Origin Magazine Issue16 by THRIVE. ORIGIN + MANTRA Magazines

ORIGIN. The Conscious Culture Magazine

Strong Powerful WOMEN Top Female Athletes

the

ocean issue Global Ocean Leaders

david guetta: human rights

Conservation Rockstars

World’s Top Nature Photographers

vday: one billion rising

jack johnson wild aid

charlize theron. eve ensler. jane fonda.

Plastic Pollution Coalition: Jeff Bridges • Ben Harper • Kelly Slater • Bonnie Raitt

Ending Extinction: elephants | rhinos | sharks

j ac k johnson â&#x20AC;&#x153;Single use plastic is not so fantastic. We use it for a minute or two and then it sits around for a few thousand years, maybe even more and then it washes up on the shore. Just bring your own bag to the store.â&#x20AC;? plasticpollutioncoalition.org

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W h at c a u s e s a r e y o u pa s s i o n at e a b o u t ? “Sustainable agriculture—being from Hawaii, it’s something that you see firsthand. It’s a major issue there. Ninety percent of our food is shipped in. That’s really taxing. Supporting local food production is so much healthier for people. It’s better for the local economy, and it’s a lot of fun. We get to go out into the schools and work with the kids on connecting them to their food at a young age, to actually see where their food is coming from, to see that their food is coming from the earth and not just from a supermarket. Once they make that connection, they can start to build upon that. It’s really neat to watch it grow.”

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Editor’s Letter

Maranda Pleasant

Who are we? We are a group of women, mothers, artists, and leaders committed to transforming lives, our world, and ourselves. We have a passion for protecting the planet, animals, and those without a voice. We are bringing together game changers, agents of good, and thought leaders to create a better world.

Maranda pleasant photo: Julie Afflerbaugh

With the New Year is a new beginning. Time is not a luxury we have. The needle is moving too slowly for improving the lives of women and girls across the world, protecting the health of our earth, and saving endangered species. Let this be the year we rise, shake things up, and make a real difference. May we be brave enough to speak our truths, regardless of the consequences. We partner with the most effective organizations and artists who are preserving

Ocean Editor’s Note

We’d love your support in 2014 as we continue to amplify the voice of nonprofits, giving so many a national platform for awareness and action. We hope you’ll join us. Maranda Pleasant Founder/Editor-In-Chief ORIGIN Magazine Mantra Yoga+Health editor@originmagazine.com

Jennifer Galvin

When Maranda first asked me to curate an ocean series for Origin Magazine I was surprised, and intrigued. Marine ecosystem work around the globe can appear as vast and complex as the ocean itself. Sometimes, efforts seem to drown in the magnitude of the problems. My entire career has been spent in the environmental arena and even I often wonder: Are we making a dent in the crisis facing the ocean?

whole larger than the sum of its parts. There are inherent challenges with tackling big problems, and unfortunately, the result is that efforts can be disjointed, redundant, and more focused on giving talks at conferences than on action. But these troubles pale in comparison to what we’ll feel with stressed out, changing oceans – “hot, sour and breathless” oceans as a recent UN report warns. So the ocean conservation community keeps churning, knowing that what’s happening with the oceans is what’s happening with us – it should be the most obvious signature of global change. I’ve worked at the intersection of science, media, and social innovation as an academic, as a strategist, as a funder, and as a filmmaker. It wasn’t that long ago that I had to fight to write Yale’s first master’s thesis about ocean and human health. I was told it was a foolish idea and to focus on something else. I didn’t heed the advice. (Nor did I hesitate to give my academic advisor my favorite example of a marine-human health connection: the ocean as the ultimate hangover cure. It did not go over well in the storied halls of New Haven.) Thankfully there are now international centers dedicated to exploring how our health is connected to ocean health and we even have an Ocean Health Index (www.oceanhealthindex. org).

