Issue 104 - January 2024

Extinct Ink: What If Your Next Tattoo Could Create a Forever-Lasting Impact?

Sea Shepherd the marine conservation nonprofit organization fighting to defend, conserve, and protect our oceans is using human skin as a media space to remind us of extinct sea animals.

As the world’s most passionate and powerful protector of ocean life, Sea Shepherd brings independent entities in over 20 countries together for direct-action campaigns around the world.

Our oceans are dying and we are responsible: dozens of marine animals have gone extinct due to pollution, poaching, and other human activity. It seems only fair that we give a bit of ourselves to raise awareness about this dramatic issue. To visualize this extinction, Sea Shepherd and the creative boutique FRED & FARID New York are using an original call to action based on the simple idea that a tattoo is a conversation starter. Sea Shepherd invites people who care about marine life to use their own skin as a medium to deliver a tribute to extinct species. One of the most asked questions when you discover a tattoo is what does it mean? Thus a tattoo becomes an educational tool to raise awareness.

The non-profit organization has a duty of memory, not only on world animal day but also on the other 365 other days of the year, asking us to never forget that human activity, the way we behave, and how we consume has been, and is still being, a huge part of the problem. To remember this consequence, Sea Shepherd collaborated with renowned tattoo artist Stephen Carballo out of Los Angeles to bring extinct marine animals back as a collection of tattoos—called Extinct Ink.

“I think it’s a very good conversation starter, especially because they are not the typical animal that you will see as tattoos,” said Stephen Carballo.

As a call to action, the campaign starts with a video, imagined by FRED & FARID New York, featuring individuals who already made this commitment, offering an invitation to do the same: Show your skin tribute #extinctink

Each tattoo portrayed, serves as a lifelong reminder of our responsibility to protect the oceans and the many species living in them today. “I like the idea of having something, if someone asks me the question about it, I can kind of give them some knowledge about what we have done basically to make these animals go extinct,” said Lex Ryan, who got the Javan lapwing tattooed on her biceps.

In the midst of dozens of nonprofit campaigns for various causes, this project takes a whole new approach to raising awareness about an important issue by quite literally getting under people’s skin. Turning humans themselves into forms of living media, who spread the message to the people they interact with in their day-to-day lives.

The viewer discovers forgotten and extinct species such as the below:

The Mexican Dace was a ray-finned fish native to Mexico. Increased agriculture and water resource demands caused the Mexican Dace’s habitat to dry up, leading to its extinction in 1983.

The Baiji, or Yangtze River Dolphin, was a white-finned dolphin species in Eastern China. It was driven to extinction by hunting, pollution, and habitat loss caused by construction and industrialization. The last known Baiji died in 2002.

The Javan Lapwing was a long-legged bird native to Java, Indonesia. Its population was severely affected by human disturbance and destruction of its habitat and worsened by hunting pressure. The Javan Lapwing was last seen in 1940.

The Silver Trout was a species of trout native to the Northeastern United States. It was driven to extinction in 1939 by overfishing and other human-introduced fish species that competed for its food sources.

 “What’s so powerful about these tattoos is they’re not just spreading our mission for a day, or a week, or a month…” said Captain Paul Watson, Founder of Sea Shepherd. “These tattoos will last a lifetime. Every person with an Extinct Ink design is carrying our impact on the ocean with them as a reminder to all of us about what can happen if we don’t protect marine life.” 

Each individual meets around 10,000 people in life. 10,000 opportunities to educate and wake up about the extinct species. The campaign will also be echoed in several friends’ tattoo studios, inviting individuals to become lifelong ambassadors for the species of the ocean by bringing back an extinct sea animal.

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Issue 104 - January 2024

11th Hour Racing Provides Support to Nonprofit Organizations in Coastal Communities

11th Hour Racing announced its support of nine new U.S. grant recipients as part of its ongoing philanthropic efforts funded by the Schmidt Family Foundation. These nonprofit organizations are leading initiatives at the crossroads of education and the environment in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico.

