Submerged

Our oceanscape art installation debuted at the Richmond Maritime Festival!

We are thrilled to share photos of our new oceanscape art installation, Submerged, created by our Director Melanie Lazelle. The giant, inflatable oceanscape represents three creatures found in our oceans: a Sea Strawberry soft coral, an ancient Glass Sponge, and a Giant Green Anenome. The installation shares information about our incredible ocean ecosystems, some of the threats to local biodiversity, and some of the efforts of Canada to protect our oceans.

The giant creatures were accompanied by information panels, which shared:

• Our local oceans boast one of the region’s most diverse habitats, with 1,185 species of fish, animals, and creatures, and over 80 species of cold-water corals

• Glass sponge reefs were thought to be extinct until they were found in northern BC in 1987 and 1996! 9,000 years old, they shelter marine life such as rockfish and shrimp, store carbon, filter bacteria out of the water, and fertilize the ocean

• 52 marine species are endangered in Canada, facing extinction. Rising ocean temperatures due to human-caused climate change, microplastics and pollution, shipping, trawling and over-fishing, and invasive species are some threats to the health of our oceans. 

• Did you know that plastic microfibers from synthetic clothing are a major contributor to plastic pollution in the ocean? An estimated 35 percent of the microplastics entering the ocean come from washing synthetic textiles

• The Giant Green Anenome, one of the world’s largest species of sea anenome, is one of our giant inflatable creatures. These predators found in our local intertidal zones are one of many species affected by both warming temperatures and microplastics affecting their health

• Communities and governments are recognising the need to protect our ocean habitats for the health of all ecosystems. Canada has committed to conserving 30% of our marine and coastal areas by 2030, and we are currently at 15%

• In 2024 the largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) was formed in BC.  MPAs protect hotspots of biodiversity, such as in central coastal BC where globally significant populations of fish, whales, corals, seabirds, kelp forests, and other plant and animal species live - such as soft coral like our giant pink Sea Strawberry

This installation is available to visit other festivals and can be installed with or without the information panels!