It would help if we could bring together our efforts, inject fresh thinking, and make the

In this issue, I wanted to give you a taste of who’s doing what for the oceans so we can all

jennifer galvin

and protecting the planet and human rights, often telling the stories of those who are underrepresented. Our goal is to bring awareness about these issues into the main stream, reframe our culture, and get our message out of the choir. My personal focus is on empowering women using art for social, political, and environmental change.

learn to tell the oceans’ story better. I hope Origin’s readers find this to be a thoughtful, moving collection that expands understanding of our water world. Some contributors are new to the ocean scene and others have been doing marine work for decades. If this were not a vegan magazine, I would have included stories of sustainable fishing and seafood; conserving the ocean foodway and the livelihoods connected to it is one of the significant ways we can drive demand for protecting our seas. All of these voices are a good reminder that we can learn about our connection to the ocean in new and unsuspecting ways. I hope they serve as a jumping off point for new collaborations and action. Go on, introduce an artist to a scientist. We need inspired thinking to build new models and mechanisms of partnership, investment, decision-making, and communication. The people featured in this issue are the people doing the hard work for us. Get behind them. As I built this series, so many stories reconnected me to dear friends and badass colleagues. All the salt does something to us over the years, and it bonds us together. It sometimes feels like no progress is being made. Yet these problems take serious commitment, often exceeding life-long dedication. When I take a hard look at the people working on solving ocean issues, I’m hopeful we have a chance of making waves. reelblue.net

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can china

save the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sharks?

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S h a r k f i n t r a d e d e c l i n e s a s o n e c a m pa i g n p u t s t h e p o w e r o f c o n s e r v at i o n into the hands of consumers by wildaid

a dreary day in Beijing, hundreds of local residents huddled together outside of a shopping mall and eagerly awaited the arrival of the stars of China’s popular variety show “Happy Camp”. In the front row of the audience, sat New York Times blogger Andy Revkin, who came on a break from a global climate conference accompanied by a translator seated next to him. Two of Happy Camp’s hosts, Xie Na and Du Haitao, took the stage in black shirts with “WildAid” emblazoned across their chests. In a combination of bold English letters and Chinese script, the backs of their t-shirts read: When the buying stops, the killing can too. The tagline was made popular by WildAid, the only NGO working solely to reduce the demand of endangered wildlife

products. The words, a reminder of the power of each consumer, appeared on screens across the stage and hung above the crowd on a billboard featuring the same celebrity conservationists on stage.

This moment was the result of nearly seven years of steady campaigning, a seemingly endless stream of public service messages featuring wildlife ambassadors including Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, and Richard Branson, and a partnership with China’s CCTV that

continues to broadcast WildAid’s messages to millions of Chinese consumers in primetime, all free of charge. Only a few months ago, the NGO Shark Savers, which recently announced a merger with WildAid, and several partners, including National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, and WWF-Hong Kong, launched the “I’m FINished with Fins” initiative, the latest push to end shark fin consumption. It gained support in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur, culminating with this WildAid launch in mainland China. The multimedia campaign featured Hollywood style broadcast messages, billboards, magazine ads, and an online recruiting platform created through a partnership with Sina Weibo, China’s popular microblogging platform. The results announced on-stage were beyond expectations. More than 100 celebrities joined the campaign and in less than four weeks of online support via Sina Weibo, roughly 300,000 users pledged not to

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In August, WildAid conducted a survey where 85% of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu residents interviewed said they stopped eating shark fin soup in the last three years, and 65% of those said awareness campaigns was a reason why they stopped. ocean 8 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

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consume shark fin through texts or with photos, reaching more than 2 million subscribers. Despite the misty rain, spirits were high among the spectators. The tide is turning and the future is looking brighter for sharks. New estimates have yet to be gathered, but before the campaign, estimates suggested that fins from up to 73 million sharks were used in shark fin soup each year as demand grew among an uninformed public. As the event concluded and the celebrity ambassadors made their way off-stage, the WildAid staff busily sent updates to the San Francisco headquarters. The event was a success, but what could the supporters expect next?

