Photo by David Clode
Content Editors Note
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Titanny
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Life Below
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The Art of Conservation
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FISH
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Art Feature
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Sea of Love
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The Ocean Cleanup
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Traditional & Chinese Medicine
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Bastien Demnard
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Introducing Issue No. 4 of Oceans Daily Magazine
The Lady living in the deep Sea
The Crab
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Christian Vizl
The last commercialized Wildlife
Ajax Atlas
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The complex world of underwater romance
Closing the Tap
Endangered Wildlife Trade
The creator of Titanny
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Oceans Daily Magazine
Oceans Daily Scientific Illustrator Mikkel Juul Jensen mikkel@Penalhuset.dk Instagram : Mikkel_Juul_Jensen Page : 12;13 & 68,69
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Editors Note Dearest Reader, It is with great pleasure that I hereby introduce Oceans Daily Magazine Issue No. 4 ! Enhancing Ocean Awareness through Art, is the main theme of this Issue. Just like ascending into The Big Blue, to discover the underwater world with all our senses - we can ascent into Art. I believe in Art as a powerful tool to elaborate complex matters, and to present and preserve precious moments. Like Baba Dioum said : “In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught." In order to care for the Oceans, our emotions and senses needs to be activated. I believe, that this is possible weather plunged beneath the waves, or being emotionally drawn to Art displaying Ocean matters. This Issue also hosts some rather intense subjects, such as Chinese and Traditional Medicine, as well as the Commercialized Seafood Industry. It has been a great journey editing this Issue and I hope that You will enjoy reading it ! Sincerely, Naja Bertolt Jensen
All articles and interviews are conducted by Blue Reporter Naja Bertolt Jensen Executive Editor of Oceans Daily
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Illustration by Bastien Demnard
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Titanny “Just like all the living creatures of the Ocean, Titanny cannot rebel. “
Titanny is a lady living in the deep Sea. Her name is a mix between Tiffany and Titanic. Since she cannot speak, all her thoughts and intentions need to be expressed by her body. That’s why all of her gestures and movements are amplified, just like an actress in old silent movies. Once, she was a deep diver, who decided to cut the cord, break all her links with the surface, and live alone in the great bellows. That is why the pipe of her helmet doesn’t link her to the outside world, as this kind of equipment should do. Except for her helmet, which she always wears, she is nude like a newborn Baby. This nudity is the one of innocence. There is nothing sexual in her attitude: she is always playful and acts like a child who is discovering all that she sees, constantly wondering about everything. This childish eye of Titanny allows the creation some very simple and absurd situations, some poetic ones, and even to add a bit environmental messaging, by enhancing the contrast between her innocence and the horror of human indifference : just like all the living creatures of the Ocean, Titanny cannot rebel. She just can’t understand. She represents the absolute freedom of the one who doesn’t have to care about the human world, and in the same time, a total loneliness that she seems to ignore. The main reference for this character is the Little Prince : a lonely boy traveling from planet to planet, learning things,- we never question how he walks into space or how he can survive in a small planet… The characters carries a whole bunch of questions and answers, that You automatically accept by entering in it´s universe.
Meet the Illustrator Bastien Demnard on page 84 & 85
Did You know ? The Blue Sharks are often referred to as “Wolfs of the Sea”. They are one of the few Shark species migrating in larger groups of many individuals. 6
Did You know ? Approx. 10 to 20 million Blue Sharks are killed each year. They are mainly caught as bycatch,but are also targeted for Sharkfin Soup and Chinese & Traditional Medicine.
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Photo by Juanma Clemente Alloza
Life
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Below
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Photo by Alex Braga
With their exoskeletons, crabs may seem fearless ! But this special creature, as tough and hard-shelled as a crab may seem, is in fact vulnerable a lot of its life. On the sand floor, a liveless crab shell drifts around… But the crab isn't dead, - its hiding elsewhere. Under some big bulks of rocks not far from the shedded shell, the crab is found. At a glance it dose not look any different, but the first appearance leves You fooled. The crab, who would usually be waltzing around on the open ocean floor protected by an armor, is at this point soft and therefore extremely vulnerable ! The crab is in the special process of “molting”. “Molting” is the periodical process when the crab is growing. Just like snakes and other reptiles sheds their skin when they grow, - crabs need to shed their exoskeleton in order to grow… But there is a major difference. When a snake grows, - it can be compared to when we, humans, get a rather rough sunburn, and our skin peals off… We still have new skin underneath to protect us. Crabs, on the other hand, need time to harden their shell before they are safe and protected once again. And this takes time. There are many steps in the molting process… Step One: Preparing the Molting process. When it is about time for a crab to molt, - it starts the preparations… The Crab will absorb Calcium into its blood and at the same time, the crab releases an enzyme that breaks down the old shell and connection to tissue layers as well as the muscles underneath the shell. By the end of this phase, the crab creates an extremely thin and flexible new shell layer underneath the old shell.
Step Two: Crab goes wannabe Pufferfish. The day before the molting will start for real, the crab begins taking in water, and filling its body up entirely… Just like a pufferfish trying to scare off predatores, - or like Donald Duck pumping his air madress to the point where it almost explodes. And this is also the point ! When the crab takes in water, the crabs tissue expands, which helps the crab to loosen and break the old shell. At some point, the old shell cracks open, and it is now possible for the crab to continue on to the next step of its molting process…
Step Three: The minor detail / What was the middle thing ? Here comes the tricky part of the process… The crab needs to remove the old shell with its now soft and flexible new shell layer. Due to this troubling mixture, it can take many hours, before the crab has rid itself of the old shell.
