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WORLD Images courtesy of Ben Buysse

OUR 2

METROPOLIS September 2009

When everything that is familiar is absent, our perception of the world is left to the far reaches of our own imagination.

Even from a couple of inches of water, the effects of algal bloom is clearly afactor in visibility.

METROPOLIS September 2009

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This planet is full of mystery. We know only what we are told or what we come across in our daily ventures. There are places of great mystery that the human mind can only dream of what may exist.

Science has informed us much about the world that surrounds us; but science, can only speculate when observing natural phenomena such as a black hole or even at the subatomic scale. The rest we create in our imagination. It is in those gray areas that we are left to wonder because we do not understand. It is in those places we wander.

In search of an adventure, I set off on my journey to the water. Water is nothing new to me, as I frequent the beach every now and then, taking some time to enjoy the sun and splash some waves. However, what struck me this day was the thought of what lies beneath the surface of the wavy blue. What intrigued me was the possibilities of what one might find if you stop to observe closely.

As I was on my way, some looming storm clouds attempted to ward me off with growling thunder as it drew nearer. I dashed to the water’s edge to flee the storm’s wrath. Once a little way from shore, the storm backed off as if in retreat. It seemed as though the storm wanted to keep the ocean’s mysteries concealed, by averting my attention elsewhere. I was not phased; I could not escape the curiosity that had overtaken me. I looked back to the blue horizon in front of me as I said goodbye to all that is familiar.

My initial reaction was the inverse of how you might describe a fish out of water’s plea for help. In contrast, the aquatic environment was not forgiving for my failure to wear the snorkeling equipment properly. Water began flooding both my mask and snorkel. It was as though the ocean was trying to acclimate me into my new environment, by forcing me to grow gills. I raced back toward the surface for air. The salt in the water burned my eyes, nose and mouth. Taking a moment to come back to my senses, I secured the mask snugly to my face and emptied the water-filled chamber of the snorkel. Back at the water’s surface, I remembered the calm and serene landscape I had seen only moments ago. The overcast sky provided comfort from the sultry summer day it had been earlier, providing a very welcoming atmosphere for beach-goers. It seemed such a contrast to the shock I experienced once beneath the surface.

The activity of the sea life is highly dependent on the amount of sunlight that finds its way beneath the water’s surface. When there is sufficient cloud ocver, the fish activity dwindles down to a minimal amount, contrasting the times when the sun is brightly shining.

“I looked back to the blue horizon in front of me as I said goodbye to all that is familiar.”

The water clarity off Siesta Key’s Turtle Beach can range from bad to worse, depending on several factors, including the amount of sunlight, time of day, and oceanic currents.

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METROPOLIS September 2009

Ready to appease my curiosity, I plunged under the surface once again. This time I caught my first glimpse of the unknown, which was as mysterious and foreign as an alien planet you might see in a science fiction film. The obscured sun did not provide sufficient light for clear sight. The lack of light above kept the waters in a dark and uninviting haze. I swam forward a little to try to move beyond the murky water in front of me to no avail. As I proceeded slowly away from shore, the ground beneath me began to disappear in the to darkness and soon I found myself in the midst of a blur surrounding me on all sides. I resurfaced and removed my mask to see if I could peer into the water more clearly. No longer wearing a mask, I became blind to the liquid I was submerged in–blind in the eerie darkness. Realizing that sight is only afforded with aid, I restored the mask to its former position.

Moving a little closer to shore, the ground reappeared and my feet found their place in the sand below.

I began wandering around the small dunes of sand, and became lost in my thoughts. I began to imagine myself as a straggler, bound for nowhere in this desolate wasteland of an aquatic desert. As the ocean currents passed back and forth, the tips of the sand dunes disappeared and reappeared. Grazing these sand formations, my feet stirred up and suspended small particles of sand as I meandered on. A few lonely fish came into focus to and stopped to ponder my lost existence for a moment before returning along their way. They would be the only form of life I would see for miles.

Siesta Key

Turtle Beach

METROPOLIS September 2009

The water clarity off Siesta Key’s Turtle Beach can range from bad to worse, depending on several factors, including the amount of sunlight, time of day, and oceanic currents.

I returned my focus directly in front of me, finding nothing to fix my eyes on. Through the endless haze, my imagination served as my only comfort and terror.

While staring off into this dead space, I wondered what type of creature might be obscured by the murkiness.

Having been deprived of any stimulus for sight, my ears discovered a slight hissing noise. I soon began to feel uneasy as it seemed to beckon me to dispute some unsettled score, whispering its threats at me.