The answer came in the following weeks as WildAid rolled out more scheduled communications, feeding the growing number

of supporters eager to share updates and information with their friends online. The news headlines verified what WildAid and its partners suspected: the shark fin trade was continuing to decline. In August, WildAid conducted a survey where 85% of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu residents interviewed said they stopped eating shark fin soup in the last three years, and 65% of those said awareness campaigns was a reason why they stopped. Demand was shrinking and the value of fins on the open market was decreasing, a sure sign that the industry was feeling the effects of the continuous campaigning. Media reports from Western and Chinese publications declared an estimated 50% -70% decrease in consumption and the market value of shark fin had been cut nearly in half. This success is certainly significant, however the demand has not been eliminated entirely yet. The campaigning must and will continue, harnessing the momentum of the growing ranks of supporters and celebrity

ambassadors. The Chinese urban “middle class” consumers are reportedly predicted to rise by an estimated 250 million over the next 15 years, bringing a combination of old customs and new money. Conspicuous consumption and powerful new aspirations will either drive a massive expansion in the use of wildlife parts and products in China or be diverted by the messages created by WildAid and its partners. WildAid’s communications model is now being applied to its campaigns to stop the demand for ivory and rhino horn in China and Vietnam. Partners including Save the Elephants and the African Wildlife Foundation are supplying the financial support necessary for WildAid to continue to reach out to consumers. With smaller numbers of elephants and rhinos facing a rising poaching crisis, the campaigns will be streamlined, benefitting from seven years of experience and relationships with media partners, that may just help turn China into the world’s largest conservationist. more at www.wildaid.org

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C onservation I nternational Why is a healthy ocean important for people? The ocean is our world’s greatest resource. It is an engine that powers all life on this planet - the estimated value of the natural services provided by the ocean is an astounding $21 trillion. Three-hundred fifty million jobs are related to marine industries. One-hundred eighty million jobs are directly related to global fisheries, representing $190 billion in total global value. The ocean also moderates our climate, protects shorelines, and provides more than 50% of the oxygen we breathe. We also feel the impact from a healthy ocean on our dinner plate. By 2050, the Earth’s population will grow to 9 billion people with 5 billion in the middle class. We will need 70% more food and we will have to look to the ocean to help feed the world.

Executive Vice President of Conservation International In t e rv i ew w i t h

greg Stone I ntervie w by Ian S omerhalder

Not everybody eats seafood. Why are healthy and sustainable fisheries so important to the health of the oceans? Half the world depends on seafood as a source of protein. It’s estimated that almost 1 billion people in the world do not have enough to eat, and seafood provides 3 billion people with almost 20% of their daily protein intake. For the other half that may prefer a steak or tofu, sustainable fisheries are integral to a well-balanced ocean ecosystem. Fisheries with high by-catch and damage to their surrounding habitats reduce the resilience of an ecosystem. Marine ecosystems are intricately interwoven, so removing a single species may have negative impacts on other integral elements of the ecosystem. For example, removing sharks and other apex marine predators like tuna, alters the structure of food chains, which directly affects coral reef health. Moreover, sustainable fisheries are necessary to support local economies since the fishing industry represents about $5.6 billion of the annual U.S. GDP. While an estimated 85% of the world’s fisheries are overexploited,

photo: (top) peter stonier 10 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

How do we manage these tuna fisheries? When one single tuna can sell for $737,000 at the Tsukiji Tuna Auction in Japan, then we can see how difficult it is to manage tuna fisheries. Sustainably managing tuna fisheries is a politically and economically loaded challenge to which there is no single answer. It requires applying a suite of different management tools, increasing transparency, and increasing economic returns for countries like those in the Pacific Islands, which have stewardship responsibilities for vast swaths of the ocean but currently only recover 5-7% of the landed value of the fish caught in their waters. Some tools that have worked in the past: marine protected areas (MPA) where some areas have no fishing and other areas have well-managed fishing gives many species a chance to recover and increase. Catch shares have worked by providing licensed fisher’s certain shares of a sustainable amount of harvest of each species. Fisher’s tend to manage