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Step Four: Vulnerability. All of a sudden, the crab tranforms from an armored predator, to a fragile and vulnerable animal. Many predators would be thrilled to come across this soft, delicate being ! So the crab needs to hide itself well. Before the full shell is properly hardened, days and sometimes even weeks can pass, - depending on the crab specie as well as its age. Meanwhile the hardening process takes place, the crab continues to pump its body up with water, in order to make space for itself to grow, - and in order to make sure as long time as possible will pass before a new molting will take place. The crab stays hidden all meanwhile the shell is hardening. Step Five: Finishing up. At some point, the hardening is finishing up, - and the crab is now ready to leave its safezone. Now, the crab has a tuned armor and has increased its size with 25% - 40%. But that is not all ! The molting process is not only essential to the crabs growth, it is also rids the crab of parasites such as barnacles and tube worms ! And if the prior shell had been damaged in any way, the molting also patches this up. That is also the case, concerning missing legs or claws. They will be regrown, bit by bit, every time a crab molts. For some crab species, the molting periodical process is also the time to create a new generation of crabs. Just like when a couple takes off their clothes to make love, the, for instance, Dungeness Crabs removes their hard exoskeletons, since they need to be soft bodied, in order to mate. The molting process is an important affair. This rather long process, may seem like a once in a lifetime happening, - but actually, molting occurs frequently for Crabs. Depending on their specie and age, molting can occur several times annually.
“As untouchable this armored predator may seem, it is in fact extremely vulnerable a lot of its life.� 11
Photo by Darrell Cassell
Did You know ? Early Whalers named the Sperm Whales after “Spermaceti� - a waxy substance that was used in oil lamps and candles - found in their heads. At that time, the Whalers believed that the substance had something to do with reproduction.
This is incorrect - though still today, Scientists are not entirely sure what the Spermaceti is used for.
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Did You know ? Some Sperm Whales produces “Ambergris” - a rare kind of whale poop consisting of Squid beaks and fatty secretions.
Some high-end perfumes uses Ambergris since it contains a special chemical called “Ambrien”. This chemical suspends surrounding smells, for its own unique scent. 13
Illustration by Mikkel Juul Jensen
Did You Know ? The Lionfish preys on approx. 50 different species of fish. One of the Lionfish´s special hunting skills, is to confuse and corner the targeted prey with it´s fan-like pectoral fins.
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Photo by Kris Mikael Krister
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Photo by Christian Vizl
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C
onservation
Interview with Underwater Photographer Christian Vizl
Photo by Christian Vizl
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!e A" of
Conservation
Interview with Christian Vizl
“I try to capture sublime moments of the marine environment, the essence of being there, in that experience and in the presence of that particular animal, capturing their splendor and soul.”
How would You describe Your work to a complete stranger? Photography is all about light, and in my opinion, it is the single most important aspect when it comes to creating appealing, inspiring and touching images. Beyond technical issues, what´s most important is how I apply and manipulate the light that´s available in order to create pictures with dramatic effect, carrying depths of emotion and using contrast and tonalities as means to emphasize form and structure of the scenery. The majority of humans see marine animals merely as tons of food, but I see them as so much more than that. They don´t have a voice that we can understand, so the higher purpose of my images is to be a voice of the Ocean and for the Ocean, hoping that people can get a glimpse of who they really are, beautiful sentient individuals, with feelings and different personalities, with complex behaviors and interesting lives that Science is only starting to understand. Please, tell us a little about Yourself, and also how You got into doing underwater photography... I was born in México City and have been a photographer for over three decades. Ever since I was a kid, as far back as I can remember, I was attracted to the Sea. I dreamt about what lay beneath the waves, and how it would look if suddenly all the water vanished, leaving in stasis all the animals and living creatures. In this way, I could walk inside the Ocean and see them all, suspended for a moment in time and space. I became a diving instructor in 1997 in southeast México, and in 2010 I took my first underwater pictures. I believe my images are the realization of that childhood dream, finally being able to see first-hand all the incredible beauty and variety of forms that call the Ocean “home”.
How would You define Your mission? I focus on the emotional impact of the final shot that will connect, on a deeper level, with the people that observe these photographs. Just as a poet uses words to create poetry, a Photographer uses light to create images. So, when I’m underwater taking pictures, one of my goals is to create poetic images through the use of light. I try to capture sublime moments of the marine environment, the essence of being there, in that experience and in the presence of that particular animal, capturing their splendor and soul. It´s sheer beauty and poetry with images that inspire, make us vibrate through the beauty in every corner of the Ocean, an epic sight that make us dream of a better world, where we value and care for all expressions of life. I believe Photography is capable of real service to humanity, promoting empathy and initiating change, so my main purpose as a Photographer, is to create poetic images showing the incredible beauty of these animals knowing they carry the power of changing our perception and spark the love and empathy that we all have inside. If we want to have a future in this planet, we need to understand that our lives are interconnected to all living animals, and our own wellbeing is directly linked to the well-being of these animals. As Dr. Sylvia Earl stated, “No blue no green, if the Oceans die, we die” What compels You about the Ocean? Everything! From its vastness, abundance and overwhelming variety of animals, to it´s unbelievable beauty and mystery. The fact that I owe my entire existence to the sea, from what I breathe, to what I eat, to the favorable and stable climate it provides to my life and the entire life on earth!