Save the Sound harvests eelgrass seeds to restore the marine ecosystem in the Long Island Sound. © 11th Hour Racing

Reinforcing its mission to support local programs that model best practices of sustainability, restore coastal ecosystems, and advance ocean stewardship, 11th Hour Racing also renewed grants with 25 nonprofit organizations and supported 11 community nonprofits in Rhode Island, bringing total funding to $4 million in grant giving in 2023.

“11th Hour Racing’s strategy centers on improving ocean health with an array of solutions that start on land,” said Michelle Carnevale, president of 11th Hour Racing. “Community composting is a strong focus this year – because it transforms food waste into nutrient-rich soil that helps nature sequester more carbon. We’ve also broadened our support of diverse organizations that are leading policy research, testing out advances in ecosystem restoration, and teaching traditional ecological knowledge.”

These nine new grantees join 11th Hour Racing’s current 48-strong cohort of grantees creating systemic change to restore ocean health. The following are the new grantees and work supported by 11th Hour Racing.

Compost Power (New York City, N.Y.) hosts weekly workshops and trains young adults from public housing communities on composting practices and leadership. It processes residential food waste and distributes finished compost to city residents and community gardens.
Franklin’s Promise Coalition (Apalachicola, Fla.) leads experiential youth leadership programs, including BoriCorps in Puerto Rico and OysterCorps in Florida, focused on workforce development in restoring mangroves, salt marshes, oyster habitats, and living shorelines to advance coastal resilience in historically marginalized communities.
Institute for Local Self-Reliance (Washington, D.C.) will advance BIPOC-centered composting programs in the northeast United States through a small grants initiative.
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (Mashpee, Mass.) is implementing a four-week Preserving Our Homelands Youth in Science summer program that combines traditional ecological knowledge with Western science and supports operations of this region’s only native-owned and operated shellfish farm.
Novak Lab (Boston, Mass.) reduces the climate vulnerability of New England eelgrass meadows on Cape Cod by transplanting eelgrass shoots from regional locations with higher average water temperatures and supports restoration efforts of vital eelgrass habitat on Nantucket.
Rhode Island Food Policy Council (Providence, R.I.) supports a just and resilient food system in Rhode Island, including advancing municipal composting initiatives, building a network of compost leaders, and advocating for sustainable food policy.
Rhode Island Schools Recycling Project (Providence, R.I.) is expanding its food waste and healthy food capture and diversion program into five additional schools, training students to lead their fellow students in lunchroom composting, diverting healthy edible food, and recycling. The program is also conducting a case study on cost-saving benefits for schools that switch to lunchroom food waste sorting stations.
Stone Living Lab (Boston, Mass.) improves biodiversity and water quality by installing Living Seawalls, eco-engineered habitat-mimicking concrete structures that will help create more viable Boston Harbor ecosystems while conducting educational events for key municipal and climate resilience professionals.
Urban Ocean Lab (Boston, Mass.) cultivates rigorous, creative, equitable, and practical climate and ocean policy for the future of coastal cities. To advance the use of nature-based solutions in coastal cities nationwide, Urban Ocean Lab is partnering with Stone Living Lab to document, translate, and disseminate lessons learned from the City of Boston’s use of nature-based solutions as an adaptation measure.

11th Hour Racing’s additional contributions to Rhode Island-based nonprofit organizations reflect its mission to support those working to forge a sustainable and inclusive coastal community, foster resilience, and tackle local environmental challenges.

Donation recipients include Bike Newport, Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County, Conexión Latina Newport, Eating with the Ecosystem, EcoRI News, FabNewport, International Tennis Hall of Fame’s TeamFAME Program, Newport Festivals Foundation, Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm, Sankofa Community Connection, and Zero Waste Providence.

11th Hour Racing is now accepting grant applications through March 31, 2024, and welcomes national and international organizations to apply. To learn more, visit 11thhourracing.org.

The Trustees of Reservations is measuring carbon sequestration and restoring vegetation in a portion of New England's 20,000-acre salt marsh to keep pace with climate change. — The Trustees of Reservations is measuring carbon sequestration and restoring vegetation in a portion of New England’s 20,000-acre salt marsh to keep pace with climate change. © 11th Hour Racing

About 11th Hour Racing

11th Hour Racing works to mobilize sports, maritime, and coastal communities with an innovative approach to inspire solutions for the ocean. Since 2010 the organization has been harnessing the power of sport to promote collaborative, systemic change through three primary areas of engagement: Sponsorships, Grantees, and Ambassadors. Learn more at www.11thhourracing.org.