and supervise this approach, reducing the need for outside enforcement. An initiative that Conservation International has been involved with that can potentially help the pacific bluefin tuna recover is the Pacific Oceanscape. It is a management framework that has been endorsed by 22 Pacific Islands countries and territories covering more than 10 percent of the global ocean. It is designed to foster stewardship at the local, national, regional, and international scales, and provide a secure future for Pacific Islanders based on the sustainable development and management of their vulnerable coasts and vast ocean resources. Individual nations are now making ambitious commitments to protect and sustainably manage their ocean and coastal areas under the auspices of the Oceanscape, from Kiribati’s 408,250-square-kilometer Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the largest and deepest UNESCO World Heritage Site, to the Cook Islands’ announcement of a 1.1-millionsquare-kilometer marine park, to New Caledonia’s decision to establish a 1.4-million-square-kilometer marine protected area in the Coral Sea. Protected-area commitments under the Oceanscape now total an area photos: (left) peter stonier (right) keith ellenbogen

significantly larger than the Mediterranean Sea. For context, the area is larger than the surface of the moon; and we know less about it than the moon!

Does an MPA need to be completely closed to fishing to be successful? No an MPA does not need to be completely closed to fishing to be successful. Its success, however, does hinge on the effective local management and regulations. Each MPA that is supported by CI is different; therefore, we work with local coastal communities to assess long-term solutions to their short-term needs. Often, the result is a multiple-use MPA that can accommodate multiple and sometimes conflicting objectives to ensure solutions that meet human needs while preserving biodiversity. An example would be an MPA that is split into three specific zones: sustainable (local) fishing, tourism, and a no-take zone. The no-take zone can be a seasonal closure (e.g. during breeding season) or completely, restricted at all times.

Where else do you see these types of MPAs being useful? In the past 10 years, CI has implemented or strengthened the management of MPAs across multiple regions: Tropical Eastern Pacific, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, and across the western and central Pacific through the Pacific Oceanscape initiative. Our teams have worked with local partners and communities to build networks of co-managed MPAs throughout Raja Ampat in West Papua, Indonesia and strengthened

the management of established UNESCO World Heritage sites like Galapagos, Malpelo, and Cocos Island. We are committed to using prioritization tools like marine protected areas to address the increasing demand for marine resources and to achieve sustainable fisheries and economies.

Can fisheries recover? Yes, but only if we institute policies and governance mechanisms that support sustainable fisheries. In the 1950s, the Pacific sardine fishery off the Californian coast collapsed due to high catch levels, which led to the decline of many local economies. But, by the end of the 1980s, sardine stocks began to recover, and today the fishery is once again thriving under active management, supporting the livelihood of families and communities. On the flip side, however, is the collapse of the Atlantic Northeast cod fishery, where the fish stocks that cod rely on also collapsed due to overfishing, making recovery very difficult.

conservation.org ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 11

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fisheries can vary in health from region to region. These differences are due to the size of the fishing fleet, the methods of fishing used, boat types, and institutional frameworks in place. Many Atlantic sardine populations in the Mediterranean are declining or depleted, but Pacific sardines fisheries in the U.S are abundant. Similarly, several red snapper populations of the U.S. South Atlantic continue to decline despite management efforts. Perhaps some of the most exploited fisheries worldwide are the Atlantic and Southern bluefin tuna – commonly found in sushi – which are both considered a critical conservation concern due to demonstrated long term declines in abundance.

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“Our ocean knows no borders and it ensures life for everyone.”