Christian Vizl Underwater Photographer
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www.ChristianVizl.com Instagram: @ChristianVizl
What is Your most ground breaking Ocean experience and how has it inspired You? It´s very hard to pick just one, each one is unique and has taught me so many different things, but generally speaking, the experience of just observing the animals as they are, wild, free and in their natural environment always brings me joy and a lot of learning and inspiration. Just by observing the amazing way they live their lives, has inspired me in so many ways, like letting go of my own ego and thinking that we are the superior species on this planet. As soon as they are born, they outlive their full potential, without insecurities, without judgment, without wanting to be someone else.
You released Your first book in 2019 with the title “Silent Kingdom”. Will You share with the readers of Oceans Daily Magazine, Your take on raising awareness of the problems in the Ocean, though sharing stunning underwater imagery? I have devoted my life to exploring and contemplate the amazing beauty of the Ocean and it has been an incredible journey that has brought me a deep feeling of connection with nature… But sadly, during my lifetime I have witness the ever-increasing devastation that we, humans, are creating in this planet. Today the world’s Ocean is in grave danger. Overfishing, pollution, plastics, radiation, climate change, acidification and other human pressures threaten the fundamental nature of the Ocean and it´s animals are being pushed to near extinction. The time to act and reverse our negative impact is now, before it´s too late! We are currently risking losing everything. And that is the intention of all my work, to inspire people to care and respect nature and all of its sentient beings through beauty.
How do You experience people’s reaction to Your work? For me it´s a great honor to be able to reach people´s emotion´s in a positive way and share the amazing beauty that I see in all the animals.
What aspects do You find to be the most important concerning Ocean conservation? All life on this planet depends on the health of the Ocean. It regulates the weather, the temperature, absorbs excess CO2, contains 97% of the water and 97% of the biosphere. It governs the planet´s chemistry, replenish all the water in lakes and rivers, produces more than half of the oxygen we breathe and is the basis of the entire food chain. The Ocean give us life, but in return we throw over 8 million tons of plastic every year, we are overfishing to the point where a study published in 2006 by the UN stated that we could empty the Ocean from fish by 2048, - more than 50% of the worlds corals have died, there are over 400 dead zones in the Ocean that reflect changes in chemistry, rising temperatures and over use of fertilizers and chemicals on land. Global warming and other changes in the weather affect Ocean life and the oceanic systems that in turn are affecting the atmosphere and land systems. We must understand that our lives are dependent upon the health of the Ocean, - but we are killing it, so the time to act is now and the best and fastest thing we can do to help is stop our consumption patterns, especially buying from big corporations and our meat consumption.
The Art of Conservation Has Your approach to Ocean conservation changed over the years? Yes, when I was a kid the Ocean seemed so vast and abundant that the majority of humans thought we could never make a significant damage, but during my lifetime things have completely changed and now we know we are facing a global crisis. Around 2010, I started to investigate, watching all the available documentaries and read many books with all the scientific data of our impact to this vital ecosystem and all it´s animals, until I opened my own eyes to this reality. After that, I wanted to do more regarding Ocean conservation and even thought about quitting photography to become an activist. But after some consideration I realized that if I had a talent to reach people´s emotions through my photography, I should value that and do my best with this approach. I then also decided to start giving Ocean conservation talks, where I talk directly to large audiences about the secret life of fish, then I talk about all the problems that we have created in the Ocean and finally and most important, - what can we do as individuals to help create a more sustainable way of living.
Are You optimistic about the future for the Ocean? Yes! There is always hope! And there are many reasons for hope. People all over the world are waking up, elevating their awareness, starting to change their daily consumption patterns, inspiring other people. Amazing projects are on their way to protect vital ecosystems lead by extraordinary people. We don´t have a lot of time, so the time to act is now!
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Photo by Christian Vizl
“We don´t have a lot of time, so the time to act is now!�
What advise do You wish to give the readers of Oceans Daily Magazine ? That we all have a great deal of power as individuals, and our greatest power lies on the decision we make every time we spent our money. If we buy any product from a big corporation or any company that destroys the environment - and in most cases they are also destroying our health with chemicals and other ingredients that are bad for our bodies then we are voting for an unsustainable way of living, thus making us responsible for the damage they cause as well. But if we instead take time to investigate, to ask ourselves where does the products I buy come from ? What is the cost on nature of me having that product ? Do I really need it ? And then start taking much wiser decisions, buying only from sustainable sources, limiting our consumption and our impact on nature, then we become agents of change, - and we can inspire other people to start doing the same.
The Art of Conservation
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Photo by Christian Vizl
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FI Photo by Pietro Caspani
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SH The last commercialized Wildlife 27
“The fact that being a “Pescatarian” has become conceptualized proves a point. An important notion that we, more often than rare, forget to consider fish to be animals…”
Photo by Cristina Gottardi
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FISH
The last commercialized Wildlife “The vastness of the Oceans and the almost prehistoric abundance, - still forges a Potemkin in 2020.” If we plunge beneath the big blue surface, - the Oceans are deeply troubled. For one, due to massive overfishing. According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 93% of the world´s commercial fish stocks are already fished at maximum levels - or are overfished. And since 1990 to 2018 there has been a total rise of 122% in seafood consumption worldwide. Fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic animals are the last commercialized wildlife. Eating a wild mountain goat in Europe is a costly affair and often it is also discussed, while dining on this unique individuals flesh, how this particular goat has been living a life of freedom in the wild, - and how the meat has a different and more intense flavor. But when eating seafood, - it rarely passes the dinner table that an animal is served on the platter. Seafood is merely food from the sea. Good for the health of humans, important for brain function and so on. That is true.
