Underwater Photo Exhibit, World Oceans Day

Underwater Photo Exhibit for World Oceans Day

[2013]

LANDOVER, MD June 7th –‐The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation will celebrate World Oceans Day by sharing a stunning underwater photo exhibit for their local community. The exhibit features images from a collaborative project the Foundation did with the International League of Conservation Photographers and Michele Westmorland. Michele joined the Foundation on the research ship M/Y Golden Shadow earlier this year in French Polynesia. From September 2012 to May 2013 the Foundation’s researchers conducted one of the most extensive assessments of French Polynesian reef systems ever done.

The Living Oceans scientists researched in four of the five archipelagos, Society Islands, Tuamotu, Gambier and the Austral Islands. These research missions were designed to compare and contrast reefs over a large area of human impact. During the surveys the foundation identified coral and fish species’ diversity among others, population numbers, and health, and made note of any major threats to the ecosystems. The scientific findings will be used to develop sound management strategies which will benefit the reef ecosystem.

But the foundation wanted to share more than just the scientific results, they wanted to share a glimpse of what the world was like on these remote reefs, to help people really connect with the creatures that live there. So in January of 2013 the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation partnered with Michele and iLCP to help achieve that goal.

From Mangrove Mud to Meaningful Work: Desta’s J.A.M.I.N. Journey

Some students I remember for their grades, their quick answers, or a moment that made the whole class laugh. Others I remember for the way they stepped into the mangroves.

Desta was the kind of student who thrived outdoors. While some students hesitated at the edge of the mud, he walked right in. And when he inevitably got stuck — because everyone does — he didn’t get frustrated. He laughed. Covered in mud, holding mangrove propagules in his hands, he embraced the experience fully.

Even then, it was clear that he was connecting with the environment in a way that went beyond the lesson plan…

From Students to Stewards: A Full-Circle Moment for J.A.M.I.N.

There are certain faces you never forget.

Over the years, hundreds of students have stepped into mangrove forests with us through the Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program. I may not always remember every name, but I remember the expressions — the hesitation before stepping into thick mud, the laughter when someone loses a shoe, the look of surprise when they catch that unmistakable sulfur smell rising from the mangrove soil…

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From Mangrove Mud to Meaningful Work: Desta’s J.A.M.I.N. Journey

From Students to Stewards: A Full-Circle Moment for J.A.M.I.N.