Global Partnership for Oceans World Bank Global Partnership For Oceans

Aligning Ocean Health and Human Well-Being The ocean is the earth’s critical lifesupport system. Once thought to be limitless, the ocean’s resources are showing serious signs of deterioration and depletion on a global scale. Our oxygen, water, jobs, food, and weather system are on the line and scientists worldwide are in agreement: if we do not take global action to protect our shared global asset, these changes will become irreversible. Despite this gloomy reality, the good news is that there are solutions and we can take action that counts. Supported by more than 150 public, private, and civil society organizations, the Global Partnership for Oceans was established by the World Bank as a convening platform to respond to the ecological and humanitarian crisis of declining ocean health. It will mobilize funding and expertise to activate proven solutions at the scale needed to feed a growing population without depleting the ocean’s resources. The Partnership aims to tackle documented problems of overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss to

support communities and global economies. By addressing these problems globally we can build the resilience of our ocean to prepare for climate change while protecting the jobs, nutrition, and food security of billions around the globe. This challenge is not small. It means managing our fisheries to end destructive overfishing. It means reducing pollution from plastic, nutrients, and untreated sewage that make the ocean uninhabitable. It means protecting key habitats, such as coral reefs and mangroves, that protect, feed, and employ. It means collaboration on a global scale. Our ocean knows no borders and it ensures life for everyone. With joint action from governments, companies, scientists, and conservationists, we still have time to take action on the scale needed to bring our ocean, our communities, and our global economy back to health. For more information on the Global Partnership for Oceans, please see the website www.globalpartnershipforoceans.org and follow on twitter @GPOceans.

Photos: (top) Jack London (middle) Katie Schuler (bottom) shutterstock 12 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Sir Richard Branson â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am passionate about many things but conserving our planet and its species is a high priority of mine. We need to learn and always remember that our actions today will dictate the type of world our children and grandchildren grow old in. It is our greatest responsibility. We all have a part to play and I believe we all have to embrace the challenge to change. Of course an individual can make a huge difference but it is when those individuals come together with like-minded souls that they can change the world for ever and importantly for the better.â&#x20AC;? p h o t o : K at e H o l s t e i n

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photo: David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes

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DavidDoubilet.com

David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes work as an underwater photojournalist team that co-produce stories for National Geographic Magazine. David and Jennifer believe that photography is universal language that reaches out to all of us regardless of region or race. Pictures have the visual power to seduce, shock, honor, humiliate, and the power to inspire change. David and Jennifer work underwater from the equator to the poles to share the beauty and devastation of this hidden world that covers most of our planet. Their single goal is simple: to convince the unconvinced that as the sea goes so do we.

David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes GET OUT OF THIS WORLD, GO BELOW

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photo: David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes

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photo: David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes

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photo: David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes

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m . w. ma rine w a tc h in t e rna t i o n a l i

By Alexandra Sangmeister

Marine Watch International supports the individuals and organizations working on the front lines to save the oceans. We are crowdsourcing information to create the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest database and platform to connect those working in ocean conservation around the world. We are on a quest to find who is working where and doing what in ocean conservation, especially those working in remote areas with little information online. Do you know a group that is cleaning your local beach? Did your family go on vacation and meet an organizational leader working with marine life? Then you can contribute! Everyone must share their successes, failures, research, strategies, best practices, everything we can, and work together to have the major and largescale impact needed to save the oceans. We simply do not have enough time to duplicate efforts and work in silos. Most organizations are so occupied doing their own work that they may not know of others facing similar challenges. By working together, everyone can be more efficient and effective. Our platform provides a much-needed virtual place where researchers, volunteers, educators, and organizational leaders can work together by sharing experiences and strategizing for the future. Our dynamic and interactive maps will aid in visualizing the data, such as showing where organizations are working and developing a vital, global assessment of ocean conservation. Whether you have two minutes or two hours to spare, the information you enter is crucial and will be leveraged to protect the oceans and foster collaboration. Join us by going to www.marinewatch.org photos: (top) Alexandra Sangmeister, (smaller left) Buffy Redsecker ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 19

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Can an Oc e a n Full of Plastic S u s ta i n Life? Plastic Pollution Coalition