On the ground, - we rarely eat wild caught animals. We farm our food. At the dawn of day, we would go hunting for a Deer, a Wild Bore or a Bison, - but today this is generally done exclusively by a minority of hunters, that mainly enjoy shooting down a Pheasant once or twice annually as a “sport”… Commercially we farm our food. Except when it comes to the Oceans. Fishing in the Ocean, can be compared to this earthly scenario : Hunters are out hunting specifically for deer in a forest, due to the high market value. But in order to catch as many deers as possible, - they cut down all the trees, “unintentionally” killing a lot of the other animals living in the forest, - and finally they have their catch. Leaving behind a destroyed habitat. This is a scenario at the extremes - but it is non the less a comparison to the commercialized fishing industry. Of cause, - this “criticism” does not apply to all fishermen. That would be just as deficient as calling on all fisheries as sustainable. There are many different types of fisheries. Low fishing for instance, is extremely important to preserve, due to this supporting the livelihood of many smaller communities and local food sources.
But the fact that being a “pescatarian” has become conceptualized proves a point. An important notion that we, more often than rare, forget to consider fish to be animals… They are defined as seafood, - glossy, odd looking creatures, that is often “breaded”, in order to hide the slightest detection of an animal shape. But fish, crustaceans, molluscs and more are also animals, - more specifically wildlife.
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Photo by Jo Anne Mcarthur
However, about 55% of the worlds Oceans have been taken over by industrial fishing. There are also industrial fishermen and fishing fleets - fishing sustainably, abiding the law and trying their best to make sure that the fish stocks are not overexploited. Non the less, - the overall picture of the worldwide fishing industry is critical. In 2018, fisheries produced 94.4 million tons of fish. And it is important also to keep in mind that a gasping (approx.) 40% of fish are caught unintentionally as by catch - and discarded. Imagine being a tiny fish in the Ocean, where about 55% has been taken over by industrial fishing, - combined with the fact, that Industrial fishing vessels record approx. 400 million hours of work annually ! And it is important to note that these are the recorded working hours‌ It is not exactly a plausible thought that a tuna or a sea turtle, - living and traveling cross the oceans, - could stand a chance of avoiding a fishing vessel. To cut it short‌The Oceans need to be replenished.
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The last commercialized Wildlife
Looking at statistics, figures, and facts, it is as clear as the light of day, that commercial fishing walkes hand in hand with overfishing. This however is a layered and complex phenomenon with several alarming problems. But no matter how one should pursue to explain commercial fishing, - having a huge commercial infrastructure around fishing wildlife out of the Ocean, does not sound like a long lasting solution, when compared to the reality on land. So what to do ? The total rise of seafood consumption from 1990 to 2018 has risen with 122%. The demand for seafood is massive. But shall we in 2020 allow wildlife to be hunted down for commercial consumption ? We need to find other and new solutions. Fish, crustaceans, mollusks and more are wildlife and should be respected as such.
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Photo by Vitalis Hirschmann
Did You know ? 10 - 12 percent of the world´s population depends on low-fishing to sustain their livelihood.
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Photo by Egor Myznik
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Art Fea
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ture
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Photo by Bart Van Meele
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“If I want to create a new work of Art, then I want to be able to understand these animals the best I can. How else can I accurately portray a Shark if I haven’t seen it glide freely through the blue waters, showcasing its confidence as an Apex Predator perfectly designed for hunting. Seeing the inquisitive eyes of a Sperm Whale as it investigates my existence evokes more deep emotion than I have probably ever felt in my life. Witnessing a massive Humpback Whale mother show the utmost tenderness towards her newborn Calf allows me a chance to rethink what defines ‘compassion’.”
Photo by Nadia Aly of Ajax Atlas
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Art Feature
Ajax Atlas “I am a Wildlife Artist and I travel the World extensively to better understand my subjects above and below water, so I can create the most captivating Art possible.” I have spent the last several years traveling the world indefinitely with my wife, bringing my experiences and references to my studio today. I can honestly say I have loved the underwater world since I can remember, but have only recently started to use it as the central theme in my art. I have no idea why I took so long to incorporate these animals into my Art! Swimming with these incredible creatures throughout the years has taught me so much about life, which has taught me so much about myself. Spending time in the Ocean with these amazing animals has truly enriched my life in ways I would have never anticipated. This in turn, has led me to create my strongest works of art to date. If I want to create a new work of art, then I want to be able to understand these animals the best I can. - How else can I accurately portray a shark if I haven’t seen it glide freely through the blue waters, showcasing its confidence as an apex predator perfectly designed for hunting. Seeing the inquisitive eyes of a sperm whale as it investigates my existence evokes more deep emotion than I have probably ever felt in my life. Witnessing a massive humpback whale mother show the utmost tenderness towards her newborn calf allows me a chance to rethink what defines ‘compassion’. I take all of these incredible moments, and I bring them into my studio to create an electric atmosphere to work from. I relive these moments, and I create stories that will hopefully powerfully resonate with people near and far.
Before each piece, I ask myself a series of questions about how we are connected to the animals in the Ocean. How can I tell a story through my art that can help shed light on the importance of conserving our Oceans? For me, my Art is a vehicle for understanding and exploring something larger. And I love creating large pieces that engulf the viewer, allowing them the chance to fully invest in the story and all the little details in each piece. These stories I create are generally quite simple, but require a very complex network of animals within the piece. And once I start introducing more and more animals into a piece, then things can get very complicated! I have to understand the sizes of the animals, and the relationship each animal has in the wild. I need to understand how they naturally behave in order to bring my story to life. How will the orca act around the whale? Is it a transient, resident, or off-shore orca? The size of it versus the size of a tiger shark? That being said, I absolutely love the difficulty of my process because it requires so much more than simply painting or drawing an animal. Since I am not just simply replicating an image, I need to understand each animal before I can use it in my stories. And this understanding almost always comes from personal experiences with them in the wild. I feel these experiences fuel my Art, which in turn, hopefully offers my viewers a connection into a fascinating underwater world. If I can open just one set of eyes to the wonder of our Oceans through my art, then I would absolutely consider it a “success”.
