Stand Up for Reefs

In the fourth episode of our "Stand Up for Reefs" podcast series, host Kate Holden tackles how people can engage with coral reef protection from a variety of access points. As we discussed in episode 3 with Ellen Cuylaerts, one does not have to be a scientist to understand, care about, and make a difference for our oceans and our planet. People of all ages and from all walks of life may have different reasons that the ocean is personally meaningful and worthy of protection to them. As podcast host Kate Holden discusses, early engagement with nature and the ocean has been proven to increase pro-environmental behaviour in adulthood. The children of today are also growing up with an ocean that is definitely facing challenges, an ocean that needs us to go beyond caring about and moving to ‘do something about’. But many people find the threats facing our oceans too complex or too dire to even begin to engage with. This is a challenge for scientists, educators and conservationists, as we try to communicate the gravity and urgency of the state of our oceans and planet without overwhelming people and making them feel powerless. 

CCMI's guest for this episode, Sarah McDougall, trained as a Theatre Costume designer in Liverpool and had a successful career as a costumier for 21 years, including working at the Royal Ballet, as well as TV and film. Sarah then shifted gears and trained as a teacher specialising in Art and Design. In 2019, Sarah partnered with CCMI for the first time, via her class at the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre, or CIFEC, on our Healthy Reefs Campaign. From that time, her students in each year's cohort have created art projects with CCMI as the client to support our Healthy Reefs Campaign. Through their artwork, the students are engaging with the issues facing oceans and then creating something genuinely beautiful out of it. 

Kate and Sarah discuss art as a point of entry into science, and how insight gained by working on the Healthy Reefs project has helped Sarah's students increase their understanding and achieve academic success. 

"No Blue, No Green" is a phrase made famous by Dr Sylvia Earle, who founded Mission Blue. Humans occupy 29% of the Earth – via the ‘Green’ or simply, the land that we live on. Yet, 71% of the world is ocean and the ocean governs the systems that make the earth habitable, every drop of water we drink, every breath of clean air, is linked to the ocean. But when we think about the ocean and ocean conservation, it can sometimes be difficult for people to connect with what may be a seemingly mysterious and distant world. However, we are all very much impacted by the health of our oceans. Podcast host Kate Holden interviews award-winning Belgian photographer Ellen Cuylaerts. Kate and Ellen discuss her perspective as an artist and advocate, how different people connect to the ocean, what can inspire different individuals to take action, and how we can all stand up for reefs and make a difference.

Ellen captures images of ocean wildlife that are serene, peaceful, and strikingly intimate. Her objective is twofold: she seeks to bridge a deeper connection between humanity and nature, and she also works to capture her own experience as the photographer, how it feels in those moments when she is behind the camera.

Stand Up for Reefs host, Kate Holden opens the episode on the topic of how to protect our marine environment, giving examples of successes and challenges in marine protection. There is currently a push to increase protected marine areas from 7.5% to 30% worldwide, spearheaded by the UK via the UN/Convention on Biological Diversity. This would be a massive change, but it is important for the survival of life on our planet. 

Kate then opens the conversation up to her interview with Dr. Emma Camp. The interview begins with Dr. Camp's original interest in the ocean and marine biology in her youth. They discuss the work that Dr. Camp is doing to further understand reefs, why reefs are important to everyone (pharmaceuticals, fish stocks, storm protection, the global economy, tourism, and so much more!) and how anyone, anywhere can help… you really can make a difference!

Also, enjoy brief guest commentary by Kate's dog about nine minutes into the podcast!

Dr. Camp studies how corals respond to stress, particularly looking at their response to warming ocean temperatures.