By Daniella Dimitrova Russo Co-founder and Executive Director of Plastic Pollution Coalition The short answer is – no. Scientists first reported plastic pieces and polystyrene in the ocean as early as the 1970’s. The mass albatross death on Midway Atoll has been documented for at least 30 years. Today, every part of the ocean we have studied, from the Arctic and Antarctica, to the deep seafloor, has revealed the presence of plastic. After years of searching for the elusive “island of trash,” we realized that there is no island – there is “plastic soup,” particles of plastic floating

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through the water and dispersed over vast distances. Moved by the ocean currents, these particles float and accumulate in convergence zones, or “gyres”, such as the North and South Atlantic, North and South Pacific, and the Indian Ocean. Plastic particles have been found in every one of these gyres, and in the marine animals living there. Does it matter? The science community thinks so. Between 2005 and 2013, over 100 scientific publications examine various aspects of microplastics in the ocean. The “island of trash” was, in a way, easier to address – it inspired heroic notions of cleanup by engaging large fleets of fishing trawlers, scooping it all up. Turns out, this was more fiction than reality. When marine life bonds with plastic particles, life is created – how do you destroy that? And while we ponder that challenge, the plastic in the ocean continues to break into smaller pieces. All the while, new plastic is created which over years break into smaller pieces in the

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“

But the toxicity transfer does not end with the fish on your plate. We already know that our cattle is fed fish-stocks. So, where does the transference of toxic chemicals end? environment but never biodegrades. But this plastic is not inert – it contains chemical compounds used for durability, flexibility etc. These compounds are well known endocrine disruptors, causing genetic changes and documented carcinogens. The ocean is already full of organic pollutants such as DDT. To this, we have added BpA and the Polychlorinated Biphenols (PCBs) compounds used in plastic products. The microplastics, with their oleophilic structure, tend to absorb these organic compounds. These toxic microplastics ingested by oysters and mussels, close the gut wall and cause reaction with the tissue. Ingested by other marine animals, toxic microplastics will stay in their tissues, while compounds may start to leach out. And the transfer and bioaccumulation of these toxic substances into the larger fish tissues is inevitable. But the toxicity transfer does not end with the fish on your plate. We already know that our cattle is fed fish-stocks. So, where does the transference of toxic chemicals end? Growing Impact Between 1997 and 2012, the UNEP Review has tracked the progress of marine pollution and its impact on species from 267 species affected to 663, from 86% of all sea turtles to 100%, and from 43% of all marine mammals to 53%. Over 80% of all impacts were associated with plastic debris, while paper, glass, wood, and metal accounted for less than 2%. What to do? Plastic is a material with no end of life plan. Plastic products last hundreds photos: (top) Chris Jordan, (bottom) Dee Boesmak

of years and can be found throughout the water column and dispersed over vast distances. They break into smaller pieces in the environment but never biodegrade. Producing plastic single-use products, designed specifically to be thrown away, is, simply put – irresponsible, although great business. Plastic bottles, plastic straws, plastic bags, plastic cutlery, and other items offer brief convenience, but remain on this planet forever. The first response to disposable plastic products must be – REFUSE. Lets consider carefully each plastic purchase. Must it last forever? Is it important that it is not toxic? These are two simple questions that eliminate many plastic purchases such as toys, household objects, cooking implements, and many others. Reducing our plastic footprint helps live a toxic-free life. Let’s ask more of businesses who sell our products in plastic packaging – our mass purchasing power can move the markets, drive prices down, and bring toxic-free, plastic-free products into every home. Demand plastic free packaging. Demand options and alternatives. Demand extended producer responsibility – each plastic bottle or bottle cap in the ocean belongs to the manufacturer who produced an indestructible product in the first place. Plastic Pollution Coalition is a global alliance working on reducing plastic pollution through viral behavior change, disruptive innovation, and youth leadership. Join the coalition today, and help us shape the future of our planet for the generations to come. plasticpollutioncoalition.org ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 21

The

International League of Conservation Photographers photos clockwise from top: Claudio Contreras Koob, Michele Westmorland, Luciano Candisani, Claudio Contreras Koob

The International League of

Conservation Photographers is best known for its conservation photography expeditions that each produce a body of images that fully captures the threats and opportunities faced by communities whose physical environments, animal or plant populations, and/or cultural traditions are in peril.