These stories are based on our relationship with our environment, and more specifically our relationship with our Oceans.
Artwork page 38 & 39 “The Day The Ocean Freed Itself From Man”
Ajax Atlas Wildlife Artist
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www.AjaxAtlas.com Instagram: @Ajax_Atlas
As a Wildlife Artist, absolutely everything I do is connected to the environment. In my work, I not only want people to be captivated by the absolute wonder the animal kingdom offers us, but I also want people to better understand our intimate relationship with animals. Wildlife is under so much stress from exploitation and climate change, yet it's difficult for many of us to connect the dots and see how our actions help or harm our environment. My work strives to help connect some of those dots in an intriguing and raw way. My most recent piece, “The Day The Ocean Freed Itself From Man” seemed to do just that. It was amazing to see the reactions from people, especially since I did not know how this piece would be perceived. It was a risky subject matter and I did not know if people would invest time in an artwork whose central figure is a mother Humpback Whale entangled in fishing line, with her calf not far from her side. The other animals in the piece come together to try and free this helpless whale, our beloved Humpback Whale, from the “invisible” hands of Man. It struck a chord. It seemed that people were first pulled in by the sheer abundance of animals, then they were pulled in by all the details within the piece. They were further pulled in by the large and small stories they started to see within my artwork. Then they would follow with an array of incredible questions about the specific animals in my piece, followed by more precise questions about our Oceans. It was more than I could have ever hoped for. I poured my heart and soul into this particular piece, and I finally unveiled it for the world to see. The perception of this piece can sometimes be very different than I intended. But to me, that is the real beauty in Art.
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I honestly feel creating a more sustainable future for our Ocean is so much easier than we realize. And this in turn gives us a much better quality of life. Eliminating plastic as best we can has to be first and foremost. Unfortunately, plastic is not getting recycled the way we previously thought. Whenever I go jogging at beaches, I end up spending more time picking up plastic and styrofoam from the beaches than I do actually running! Plastic seems unavoidable at this point. But, I try very hard to eliminate as much of it as I can in my life. It is surely a work in progress though. But our power as a consumer is one of our greatest strengths. We have the power to make change simply by making carefully calculated purchases. I love to research companies before I make purchases from them. If they seem legit, I feel comfortable making the purchase. No company can survive if they have no clients. The companies will listen to our voices, if there are enough of them!
Here is an easy one: I refuse to drink from plastic water bottles at all costs. Keeping a reusable water bottle with me during the day is such an easy solution, and it turns into a habit immediately. And bottled water is not cheap, so it makes financial sense to stick to a reusable water bottle. Another one: I love to ask a company to ship my purchase to me in paper and/or cardboard instead of plastic and/or styrofoam. If they are unwilling, then I shop elsewhere. You would be surprised how many companies will eagerly meet my request. Also, on a personal level I eat nothing but plants. Plants are my power. This is so important to me, as I have done so much pointed research over the years on this topic. I have avoided animal products for over 6 years, and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only am I healthier and happier than I have ever been in my life, but I also limit my environmental impact on our Planet. Not only that, but how can I be passionate about protecting one species, only to eat another?
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Photo by Bart Van Meele
Photo from Ajax Atlas Archives
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“If I can open just one set of eyes to the wonder of our Oceans through my Art, then I would absolutely consider it a “success”.”
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Sea of
Love
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Photo by Jossuha Theophile
The Lovelife of a Jellyfish is not exactly thrilling… The male Jellyfish releases a joyless mist of sperm, which drifts around the Oceans, until it´s sucked up by a female Jellyfish. Photo by Florian Olivo
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Sea of Love “Let´s plunge into the complex world of romance, and discover some of the love varieties and underwater relationships found in the big blue.” Love comes in many shades… Also in the Oceans. In the Ocean You can find monogamous species (species that stays together though out their entire lives), species that die from exhaustion after finding their mate, and species that sing or travel thousands of miles, - searching for love, - just to mention a few exampels ! “Lets melt together and our hearts shall become one !” Well, - this sounds romantic, - if it was left said and did not become a reality… Though this is in fact what happens for some deep sea anglerfish species ! The deep sea anglerfish male is fairly smaller than the female, and is incapable of crating light, - unlike the female. The most important part of his life is to search for a mate! The female he searches for, - is much larger than the male and lights up the harsh, dark and cold environment. When the male has found a female, - he gives her the greatest kiss… A populistic term, for biting and clinging himself onto her, - wherever there is space. And by mentioning space, - the male suiter is actually doomed to share his female, often with several other males.
Photo by
Because something fairly interesting happens when the male has kissed, - or bitten the female… He actually “melts” together with the female. This might sound strange, - since it is rather special. What happens is this : When the male has bitten onto the female with his small and sharp teeth, - he actually becomes a sort of parasitical partner, since the female completely cares for him. She gives him food, new blood, - he even loses his eyes, - since there is no longer need for these (he has chosen his mate and will stick with her till the end of their lives.). Though in return he delivers something vital for the deep sea anglerfish´s species survival - a lifelong supply of sperm ! The male constantly makes sure that the female will lay fertile eggs during her entire life. But he is competing with the other suitors - up to six other males !
