Sylvia Earle x SukkhaCitta:
A Journey of Reconnection
“I Live; I Die; the sea comes over me; it’s the blue that lasts.”
How connected are we to our seas? How well do we know our seas?
Why are our oceans blue? How many creatures live in it? How deep is the sea?
Are we aware that half of the oxygen we breathe is produced in the ocean?
The first woman to walk the seafloor beyond 1,000 feat, Marine Biologist, Sylvia Earle dedicated her entire life spreading this message, she asks us a simple yet compelling question “Do you like to breath?” It was one voice, continually being spoken, encompassing her life.
But how do our seas produce oxygen? Oxygen is produced by photosynthesizing organisms that live in the ocean, fresh water and on land, and more than half of the oxygen in the atmosphere is produced through photosynthesizing algae in the ocean.
Although, humans aren’t the only living beings who breathe, plants and animals all share the same need and as there are forests above, so are there below. As rainforests are home to mammals, coral reefs are home to aquatic life.
And as we age, so do our oceans, we’ve suffered from great loss of mangroves, sea grass and algae forests around the world; Trawling destroys underwater ecosystems. As a result, half the coral reefs in the world are in a state of terrible decline, some have disappeared entirely leaving no trace.
“Many of us ask what can I, as one person, do, but history shows us that everything good and bad starts because somebody does something or does not do something.”
“Many of us ask what can I, as one person, do, but history shows us that everything good and bad starts because somebody does something or does not do something.”
- Dr. Sylvia Earle
We are naturally drawn to aquatic hues, as being near the seas gives us a sense of openness and healing, we are awed by its’ vast beauty and wonder. But how important are our seas to us?
At the core, Sylvia’s message is that we should treat the ocean as if our life depends on it, because it does and that we may use all means at our disposal, be it through films, expeditions, whatever talent we’re given to ignite public support for global network and marine protected area, so that hope spots large enough to save and restore our oceans, the blue heart of the planet.
One of the ways we can preserve oceanic life is by ensuring that businesses are run with the planet in mind. Putting our vote to circularity over short term trends. Understanding that we all play a part in creating the world we now live in; And that every small step we take contributes to something bigger.
Pictures by Thea Traff
Words by Elizabeth Mary