“iLCP is best known for its conservation photography expeditions that each produce a body of images that fully captures the threats and opportunities faced by communities whose physical environments, animal or plant populations, and/or cultural traditions are in peril.”

Marine conservation is a key program area for iLCP and two of our recent expeditions focused on coral reefs. In January 2013, we partnered with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (LOF), sending iLCP Fellow Michele Westmorland to take part in a coral reef research expedition in the Gambiers Islands of French Polynesia. Her goal was to document the work of the scientists and the state of these spectacular reefs. The resulting images are being used by LOF in ocean conservation displays around the world that educate people about the important role reefs play in ocean health. Michele also produced a short film for LOF that was shown at the 10th World Wilderness Congress in Spain in October. In April, we teamed with Project Seahorse to dispatch four iLCP Fellows – Luciano Candisani, Claudio Contreras Koob, Thomas Peschak, and Michael Ready – to the Danajon Bank in The Philippines. Their goal was to document the state of this rare double-barrier reef, one of only six in the world. They returned with images that evidence the destruction

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ecosystem in the coming years. iLCP images are being used by Project Seahorse to help advance this cause.

caused by unsustainable fishing practices, and the impacts of the illegal capture of seahorses and other tropical fish for the global aquarium trade. However, they also captured the stories of local communities adopting new sustainable forms of livelihood, like seaweed farming, and how the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) has helped to restore the health of the Danajon Bank. In both locations, our photographers noted the absence of large predator species. In Gambier, we believe the cause may be illegal fishing of sharks since the reef is healthy and teeming with small and medium fish. Gambiers should be able to support marine predators. So where are they? By contrast, in the Danajon Bank, the cause is clearly the lack of large populations of smaller fish, which are necessary to support top predator species. Hopefully, the establishment of additional MPAs will restore this important

In 2014, iLCP will further its marine commitment with expeditions to Mexico and Honduras. Our goal is to capture images, still and video, that will feed a communications campaign directed at fishing communities all along the MesoAmerican Reef (MAR). The campaign aims to encourage local stakeholders to support the establishment of no-take zones: fish nurseries that help to restore depleted fish stocks. Small catches of small fish are hurting these coastal communities, as in many places the reef can no longer sustain their basic livelihoods. The International League of Conservation Photographers is a U.S. based 501(c)(3) non-profit entity whose mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through photography. Our programs are built around the contributions of our 100+ Fellows, an elite group of the world’s top nature and culture photographers who are committed to conservation all around the globe. To learn more about our work in conservation communications, visit our website at www.ConservationPhotographers. org. And please, consider supporting our efforts with a donation!

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Each of us can make a difference in preventing plastic pollution by refusing single-use plastics such as plastic water bottles and by making sustainable choices when we shop.

Bonnie Raitt musician plasticpollutioncoalition.org ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 23

Challenge & Opportunity in the gulf

Gulf Restoration Network The Gulf of Mexico is many things to many people. Ask

a commercial fisherman in Louisiana, and you might hear how the Gulf has helped supply their family with food to eat and means of making a living for generations. Ask a hotel owner in Tampa, and she might tell you how the Gulf’s beautiful beaches and fabulous fishing help drive the local economy. And like it or not, for many people, the Gulf of Mexico still conjures up images of BP’s oil spewing from the ocean floor and coating our beaches. The Gulf’s marine environment is one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world, supplying 40% of the nation’s domestically caught seafood, and providing home to an amazing array of wildlife like dolphins, whale sharks, sperm whales, and bluefin tuna. However, this remarkable ecosystem faces a number of significant threats. Thousands of offshore oil and gas facilities pepper the Gulf’s surface, and many thousands of miles more of oil and gas pipelines carve through our wetlands and coastal waters. Leaks and accidents are a daily occurrence. Whales and dolphins face the threat of seismic exploration, a method of searching for oil and gas reserves that involves producing underwater blasts of sound so loud that they have been shown to harm and sometimes even kill marine mammals. From genetic problems in species like the Gulf killifish to the death of deep water corals, the Gulf also continues to reel from the BP disaster.