NOAA
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“Feeling blue when loves does not come around.”
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Sea of Love
52hertz - the lonely whale singing songs, no one hears, - or perhaps more accurately - no female finds attractive. Calling at a frequency of 52 hertz, - the characteristic sound may not seem appealing to female whales. Normally whales call at frequencies of 15-20 hertz, - so calling at 52 hertz creates a very high pitch voice… The first time 52 hertz was detected by humans was in the 1980s. Since then, 52hertz has been heard frequently ever since. It is said that woman like men that somehow withholds something mystical… This might not be the case for whales since 52 hertz is somewhat mysterious… No one has ever seen the whale, - not even 52 hertz specie is known ! But imagine dating someone with a voice that sounded like someone swallowed a helium balloon… That might not be a dream scenario. And it is believed that female whales simply finds 52 hertz high pitch voice unattractive. Another theory is that it is impossible for them to hear him calling… So this unknown whale, - sadly swims the giant oceans alone, - calling and singing for someone to join him in the big blue… but no one has answered him yet. A pretty sad love story.
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Photo by Paola Ocaranza
For some animals, - “love” is a short affair. This is the case for most squids ! Imagine dying after a one night stand… that is (almost) what happens for squids. Squids normally do not grow to become that old, - around 3 years for an average small squid specie. (Though big squids can knowably live around 15 years and presumably longer !) When fully matured, - they will search for a mate. Once a male and a female squid has found one another they will mate… Then, - shortly after the act, - the male squid actually dies - with exceptions ! Some males have apparently discovered, that if they shortly after the act, - bite off their “penis-arm” (when maturing, - one of the males arms looses its suction cups and undergoes a transformation - into a penis arm) they will actually be able to stay alive and die of age or being eaten by a predator ! Quite impressive. The females naturally stays alive for a bit longer, - long enough to lay the eggs, - up to 100.000 eggs ! Then, after delivering the next generation of squids, - the female dies too.
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Sea of Love
“Once was enough for me… At least, I gave it my all !”
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Photo by Jonathan Diemel
“Sometimes marriage feels like imprisonment.”
Some marine animals stays together for life (monogamous animals) - but it might not always feel like a choice… The specie called Stenopodidea Shrimps have a quite intriguing love story. They will thereafter spend their days cleaning the sponge, and eat the food that might enter the tiny holes in the mesh of the sponge. These small holes are also the only escape route for the shrimps couples offspring. When the shrimp couple reproduce, the young shrimps are soon sent away from home, in order for them to be able to exit the venus flower basket-prison… When the young shrimps have left “home” - the story will repeat itself… The young shrimps will go out and search for a soulmate, - and then, find themselves a lovely glass-sponge-prison to settle into.
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Sea of Love
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Photo by Val Pierce
For other animals, - love is everlasting. The French Angelfish sets a great example of eternal love. French Angelfish are also Monogamous animals, - but unlike the Monomamous shrimps, - the french angelfish are not trapped together in a glass sponge ! The french angelfish stay together for a lifetime by choice. In fact, it has been observed, that if the French Anglefish for some reason becomes separated, - they will circle around one another as a greeting ritual once reunited ! Together the french anglefish couples work together defending territory and creates the next generation of angelfish by spending about 24 hours, helping one another to clean the surface‌ Then later, - like a dance, the couple will swim up towards the surface, - and the female will release eggs, - and the male will release sperm. The french anglefish are some of the only known marine animals to stay together their entire lives. They set a great example of how underwater relationships too can last an entire lifetime ! So just like human romance can be quite complex and divers, - the undersea world also withholds many different love varieties !
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Sea of Love
“Love me forever and always…”
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Photo by Eliott Van Buggenhout
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Founder & CEO Boyan Slat 62
The Ocean Cleanup Closing the Tap
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Photo Credit “The Ocean Cleanup”
Photo Credit “The Ocean Cleanup”
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“We are going to close the tap !” This was the phrase the inventor and CEO Boyan Slat used in his speech, October 26th 2019, when he unveiled The Ocean Cleanup newest plan, to address the main source of Ocean Plastic Pollution. Rivers. It all began in Greece - 2013. The, at the time, 16 year old Boyan Slat went out scuba diving, and had a striking experience. The Ocean, in which he plunged, was filled with plastic. As he explained in a Ted Talk one year later, he saw more plastic than fish. This scuba dive became a wake up call, and gave him a deep desire to “clean it up”. He wanted to invent a scalable solution, that could eliminate the plastic pollution in the Oceans. And so he did. The non profit organization “The Ocean Cleanup” is the worlds most ambitious project with the mission to rid the Oceans of Plastic.
The floating system is designed to capture plastic varied in size. Ranging from tiny pieces just millimeters in size, up to large debris like for instance huge ghost nets (discarded fishing nets). The first system was deployed in 2018 and today it shows very successful results. One of Boyan Slats most famous quotes is : “Big problems requires big solutions” And The Ocean Cleanup aimes to deploy this type of collector system in each of the five Ocean gyres. With the results so far, their belief is that they will be able to remove 90% of the Ocean Plastic by 2040. Though, ever since the Ocean Cleanup was founded, there has been skeptisism and criticism towards the project. Some criticism came from Marine Biologists worrying about The Ocean Cleanup Collectors impact on marine life, some NGO´s were purely just skeptical due to the projects financial support and positive acknowledgements, and other critics was towards The Ocean Cleanup fixing the problem when it had already gone too far… But this criticism would seem to have been yet another motivating factor.
