms of mental illness. We were born under the sun, meant to live on the surface, but there is no reason why we would not be able to adapt. Because sunlight and the vitamins it brings are so important, Aqua Tech has developed sun chambers, which reproduce the same kind heat the sun emits, as well as infusing the air in the chamber with vaporised Vitamin D. Spending fifteen minutes or in a sun chamber a day has proven to improve mental health by 34% more than those who choose not to go. There are other options as well, as

travelling to the surface and going on a ferry or renting a sailboat, which has seen to improve mental health by a whole 76%. So, the science is not there yet, but the nation is making active change for improving the living conditions for their citizens. In addition to this, taking daily vitamins is heavily encouraged by the government, as well as exercising to relieve stress and boost morale to combat depression and anxiety. Good news however, is that in 2020 only 19% of the population had gotten diagnosed with depression or anxiety, in comparison to the U.K where 21% of U.K citizens are diagnosed with a mental illness. However, the numbers still need to sink, so a new government initiative to raise morale is their opening of a new leisure center, the size of a football arena with lots of recreational activities and sports available for all ages. We have yet to see how effective these measures are.

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Illustration by Lina E. Johansen

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

OMA designs underwater sculpture park The ReefLine for Miami Beach Eleanor Gibson When in Miami… make sure to visit this their latest tourist attraction.

Architecture firm OMA is building a seven-mile-long, underwater sculpture park, which it says will bolster the shoreline of Miami Beach against the effects of climate change and include installations that can only be viewed while snorkeling. Initiated by Argentinian curator Ximena Caminos, The ReefLine is intended to respond to, and raise awareness of, the way climate change is causing rising sea levels and coral reef damage in the coastal city. OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu, is leading the masterplan project, working with a team that includes marine biologists, researchers, architects and coastal engineers. “The ReefLine is a unique project that brings attention to and mitigates the dangers of climate change in Miami Beach, while

OMA’s masterplan is composed of geometric concrete structures that will form an artificial reef.

simultaneously enriching the city’s vivid art scene,” Shigematsu explained. The ReefLine masterplan will be composed of geometric concrete modules, stacked approximately 20 feet (six metres) under water and approximately 900 feet (247 metres) off shore. They will run seven miles from South Beach at the southern end of the city all the way to the north to enhance the coastal resilience of the Miami Beach shoreline. As climate change warms the ocean and causes damage to coral, this structure is also intended to act as an artificial reef where endangered marine life can live. To achieve this, structures will be constructed with State of Florida-approved materials for artificial reef deployment.

According to the team this includes concrete and limestone as they are chemically similar to natural reef substrate. Artworks installed in between the concrete framework will also be made of similar materials and intended as an extension of the reef. Contributing artists will have access to a 3D printer that is able to replicate artificial reef modules from cement to include in their designs. OMA is also among the contributing artists and will be one of the first to complete its structure in the sea. Its design will be composed of spiral stairs rotated around a circular opening overhead. Construction on The ReefLine is set to begin next year and will be completed in seven stages. The first mile is slated to finish in 2021.

Some Good News at Last for Our Ocean Photograph: New England Aquarium

Expert Opinion • Brad Sewell The new administration is certainly bringing us plenty of immediate good news for the nation and the planet. And some of it is for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. President Biden has signed an Executive Order that takes important actions for the environment and public health, including initiating a formal review of President Trump’s June 2020 order opening up the monument to industrial fishing. (We promptly challenged Trump’s move in federal court.) The President’s “Executive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis” sets out, in Section 1, a national policy committing, among other things, to “bolster resilience 28

to the impacts of climate change,” and to “conserve,” “restore and expand” “our national treasures and monuments, places that secure our national memory.” The Order directs the Department of Interior, in consultation with the Department of Commerce, the Council on Environmental Quality and several other agencies, to conduct a review of the “boundaries and conditions” that Trump established in his order, and in his December 2017 orders drastically downsizing Bear Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah. Within 60 days, the Interior Department must submit a report to the President summarizing the review, including recommendations for actions that would be appropriate to carry out the policy in Section 1 of the Order. CURRENTS MAGAZINE

