Portrait of an Ocean: An ongoing collaborative project with NOAA's Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, aimed at bringing awareness to the problem of marine debris. Inquires about loaning opportunities can be made through the, 'Contact' page.
A deep love for the ocean was instilled in me as a child who grew up in the Pacific Northwest on and around the Salish Sea. A lifetime of observing the declining health of our oceans turned me to science for answers and over the last decade I have collaborated with scientists from Antarctica to Alaska to learn about global warming and it’s impact on ocean ecology. Warming sea temperatures, ocean acidification, over-fishing and pollution are all taking their toll on one of the Earth’s most precious and rapidly changing natural resources.
Each one of these 4,480 disposable lighters was picked up from the shores of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. This archipelago of small islands and atolls stretches 1,200 miles beyond the main Hawaiian islands and are considered to be one of the most remote and wild places on planet Earth. Each lighter made the unimaginable journey from consumers around the World and across thousands of miles of open-ocean to wash ashore the protected islands of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Of the vast amounts of marine debris that can be found on beaches around the World, I chose to work with disposable lighters because they are a ubiquitous item that people from all walks of life and socio-economic statuses are intimately familiar with.
Each one of these 4,480 disposable lighters was picked up from the shores of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. This archipelago of small islands and atolls stretches 1,200 miles beyond the main Hawaiian islands and are considered to be one of the most remote and wild places on planet Earth. Each lighter made the unimaginable journey from consumers around the World and across thousands of miles of open-ocean to wash ashore the protected islands of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Of the vast amounts of marine debris that can be found on beaches around the World, I chose to work with disposable lighters because they are a ubiquitous item that people from all walks of life and socio-economic statuses are intimately familiar with.
A 2016 study projected that in just over 30 years (by 2050) the World’s oceans will contain more plastic than fish by weight. Healthy marine ecosystems are vital to all life on earth not only because the world’s oceans are a rich, natural resource but because they also produce more than 50% of the oxygen that we breathe and help regulate the climate. By changing the way that we consume we can generate positive change on marine ecosystems and preserve the remaining integrity of our Oceans.
These disposable lighters were collected for this project from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument by myself and Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program field biologists during the 2017-2021 field seasons. The installation has expanded as field biologists continue to collect lighters for this project.
Many thanks to: French Frigate Shoals - Shawn Farry, Sean Guerin, Josh Carpenter, Allie Northey - Laysan Island - Hope Ronco, Helena Dodge, Kristen Tovar - Lisianski Island - Keelan Barcina, Brittany Dolan - Pearl and Hermes Atoll - Darren Roberts, Megan Roberts, Alix Gibson, Caroline Cummings - Kure Atoll - Ilana Nimz, David Golden
Metal Fabrication: Zak Hinderyckx.
Metal Fabrication: Zak Hinderyckx.