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Issue 104 - January 2024

SSI Launches ‘Underwater Explorers Worldwide’ Facebook Group to Unite Divers Worldwide

Scuba Schools International (SSI) has launched a new Facebook group, ‘Underwater Explorers Worldwide’. This exciting new community is designed to bring together divers from around the world to share their knowledge and passion for underwater adventures.

Why ‘Underwater Explorers Worldwide’?

SSI recognizes the need for a vibrant and engaging platform that goes beyond training and certifications. A place where divers of all experience levels can come together to celebrate the wonders of the underwater world. Here, divers can find a supportive network of other divers who are keen to share their experiences, insights, and tips to enhance every diving adventure.

Benefits of joining:

Joining ‘Underwater Explorers Worldwide’ offers a multitude of benefits. Divers can get unbiased views on everything related to diving. They can ask questions, receive valuable feedback, and get validation from a global community of divers. With members from around the world, it is easy for divers to make new friends and discover new places to go diving.

Who is this group for?

The ‘Underwater Explorers Worldwide’ Facebook group is for everyone interested in diving – be that scuba diving, freediving, Extended Range diving, or mermaiding. This diverse and inclusive group caters for all experience levels; from beginners right through to professionals.

Inside the group, members can explore a world of topics, such as:

Dive spots around the world.
Dive trip planning tips.
Equipment reviews and recommendations.
Dive safety and skills.
Marine conservation and environmental awareness.
Underwater photography and videography.
Dive stories and experiences.
Diving Q&A sessions, polls, surveys, and quizzes.
SSI updates and news.
Exciting events.
Inspiring interviews.

So, whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your underwater journey, SSI invites you to become a part of this extraordinary community today:

Join the ‘Underwater Explorers Worldwide’ Community.

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Issue 104 - January 2024

SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – January 2024 – Issue 104

Feature Destination

Rapa Nui’s Hidden Gems and Sacred Spaces

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is a bastion of ancient mystery and modern allure, a remote volcanic island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. It’s world-renowned for its archaeological treasures, particularly the nearly 900 Moai statues carved by the early Rapa Nui people. Read more…

Rapa Nui Multiple Use Marine Coastal Protected Area, a Blueprint for Conservation

The Rapa Nui Multiple Use Marine Coastal Protected Area, established off the coast of Easter Island in 2018, stands as a monumental effort in marine conservation, encompassing an area of 278,000 square miles. Read more…

Sustainability Insights from Rapa Nui’s Past

Banner photo showing a statue on easter island

Easter Island, known as Rapa Nui to its earliest inhabitants, stands as a sentinel of human history, and ecology, and a poignant lesson in the fragility of civilization. Approximately 2,300 miles from the coast of Chile, it is the most isolated inhabited landmass on Earth. Read more…

NEWSROOM

Halfway Through Expedition Hope: Do Offshore Seamounts Mean Good News for Cayman’s Coral Reefs?

Little Cayman, Cayman Islands; 15 December 2023: As we near the halfway point of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute’s (CCMI) Expedition Hope to characterise the biodiversity of two offshore seamounts in the Cayman Islands. Read more…

Ocean Hope Chronicles: Local Leaders as Extraordinary Changemakers

Liz Cunningham’s Ocean Hope Chronicles are dedicated to inspiring individuals who are making a difference to protect the life of the seas. “Majority world.” My ears pricked up. I had not heard that term before. The speaker continued. “The majority world is home to talented conservationists who have historically been underrepresented due to colonialism. Read more…

Caught napping? Grey Reef Sharks Resting Changes What We Know About How They Breathe

Researchers are re-writing what we know about how grey reef sharks breathe and rest based on new observations from reefs in Seychelles. They hope that if we understand whether sharks sleep, we will take better measure of everything else. Read more…

