Local artists promote seagrass beds

The world is facing a 30,000 sq.km seagrass area damage crisis, and the Philippines already lost half of its seagrass ecosystem in just six decades and is rapidly losing more.

To help address the issue and promote the importance of its protection, Caus Planet Creative Studio, led by Egveniya Spiridonova, came up with an artistic approach to raise awareness and launched the Life-giving Seagrass Exhibition of Dumaguete artists.

The event is showcasing marine-inspired artworks by two rising local artists, Cil Flores and Angelo Delos Santos, as a kick-starter for the two-week educational art project which will run until July 14 at the Flying Fish Hostel along Hibbard Ave.

Depicted in his black and white art, Delos Santos created art pieces on various sea creatures, corals, and seagrasses to show the current marine ecosystem situation.

“It is my way of showing people that to protect marine lives, we also need to protect their habitat,” he said.

Flores, on the other hand, emphasized the effect of climate change, and used her artistic craft to inform about seagrass vitality and other environmental problems.

“I guess my love for art, and my desire to inspire others fueled me to create a number of artworks for this event. As a person who’s slowly practicing sustainable living, I also want to educate and influence other people about the importance of getting involved in the protection of our marine ecosystem,” she shared.

Some vital uses of seagrasses include breeding grounds for many fish, coast stabilisation preventing erosion, and an excellent capacity for storing large amounts of carbon amid the climate crisis.

Organizers also prepared and gave away educational seagrass brochures to those who attended and showed an educational film about the event’s theme as part of the opening activities.

The head of the exhibit activity shared how she got the inspiration and idea to come up with the event when she and her team spent a day in a marine camp in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental interviewing and doing different educational activities with local kids.

Proceeds of the exhibit will support Big Blue Network’s marine education activities for local kids, specifically those from Zamboanguita where a marine sanctuary is located.

The event gathered different art enthusiasts and environmental advocates from around the province. 

Jeremiah Gepaya, a graduate student and research assistant of the South Negros Fish Right Project who attended the launch, said the exhibit felt refreshing not only because of the art style, but because of putting a spotlight on seagrass ecosystems.

“The exhibit is a brilliant way to bring science and scientific methods to children and people in otherwise different fields. Hopefully, this would encourage them in helping conserve, protect, and improve these habitats in a scientifically-sound way,” the marine biology masters candidate added.

Caus Planet assured that this will be not the last, and that their future plans will pave more support to the environment and local art scene as they will soon launch art prints to help and give local artists a bigger opportunity to display and earn profit from their works.