By Selva Ozelli
The first Ocean Decade International Coastal Cities Conference will convene in Qingdao, China, for two days on February 26-27, 2025. The Conference is hosted by the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government in collaboration with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) and will gather 150-200 key stakeholders from coastal cities and territories globally to facilitate knowledge exchange, showcase best practices, and foster collaboration and partnerships to address the challenges and opportunities in generating and using ocean science for sustainable development. The Conference will mark a pivotal moment in accelerating action for the newly launched “Cities with the Ocean” Platform, which will be a major step towards the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference and the planned pre-conference special event on ‘Ocean Rise and Resilience.”
World-renowned photographer Ian Hutton, who is the curator of the Lord Howe Island Museum, https://ianhutton.info and award-winning oil artist Selva Ozelli teamed up to bring a taste of Lord Howe Island Group with their art show titled “Paradise” to this inaugural Conference.
Lord Howe Island Group (LHIG), an Australian island group in the Tasman Sea east of Port Macquarie, is one of the most beautiful islands in the Pacific and an iconic tourist destination. The Lord Howe Island Group was inscribed on the World Heritage Register in 1982 under the United Nations’ World Heritage Convention in recognition of its superlative natural phenomena and its rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity as an outstanding example of an island ecosystem developed from submarine volcanic origin containing a unique biota of plants and animals, as well as the world’s most southerly true coral reef. It is an area of spectacular and scenic landscapes encapsulated within a small land area. It provides important breeding grounds for colonies of fish, sea slugs, and seabirds, as well as a significant natural habitat for the conservation of threatened species.
Last summer saw the highest global Sea Surface Temperatures on record, which included waters in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP). When water temperatures are warmer than average, marine “heat stress” builds up over time, resulting in coral bleaching and sea slug and clown fish migration to northern cooler waters. Global warming also impacts glaciers, which are melting faster than ever due to climate change.
Cecilia Lam, Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change and Director of the Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Office at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, explained, “Beneath Hong Kong’s towering skyline lies a hidden treasure—rolling mountains and a vibrant sea. Few realize that our waters host a coral diversity surpassing even the Caribbean. At the Marine Science Laboratory of CUHK, dedicated researchers work tirelessly to restore coral reefs damaged by urbanization and pollution, breathing life back into the ocean’s fragile beauty while pioneering innovative ways to enhance coral resilience in the face of a changing climate.
Paradise BY SELVA OZELLI with Paintings for Three Museums
On Exhibit at the Inaugural Ocean Decade International Coastal Cities Conference
Work from the Paradise art show will be shown at the HMVC Gallery in NYC for a month during March and at the Cunneen Hackett Art Center in Poughkeepsie, NY, for two months from March through April 2025.
Ian shows brings out the raw beauty of marine life, including in the LHIMP, sea slugs, fish, octopuses, birds and plants of the island with his photography for the Paradise art show published in over 12 books and field guides on Lord Howe Island. Ian explains, “Living on Lord Howe Island is like living inside a David Attenborough documentary. From the beginning, I set out to emulate the great naturalist, exploring and documenting the Island’s diverse habitats, marine life, plants, birds, and weather patterns. As there is little I enjoy more than the chance to share my passion for the island and its environment with others, I have led innumerable private tours, day walks, and multi-day trips, Weed Eco Tours, sharing my passions and knowledge of the island’s natural history with visitors to Lord Howe Island. I hope you enjoy a taste of Paradise captured in this art show.” See more of Ian Hutton’s work here.
Selva Ozella, an award-winning artist, has been painting about the warming oceans, the bleaching reefs, and the ice-trapped orcas for various museums, including Lord Howe Island Museum, CSH Whaling Museum, Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, CUHK Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change (Mocci) and others. Her work for the Paradise art show and other art shows were influenced by the efforts of these institutions she collaborates with. Because billions of ocean species are impacted by warming oceans, from dying reefs to melting glaciers to the meltwater flows, which are changing orca migration routes, causing floods, droughts, landslides and sea level rise, which devastate seaside communities and ecosystems.
Therefore, for the inaugural World Day for Glaciers that focuses on glacier preservation, Selva also prepared another art show titled “Orcas & Glaciers for MoCC”. “Since 2013, the Museum of Climate Change (MoCC) has been a pioneer in raising public awareness about the climate crisis, inspiring and empowering citizens to take climate action and embrace a green lifestyle. We fully support the UN’s vision of the Decade of Ocean Science to make the future of the ocean healthy, resilient and sustainable for all,” explained Cecilia Lam, director of MoCC.
Selva is a member of the Climate Heritage Network and an ambassador to Oceanic Global. Her artwork has been cataloged by the United Nations, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum and the Berlin University of Art as part of the project titled Climate Summit Art. Art and Political Event, 1972 – 2022. Her three art shows, Reef Dwellers, Orcas & Reefs and Healing Waters, are endorsed by UNESCO OCEAN DECADE.