MILAN: Natural History Museum Reopens with Renewed Exhibition Layout

The Migliore+Servetto design studio, which won the national competition to design the set-up of the whole museum in 2018, has created the permanent design for Room IX of the Natural History Museum of Milan, dedicated to the “Natural History of Humans”. The intervention involves approximately 400 square metres and ranges from the overall conception of the room layout. Read more…

Snapping Shrimp Create Rowdy Reef in Kimberley Marine Park

Underwater reefs are generally thought of as tranquil places — however, some truly unruly residents make one such area off the coast of northwestern Australia anything but quiet. Marine experts from Curtin University and the Western Australian Museum were diving in the West Holothuria Reef complex in Wunambal Gaambera Wundaagu saltwater country off the Kimberley coast of WA. Read more…

Guy Harvey Foundation Renews Support for The Art of Conservation® Fish Art Contest

Wildlife Forever is proud to announce the continuation of their partnership with the Guy Harvey Foundation for the 2024 The Art of Conservation Fish Art Contest. The Guy Harvey Foundation will continue to support the Guy Harvey Shark Award, a special category of the competition featuring all species of sharks. Read more…

Extinct Ink: What If Your Next Tattoo Could Create a Forever-Lasting Impact?

SOFi Products Unveils New Plastic-Free, Biodegradable Cup for Hot Beverages

After four years of research and development, SOFi Products is excited to reveal its new 100% plastic-free, biodegradable cup for hot beverages that doesn’t require a separate lid. The SOFi Hot Cup features three flaps that fold together to form a spill-proof spout. Read more…

Mountain Bike & Camp Along North Rim of the Grand Canyon with Escape Adventures

While most of North America reels under hot summertime temperatures, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon offers a wonderful high-altitude escape. Providing gently rolling terrain of lung-expanding dimensions, the North Rim has been long-held as sacred ground to hikers and cyclists alike. Read more…

Shark Conservation Insight: ‘Older Than Trees’ Documentary Unveils Dr. James Lea’s Shark Conservation Quest

The Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) is proud to share its story of shark scientist Dr James Lea, a field biologist deeply committed to a hopeful future for sharks and rays. Viewers can stream the film for free on YouTube, journeying with Lea as he travels the planet using his expertise to save sharks. See the documentary…

Green Fins Indonesia is Committed to Expanding Sustainability to Marine Tourism Nationwide

The Reef-World Foundation — the international coordinator of UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative — has successfully trained and certified two new Green Fins assessor trainers from the Green Fins Indonesia National Team. Read more…

SEVENSEAS Beach Cleanup & Coral Restoration Events in Marine Protected Areas

Beach Cleanup Event from
November 2023

Coral Nursery & Restoration Activity Update: July 2023

In July 2023, SEVENSEAS Media conducted two impactful events in Krabi, Thailand. The Monthly Beach Cleanup Event at Ao Sew Beach saw enthusiastic volunteers remove a staggering 150.6 kilograms of trash, underscoring the pressing issue of marine pollution and the significance of sustainable practices like reducing, reusing, and recycling waste. The organization stressed the importance of proper waste management to protect coastal ecosystems.

Meanwhile, in the face of an unexpected storm, SEVENSEAS Media’s Coral Nursery & Restoration team demonstrated unwavering dedication, rescuing and relocating 75 corals to safer locations, bolstering their chances of survival and growth. The team outlined a comprehensive plan for continued coral recovery missions and data collection efforts throughout the year. The recent storm served as a stark reminder of the urgency to safeguard coral reefs from climate change impacts. We would like to express our gratitude for the support received from individuals and communities in this conservation community. We would not be able to do it without your support. You can make a tax-deductible donation here to keep our publications and Thailand Cleanup Project afloat.

You can either make a direct financial contribution to SEVENSEAS Media through The Ocean Foundation website or connect us with potential donors by sending an email to Giacomo Abrusci, our Editor-in-Chief.

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Signing up for the free Weekly Newsletter & Jobs List will get you a round-up of upcoming events, webinars, meetings, reports, funding opportunities, photos of the week, and recent postings to the jobs list.

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Since 2004, SEVENSEAS Media has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.

Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the global marine community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. SEVENSEAS Media achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, independent consultants, and academia/students.

If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, email us Here.

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