In addition to oil and gas impacts, overfishing is a big problem for our marine populations. Industrial menhaden boats harvest an average of 1 billion pounds a year of menhaden, a key forage fish at the base of much of the Gulf’s food web. Untold numbers of other marine animals like sharks and sport fish are accidentally caught in their nets. The only known spawning ground for western Atlantic bluefin tuna is in the Gulf, yet their populations are threatened by surface longline fishing – a method of fishing that involves hundreds of baited hooks suspended from lines stretched an average of 30 miles. There is hope, though. Those of us who live, work, and play on the Gulf are still here and still working to make sure this amazing region is preserved for future generations. In the wake of the BP disaster, the eyes of the nation’s researchers and residents are on the Gulf. With the billions of dollars in fines and payments from BP and the other companies responsible for the disaster set to start flowing to the region, we have the opportunity to jumpstart restoration and protection efforts. Gulf Restoration Network is working hard to protect our marine environment by pushing for better oversight over the oil and gas industry, protections for marine mammals from seismic exploration, and a transition to more sustainable fishing gear to ensure bluefin tuna and other marine populations can thrive. You can learn more and join the fight for a healthy Gulf by visiting HealthyGulf.org.

photos: (top) Jonathan Henderson, Gulf Restoration Network (bottom) Gulf Restoration Network 24 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

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Plastic Bottles have got to go. They are poisoning us.

Jeff Bridges actor plasticpollutioncoalition.org ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 25

Mission Blue: Sylvia Earle Alliance

“The film deftly weaves Sylvia’s unique personal history with the passion that consumes her today: creating essentially a national parks system for the Ocean, marine sanctuaries that she calls “Hope Spots.””

ylvia Earle is on a personal, lifelong mission to save the Earth’s Oceans and change the course of history. MISSION BLUE is a feature documentary that traces this legendary oceanographer’s personal journey from her earliest memories exploring the Gulf of Mexico, to her daring aquanaut days in the Virgin Islands, to her reign as one of the U.S. government’s chief scientists and beyond. Shot over a three year period in numerous locations, on land and underwater, all over the world, MISSION BLUE is a love letter to our most precious resource, the Ocean. The film deftly weaves Sylvia’s unique personal history with the passion that consumes her today: creating essentially a national parks system for the Ocean, marine sanctuaries that she calls “Hope Spots.” Sylvia believes this ambitious plan may be the only way to restore the health of ravaged ecosystems. But as she travels to points as far reaching as the Gulf of Mexico, the Galapagos Islands, and the Coral Sea, it becomes

clear just how daunting the challenges we face truly are. The film is part oceanic road trip; part biography; part action adventure story. Guiding us through the narrative is Fisher Stevens, whose own lifelong passion for the Ocean inspired him to produce the Academy award winning film, THE COVE. In many ways, MISSION BLUE is an extension of that earlier film. But rather than explore a single issue— dolphin slaughters in Japan— MISSION BLUE tackles the daunting challenge of how to protect a once vibrant system that is now under attack like never before. As a witness to change over the past 60 years, Sylvia is a steadfast warrior, leading the charge to restore it to health before it’s too late. Ambitious in its visual language and passion for change, MISSION BLUE is a wake-up call for everyone who has ever thought, cared about, fished, swam, or experienced the Ocean. And that’s all of us. As Sylvia says, “No blue; no green. No Ocean; no us.” mission-blue.org

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One simple thing that we have done at home is to get a water filter and a reuse/ refill glass bottle. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buy plastic water bottles. We are not creating truckloads of plastic trash.

David Crosby musician photo: Django Crosby plasticpollutioncoalition.org

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