The 60-day review is a key first step for restoring full and permanent protections for Canyons and Seamounts and the Utah monuments. The Order directs the Department of Interior, in consultation with the Department of Commerce, the Council on Environmental Quality and several other agencies, to conduct a review of the “boundaries and conditions” that Trump established in his order, and in his December 2017 orders drastically downsizing Bear Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah. Within 60 days, the Interior Department must submit a report to the President summarizing the review, including recommendations for actions that would be appropriate to carry out the policy in Section 1 of the Order. The 60-day review is a key first step for restoring full and permanent protections for Canyons and Seamounts and the Utah monuments. It is an important sign that the Biden Administration is committed to fulfilling the promises it made during the campaign to restore monument protections. I will be watching for new details about the monument review process, particularly with respect to any public involvement.

whales, and pilot whales, and huge pods of striped, bottlenose and common dolphins. We need to work together—all of us—to protect to the fullest extent unique, biodiverse areas like these—not just for the protection of these amazing creatures, but as a defense against the climate crisis, a sanctuary for scientific inquiry, and the well-being and appreciation of future generations.

Photograph: New England Aquarium

There is much at stake in this review: Just ten days ago, scientists from the New England Aquarium conducted their most recent aerial survey of marine mammal activity in the Canyons and Seamounts Monument. Similar to previous surveys, the scientists sighted almost 700 animals, including sperm whales, True’s beaked CURRENTS MAGAZINE

Film Review: A Plastic Ocean Shows Us a World of Rubbish Gary Truong We live in a world of plastic. Shopping bags, drink bottles, your toothbrush and even your clothes are among the everyday items made from plastic. But plastic isn’t fantastic, and neither is the current state of our environment.Humans have been mass-producing plastic since the 1950s. We produce hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic every year and production is only increasing. Unfortunately,

most of it is used only once and then thrown away. Only a small proportion of plastic is recycled. The majority ends up in landfill or, in the worst case scenario, our oceans. A Plastic Ocean is a documentary film directed by the Australian journalist Craig Leeson. It dives into and investigates the devastating impacts that plastic has caused to our

environment, especially our marine life. What starts off as an adventure to film the blue whale, the largest animal on the planet, leads to the shocking discovery of a thick layer of plastic debris floating in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Craig, alongside Tanya Streeter, a world record-break--ing free diver and environmental activist, then travel across the globe to report on the havoc caused by decades of plastic use. Throughout the film, experts are interviewed to provide further insight into some of the problems derived from plastic. There is no quick fix for a problem that has grown hugely over the past few decades. The use of plastics is so ingrained in society that it is all but impossible to eliminate them completely. The film does, however, offer various strategies that can be implemented to reduce the impact of plastics. Ideally, avoid plastic-containing products as much as possible. Avoid single-use plastic products and recycle whatever you can. Local governments also need to implement a refund scheme for the return of plastic bottles to incentivise recycling. For unrecyclable plastics, new technology has been developed to convert them into fuel, providing a second life for those plastics. It is up to us to embrace these changes and move away from the plastic culture.We need to get CURRENTS MAGAZINE

this problem under control, as it will only become worse as the human population increases. Our marine animals deserve to live in a blue ocean, shown not a plastic soup. Throughout the film, we are footage of numerous marine species that have been affected by plastic debris. Marine animals and sea birds often mistake floating plastic for food. Large pieces of plastic, when eaten, can obstruct the animals’ digestive tracts of the animals, essentially starving them to death. When smaller “microplastics” are ingested, toxins are released and become stored in their tissue. These toxins accumulate up the food chain and can eventually end up on our dinner tables. The consumption of the contaminated seafood can cause many health problems including cancer, immune system problems, and even childhood developmental issues. This is a major problem, as almost a fifth of the world’s population relies on the ocean for their primary source of protein. Society’s huge appetite for plastic is literally poisoning us. The film presents beautiful shots of the marine environment. This contrasts with footage of heavily polluted cities and dumps full of plastic rubbish. The juxtaposition between these images sends the message that our actions and choices can severely impact the planet. 31

The Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean is Back

The Great British Beach Clean is more than just litter picking – people become citizen scientists and carry out a litter survey, recording what they find on the beaches to help show a national and international picture of the most common forms of litter. The Marine Conservation Society uses this data to call for policy change, tackling ocean pollution at its source. During last year’s Great British Beach Clean weekend, citizen scientists across the UK collected over 500 litter items per 100m of beach, with nearly 11,000 volunteers taking part. Like many events, this year the Great British Beach Clean looks a little different. Rather than encouraging volunteers to find a beach clean happening near them, the Marine Conservation Society is calling on individuals to adopt a 100m stretch of beach and organise their own beach cleans, with smaller groups of friends, family and ‘bubbles’, in line with Government guidance.