“We´re going to close the Tap!”
Over the Years, The Ocean Cleanup has developed advanced technologies, to implement directly in the center of the mess. The first project was to place a Collector in the great pacific garbage patch, located between California and Hawaii. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an area twice the size of texas filled with plastic. The Ocean Cleanup estimated that they can remove 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage patch in just five years, and at a fraction of the cost.
But how ? The invention or system - the “Collector” is simplest explained, a manmade, floating coastal line, where there is non. Though it is at the open sea, - so to en order that the system will not be destroyed, - and can be implemented, - the natural oceanic forces, increases the survivability of the system in the harsh Ocean environment. The system is carried by the wind, waves and current, - just like the plastic is. But to catch the plastic, which is the purpose of the project, the projects made sure to create a difference of speed between the system and the plastics, - simply by using a type of anchor !
In October 2019, Boyan Slat unveiled The Ocean Cleanup latest plan, to address the main source of Ocean Plastic Pollution. Rivers. Working on eliminating the source to the problem as well, The Ocean Cleanup decided to aim to tackle plastic pollution by focusing on rivers, since their research the past years found, that approx. 1.000 rivers out of the worlds 100.000 rivers are responsible for roughly 80% of the plastic pollution ending up in the Oceans. These 1.000 rivers are located all over the world and The Ocean Cleanups goal is to establish collaborations with government leaders, individuals, and private corporations, to tackle these 1000 most polluting rivers, - in only five years from rollout. By doing so, The Ocean Cleanup presents their newest invention to implement in rivers and prevent plastic from entering the world´s Oceans - The Interceptor.
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The Interceptor is 100% solar-powered and extracts plastic autonomously. In fact, the Interceptor can work 24/7, and only stops when it´s full - which is at 50 square meters. In one day, one Interceptor can extract 50.000 kilograms of plastic ! - And The Ocean Cleanup states, that in optimal conditions, up to 100.000 kilograms can be achieved. The Interceptor has already been tested. The development of the Interceptor began in 2015 and the first prototype was deployed in Cengkareng Drain in Jakarta in 2016. A second Interceptor followed, also in 2016, deployed in Klang River, (one of the 50 most polluting rivers according to The Ocean Cleanups research) running though Kuala Lumpur. These two systems are already operational and the results are very promising. December 10th 2020, Boyan Slat announced the 3rd generation of the Interceptor, - as well as The Ocean Cleanups partnership with Konecranes. Together, they are preparing a series production of the Interceptor, in order to be ready for the global scaleup and deployment. “To truly rid the Oceans of Plastic, we need to both clean up the legacy and close the tap, preventing more plastic from reaching the Oceans in the first place. Combining our Ocean cleanup technology with the Interceptor, the solutions now exist to address both sides of the equation,” said Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO at the live announcement of the Interceptor, October the 26th 2019.
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Photo Credit “The Ocean Cleanup”
Did You know ? Dolphins employs echolocation, - a type of sonar – to find food. Their clicks bounces off objects, and dolphins uses the resulting echoes to pinpoint the location of their prey.
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Illustration by Mikkel Juul Jensen
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Did You Know ? Some Hermit Crabs will attach smaller Sea Anemones to their shells, to provide them with camouflage and protection against predators, due to the Sea Anemones poisonous tentacles.
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Photo by Isabela Kronemberger
Traditional & Chinese Medicine “We need to separate trading of endangered Wildlife from Traditional & Chinese Medicine, - if we want to stand a chance of eliminating the trading of threatened and endangered Wildlife�
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Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen
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Traditional & Chinese Medicine “Complementary and alternative Medicine has really important perspectives, and we need to separate the trade of endangered and threatened Wildlife from T&CM, in order to stand a chance to eliminate this billiondollar industry.”
Never had I imagined, that accessing endangered species, would be that easy. Neither, that all types of social classes, rich as well as poor, would buy these species, - just as simply as walking though the fruit and vegetable section in the supermarket, picking and choosing the apples and pears looking most tasty. And they bought a lot ! I did not pass a single empty Traditional Chinese Medicine shop. All were busy. At one point I passed a store with huge see though plastic sacks filled with tiny shark fins, another store with boxes outside the store withholding dried sea horses… Witnessing these endangered species, being sold in such vast numbers, made it difficult to imagine how it would ever be possible to create a more sustainable future for the Oceans, before it´s too late. A beyond gloomy realitycheck. I was infuriated and vexed. But instead of continuing in this stagnation, - I decided to do som research. I wanted to try to understand what lies beneath the idea of Traditional and Chinese medicine and perhaps get another, wider perspective on the billiondollar industry instead of just focusing on the destruction of the planets and Oceans biodiversity. And in fact, Traditional and Chinese Medicine withholdes some really important perspectives.
Of cause, it may seem difficult to separate the practicing of Traditional and Chinese medicine into different categories, - especially when standing outside the industry and working to enhance sustainability. But there are several reasons, - good, fair and completely understandable reasons, for the practicing of Traditional and Chinese Medicine. These reasons are important to know, when discussing Traditional and Chinese Medicine, since this wide spectrum in fact withholds the good, as well as the bad and the ugly. Traditional and Chinese Medicine (T&CM) originates from ancient times. According to World Health Organization (WHO) it is “the total sum of the knowledge, skill, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.” In other words, T&CM is often also known as indigenous folk medicine, since the practice has been refined though out centuries. T&CM is roughly said a holistic health care, where consumption and natural ingredients plays a key-role. Though, WHO also stresses the fact that "inappropriate use of traditional medicines or practices can have negative or dangerous effects" and that "further research is needed to ascertain the efficacy and safety” due to the T&CM´s pseudoscientific cocoon, - also an important aspect to take into consideration when discussing the different types of T&CM.
