On, In, or By the Sea: Endangered

 

I would like to thank Alison/Craftytrog, our host at Art Journal Journey in October with her theme of Autumn Colors and Inspiration. I only wish I could have played more because I set aside so many things to use.

Today we welcome a new host at Art Journal Journey as we do the first of every month.  Our latest host is no stranger to us, and probably not to you. This is her sixth year of hosting AJJ.  Please give a very warm welcome to Wendy from wendysartandcraftjournal.  Wendy's theme is a bit different for November, because she asks us to create art that is On, In, or By the Sea.

I decided to focus on a coral reef, many of which are endangered.  Detail shots are below.

I had this coral reef from a calendar.  I couldn't just plop it in my journal and add the word, so I decided to cut it into parts and sew it back together at different heights.  I made more work for myself and broke my thread four times.  Once I thought I had broken my needle.  In the end, I was quite pleased with how it turned out.

Ask any scientist who studies the ocean and they will tell you coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems.  When healthy, they bring in billions of dollars in economic and environmental services, providing according to NOAA such items as "food, coastal protection, and tourism."  They also are habitats to clams, sea horses, sponges, sea turtles, and invertebrates to name a few.

 

According to the World Resources Institute:

Although these ecosystems only occupy 0.01% of the ocean floor, they support 25% of all marine life, providing crucial habitat for a myriad of fish and invertebrate species.

Also, per the World Resources Institute:

They provide food and livelihoods, reduce storm surge and flood risk to coastlines across the tropics, protect against erosion and attract tourists to over 100 countries and territories.

Coral reefs have become endangered for several reasons, including, but not limited to pollution, unsustainable fishing practices such as over fishing, disease, ship groundings, nutrient runoff from land sources like agriculture or deforestation, sediment, marine pollution, CO2 pollution, acid pollution, and global climate change, mostly warming. 

Interesting tidbits: corals are animals that live in colonies.  Some are older than our old-growth redwood forests.  Coral reefs can recover under certain conditions, but we must give them all the help they deserve.  Many scientists who study coral reefs are working on ways to make them healthy again.

Wendy, Erika, Bleubeard, and I are delighted you joined us and hope to see you this month at Art Journal Journey as you share your own interpretation of On, In, or By the Sea.

Please remember we welcome art journal pages that meet the theme requirements, altered book pages, canvases, loose, or stand alone pages including fabric and digital art.  I (and the administrators) cannot leave comments on Facebook or Instagram entries.  We do not allow cards!!!  We also don't allow tags, index cards, ATCs, or ATCoins, unless they are part of a journal page, and as much as we don't want to, will be forced to delete your entry.  Please remember if your blog is not in English, we ask that you translate it for us since the translation tool doesn't work on some blogs, including mine.  Hope to see you and your On, In, or By the Sea entries soon at Art Journal Journey.