CURRENTS MAGAZINE

The charity has made becoming an organiser, adopting a beach and doing the survey as easy as possible, with plenty of resources available on the Marine Conservation Society website and guidance from the charity’s Beachwatch team available. Lizzie Prior, Beachwatch Oﬃcer said: “As more of us are looking to stay local this summer and head to the UK’s beaches, it’s even more important that we all take ownership of keeping them beautiful for everyone. We’d love to see more people than ever before signing up to organise their own beach clean. The more organisers we have, the more beach cleans we can run throughout the week and the more data we’ll have to push for a policy which will reduce ocean pollution in

the future.” Data collected by Marine Conservation Society volunteers from 26 years of the Great British Beach Clean has been instrumental in the creation of policies which stop single-use plastic pollution at source. This year, the charity will ask volunteers to record how much personal protective equipmentthey find on the UK’s beaches, including gloves and masks. This information will show how prolific PPE has become and the danger it poses to the marine environment and wildlife.

At the same time, we’ve seen people spending more time outdoors and enjoying our beaches. We’re calling on the government for a truly green recovery, fit for a low carbon future. All-inclusive Deposit Return Schemes and an Extended Producer Responsibility system would make huge impacts on the volume of litter we see in the ocean, in our parks and across beaches. We need systematic change and ambitious policy to truly curb the litter polluting our ocean and environment.”

Dr Laura Foster, Head of Clean Seas at the Marine Conservation Society said:

Everyone can play their part in the Great British Beach Clean this September, even when far from the coast. 80% of the pollution on beaches around the UK is from litter which has travelled from our towns, parks and rivers. Illustrating the impact of inland litter on beach pollution, the Marine Conservation Society’s Source to Sea Litter Quest highlights the most common beach litter and asks volunteers to spot them (and pick them up!) in their local area. The plastic bottles, wet wipes and face masks spotted in the UK’s parks and streets will ultimately end up on the beach; taking part in the charity’s Source to Sea Litter Quest will remove these potential polluters and show how important it is to keep our inland spaces clear, for the sake of the ocean.

“Single-use plastic has been used increasingly during the pandemic, but we need to ensure this is not a permanent backwards step.

To become a Beachwatch Organiser please visit the website: https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/organisers.

Photograph: Marine Conservation Society/PA CURRENTS MAGAZINE

COLOPHON & CREDITS A Lina E. Johansen Publication Currents Magazine 36 Raymouth Lane, London, England SE16 2DL EDITOR/DESIGNER/ PRODUCTION MANAGER/ ILLUSTRATOR/AUTHOR Lina E. Johansen

PAPER: Recycled Cover - 170gsm Recycled Magazine -150gsm Recycled

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Ben Cranke Bo Bedre Norge Conﬂict Islands Conservation Initiative Cruz Erdmann Duncan Murrell Henley Spiers Inger Marie Grini Ivar Kvaal Jason Gulley

AUTHORS: Brad Sewell Eleanor Gibson Gary Truong Lizzie Crooks Lyanne Togiba Natashah Hitti The Marine Conservation Society Tom Bachelor

Karim Iliya Kyla McLay Matt Sharp Nadia Aly New England Aquarium Sean Scott The Independent Tobias Baumgærtner

PUBLISHER: YouLovePrint https://youloveprint.co.uk

SPONSORS: Ocean Conservation Trust Blue Marine Foundation Greenpeace Surfers Against Sewage Marine Conservation Society

INTERVIEWEES: Angelica Atkins Anna Holloway Maje Eleron Niki Nie Steven Amos

thank you for your support. www.CURRENTSMAGAZINE.co.uk

Illustration by Lina E. Johansen

@CURRENTSMAG

RR S CU NT E CURRENTS MAGAZINE JAN 2021

UWL

By Lina E. Johansen

@currentsmag