Afterhaving enough time for my imagination to conjure up a host of frightening sequence of events, I made my way back to the shore. The visibility of the water worsened as the sun began to sink lower into the sky, and the haze seemed to close in on me. I soon noticed that the fog that swarmed me was comprised of miniscule microorganisms. It was at this moment that I realized that the ocean is a living and breathing creature. It was a monster that did not welcome my stay.

Returning once again to land, I walked away and shuddered at the very thought of the alienating world I had just experienced. What I discovered was the cold reality that comprises the bulk of the planet, hidden from onlookers above. I left the beach for the comfort of my own home, but the itch that had grasped me earlier for discovery was not satisfied. Early the next day, I summoned enough courage to return for another attempt to challenge the beast that I fled from before.

Much to my surprise, my presence was welcomed by the bright sun shining down, as if to smile and offer me an invitation to stay. When I immersed myself under the water, I found a vibrant and lively scene of light patterns dancing across the ocean floor. Schools of fish moved about in rhythm with the heartbeat that pulsed as the waves crashed against the shore. Illuminated by daylight, the monster underwent a transformation into a safe haven for the weary, while promising peace as evidenced by the weightless feeling my fellow swimmers took delight in. Almost having forgotten the previous day, I went about following fish swim about. The scene was colorful and festive.

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“It was at this moment that I realized that the ocean is a living and breathing creature.

It was a monster that did not welcome my stay.”

The water clarity off Siesta Key’s Turtle Beach can range from bad to worse, depending on several factors, including the amount of sunlight, time of day, and oceanic currents.

Bradenton The diagram at left shows the watershed affecting Sarasota Bay. Whitaker Bayou, located in Newtown, drains off into the bay and is a part of the Sarasota Bay watershed, which in turn affects the water clarity of the gulf waters surrounding the coast.

Whitaker Bayou Sarasota

My fears were relieved as I beganVenice exploring farther out into the water. I watched as sand formations gradually transformed from dunes, to a gentle decline into the water’s depth. I ventured further out until I was Sarasota Bayof the water and my surroundsuspended in the middle ings Watershed crept further away from me, however, this did not bother me today, as the warm turquoise color of the water quieted my active imagination. Slowly I spun myself around taking joy in the effortless ease which I moved about. This was a drastically different feeling than what I had experienced the day before, and I began to wonder why. Could it be the fact that the sun was out, or perhaps that more fish had come across my path? I spent some time to reflect upon this and did not come to an answer before I once again discovered the small particles in the water that I noticed earlier.

Although the scope of my vision was not inhibited as much now, it served as a chilling reminder of the sense of uneasiness I felt.

Then it dawned on me. My experiences were both altered by the level of obscurity of my vision, which brought about two completely separate reactions. The amount of sunlight greatly improved visibility, and thus, providing a more friendly environment–a brighter sky provides better clarity. The gloom that struck me at first lifted with the clouds. It is a strange thing that the same lure that sparked my curiosity also proved to be that which haunted me. I thought more about this.

After a little thought, I recalled how the level of activity in the water was significantly less during the time of obscured sunlight. Perhaps this had something to do with the feeding cycles of the fish, or maybe there is something deeper at work here.

Pondering the effects of a location such as this, and how a change in the environment surrounding

impacted my experience, my mind traveled back to the mist–the unknown. Do we really know anything about the ocean? In its vast expanse, we struggle to answer the simple question of what exists therein. Great mysteries lie in its depths; we have but scratched the surface. And in the grand scheme of things, do we really need to understand it? Is it important to understand our relationship to our oceanic neighbor? It is a daunting question at that...

Perhaps the importance of our oceans may become apparent when we consider that it occupies the majority of our planet. If what we do affects our immediate surroundings, then certainly what we do globally has an effect on the water surrounding us. Is it possible to comprehend what we do not understand? If I had learned anything from my experience, it was that we cannot predict what may happen should the oceans turn on us. It was as if the ocean had appointed me the messenger to carry its voice. The ocean wanted to tell me something: “Even good things can show an ugly side if neglected.” A chilling thought, indeed. www.metropolismag.com

The murkiness of the water makes our responsibility to the neighboring ocean clearly evident.

For further reading on the algae bloom happening in Sarasota Bay, these are some helpful websites: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090126/ ARTICLE/901260335?Title=County-and-city-seejewel-in-Newtown http://whitaker-bayou.com/faq.php http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2008/03/12/ Nitrogen-runoff-is-threatening-ecosystems/UPI10541205349388/ http://earthfriendlygardening.wordpress. com/2006/08/23/causes-of-too-much-algaeexcessive-nitrogen/

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METROPOLIS September 2009