Love Our Lagoon

If I had to sit down and chose my ultimate dream-job, I would describe it as "combining my artistic and scientific knowledge to save the environment."  So far I haven't found a specific job title for that, so I guess I will have to make one up.  Green Illustrator?  Environartilist?  It's a work in progress.  Anyways, during the past three months, I have had some amazing opportunities to make that dream a reality - specifically in helping raise awareness about the dangers (1, 2, 3) facing our Indian River Lagoon.

After living by it nearly my entire life, the lagoon (or "the river" and "the inlet" in my mind) was always just a routine part of my life.  I never really appreciated how significant it was on a national, and even global scale until recently.  Our lagoon (which spans 156 miles from Merritt Island to Jupiter) is considered to be one of the most biologically unique places in the world, as well as the most biodiverse estuary in North America, containing more than 4,300 species of plants and animals.  It is home to one of the most diverse populations of birds in the US, nearly 1/3 of the nation's manatee population, and it includes the densest area of sea turtle nesting sites found in the Western hemisphere.  Basically, we have a utopia of life unlike any other place on earth, right in our backyard!

But due to exteme pollution from runoff, sudden increases in algae blooms, and harmful invasive species, the IRL has been rapidly declining in health, potentially to the point of no return.  Luckily, there are a lot of great people who are making an effort to preserve and restore this ecosystem, and I have started to get involved in the cause myself!  One project I worked on recently was the 2014 Indian River Lagoon Science Festival, which showcased a variety of research and outreach programs focusing on our lagoon.  I lent my artstic skills to two booths at the festival: the Smithsonian Marine Station and the non-profit organization Coastal Biology, Inc.  For Smithsonian, I drew a few critters to go on their poster (using my favorite Copic markers, of course):

freshwater shrimp (Dulichiella appendiculata)

hermit crab

nudibranch

seahorse

Florida stone crab

Streblospio benedicti

tulip snail

Smithsonian Marine Station festival poster

And for Coastal Biology, I made a card design for their activity on how to estimate the weight of a green sea turtle based on its carapace length.  The kids loved it, trust me!

Coastal Biology, Inc. sea turtle card

Finally, I recently participated in a "Stormdrain Chalk Art" contest held at the Eau Gallie Fine Arts Festival in Melbourne.  The general concept was to create a stormdrain design that promoted clean water to protect our local habitats.  My design was centered around pollution in our lagoon, and after a full day of public voting, I won third place!!

original design submission

progression of my design

final product!

Contributing my artwork to this cause has been so fulfilling, and it's made me realize that using art to cultivate love and appreciation for the environment is what I truly want to do with my life.  I hope these efforts have inspired some people, especially my fellow Sebastian-ites, to take charge and care for this beautiful place that so many living beings call home.  If you want to get involved, here are a few ways you can make a difference (1, 2, 3)!