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen
When walking the streets of Chinatown Singapore, Traditional Chinese Medicine stores were located nearly on each and every corner. Some shops were very fancy, exhibiting huge Shark Fins in glass domes facing the streets alongside horns originating from the endangered Saiga Antelope. But what surprised me the most, were the completely normal stores, - selling Shark Fins, CocaCola, dried Seahorses, Chocolate covered Cookies, Octopuses, Sea Cucumbers and Incense Sticks - side by side.
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen
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Traditional & Chinese Medicine
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Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen
“It is important to create this differentiation between T&CM and Wildlife trade, - if we want to stand a chance of eliminating the trade of threatened or endangered Wildlife.�
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen
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Traditional & Chinese Medicine
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen But this “complementary and alternative medicine” has a really important perspective. In the last decade traditional medicine has regained a lot of its popularity, especially due to the global growing population of poverty. The high cost of drugs and scientific medication, forces a majority to choose the traditional medicine, since this is either affordable, accesable - or even possible to grow or make at home. Also, there is an increase in drug resistance to common diseases like for instance bacteria infections, malaria and sexually transmitted diseases, - which also means that a therapeutic approach to alternative traditional medicine, becomes very attractive. This is an overall picture of T&CM, - and an understandable one of such. The discussion on weather people should be allowed to use traditional medicine or not, - is therefore very tricky, - since one surely can´t ´deny people to use alternative medicine, when unable to pay for the high commercialized scientific medication, or have become resistant to other types of drugs.
Therefore when discussing the trade of endangered wildlife, - it should be kept as a discussion about threatened or endangered wildlife trade, - and not enrolled in an overall discussion of T&CM and weather or not T&CM should be allowed. It is possible to find a lot of Pseudoscience in T&CM, - which is a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method. And as WHO also stresses, - the Traditional medicine can have dangerous effects if used inappropriately - and this is also due to the Pseudoscience, as well as the lack of control and restrictions with T&CM. Never the less, - this is a method for a lot of people worldwide, to have some sort of medication. The bottom line is : T&CM can not be generalized into a “bad thing”. It is a plausible and understandable method of practise. But! We need to separate trading of endangered Wildlife from T&CM. Wildlife Trade is in a completely different category, - since this withholds another important aspect. The aspect of completely destroying the Planets ecosystem and pushing numerous species on the edge of extinction. Something, which cannot be explained nor justified under any circumstances. It is important create this differentiation between T&CM and wildlife trade, - if we want to stand a chance of eliminating the trade of threatened or endangered wildlife.
In the period between 2005 and 2018, WHO worked on developing national policies and regulations of T&CM and Herbal Medicines, among populations of Member States in the WHO European Region. In the period between 2005 and 2018, the Member States demonstrated a “strong commitmentâ€? to the regulation and resignation of T&CM, - but however, - only 11 Member States developed a national policy by 2018‌ T&CM has been around for centuries, and as explained, T&CM is such wide-ranging, and important for the existence of some people around the world, that it is nearly unethical to ban. But trading endangered wildlife should be banned. And in order to stand a chance of banning this, - we need to fokus specifically on this isolated billiondollar industry and worldwide issue. When I revisited the Traditional Chinese Medicine stores the next day in Chinatown Singapore, - I suddenly also noticed the many different types of dried herbs and seeds, - tea and fruits in between the endangered wildlife ready to be traded. Though unfortunately, the amount and diversity of threatened and endangered wildlife did not seem less demoralizing at all.
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen
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Traditional & Chinese Medicine
Chinatown, Singapore Woman serving Shark Fin Soup on the Street 81
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen
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Did You Know ? One of the most brilliant masters of camouflage is the “Hippocampus Bargibanti” more commonly known as the Pygmy Seahorse. This special specie, is very picky when it comes to finding a home, and lives exclusively on Gorgonian Corals of the genus “Muricella”.
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Photo by Dorothea Oldani
Photo by Christophe Meireis
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Bastien Demnard is the creator of the lady living in the deep Sea, “ Titanny”. Bastian was born in Paris, France. His mother’s family comes from the Atlantic coast of France (Basque Country) and his father’s family, from the Mediterranean coast (French Riviera). Knowing those two very different seas are probably one of the reasons for his fascination for the Marine universe. He studied literature for 8 years, before he joined several French advertising agencies as a Strategic Planner and Art Director. Today, he is a creative director for a Spirits Company, that allows him to travel around the world to create contents about Whisky, Rum or Gin Makers. He also illustrates Magazines Covers and he designs Bottles and Labels, in which he continues to express his passion for the Oceans. In his personal life, he had the chance to deep dive in Cuba and in Greece. In addition to design and illustration, Bastien also makes sculptures and engravings, and dreams to find the time, one day, to study oil painting.
"FROM THE OCEAN 86
S POINT OF VIEW� 87
Photo by Photoholgic
Photo by Jonathan Kemper
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Oceans Daily Magazine Issue #4. Dec. 2020
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Publisher
Oceans Daily
Executive Editor & Blue Reporter
Naja Bertolt Jensen
Scientific Illustrator
Mikkel Juul Jensen
Photos
All Photographers are Credited
Cover Photo
Christian Vizl
Economics
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Oceans Daily DK - 8000 Aarhus Š 2019 by Oceans Daily, All Rights Reserved
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