Marine Ecosystems

For Antarctica
915 x 915 mm (36 x 36 inches)
sold

The ecosystem of Antarctica. Swimming around the island of Antarctica are krill in the inner ring; animals that feed on krill such as penguin, icefish and seal in the middle ring; and sperm whales, the great hunters of the middle-ring animals, in the outer ring. Between these rings are plankton - plant plankton on the inside, then animal plankton that feeds on the plant plankton, followed by carnivorous plankton that feeds on the vegetarian plankton. The outermost ring represents the alien human presence in the region.

Swimming School
batik wallhanging
1000 x 1000 mm (39 x 39 inches)
artist's collection

Not really an ecosystem, but a fun approach to life in the sea, inspired by a poem by Marchette Chute. Merry-maids, as mermaids are known to the Cornish, are as traditional here as oysters, lobsters, dolphins and jellyfish. I imagine many seafaring communities across the world could say the same.


Undersea

Beneath the waters
Green and cool
The mermaids keep
A swimming school.

The oysters trot;
The lobsters prance;
The dolphins come
To join the dance.

But the jellyfish
Who are rather small,
Can't seem to learn
The steps at all.

Marchette Chute, Arrow Book of Funny Poems, Scholastic Magazines Inc 1961.
Reprinted by kind permission of Elizabeth Hauser.

Ebb/Flow
1070 x 1070 mm (42 x 42 inches)
sold

A study of rock pool life at Crackington Haven, North Cornwall, with a subtle reminder that humans are never far away. The craggy North Cornwall coastline provides some good rock pooling sites, with an amazing range of strange and colourful creatures living amongst the seaweeds. I spent four wonderful days searching in these rock pools, my admiration growing for those species that can survive such extremes of climate (water or air, hot or cold, calm or rough, fresh water or sea water, sunlight or dim light, and much more) all possible within one day. Humans are such weak creatures in comparison! Is it weakness that causes us to pollute our shared environment?

This image is also available as a limited edition print of 150.

Coral
915 x 915 mm (36 x 36 inches)
sold

Travelling through Australia and Malaysia (1989-1992) I enjoyed snorkelling over coral reefs, fascinated by the colours, shapes and textures of different species of coral and fish. At Port Douglas (Queensland) on recommendation I joined a day cruise to an island in the Barrier Reef. The boat moored just off the island and as well as snorkelling over the surrounding shallow reefs, there was the island's shoreline to be explored - in the company of a marine biologist. The explanations and insights of this professional made all the difference to what otherwise might have been nothing more than a tourist trip to the reef.

In both countries it was sad to see 'graveyards' of white, dead coral, usually staghorn coral. It was even sadder to see people purposely, or through apathy or 'ignorance', further destroy the coral - dropping anchors in shallow reefs, standing on coral in their flippers (or whacking it as they trod water), touching or breaking off living branches, or even peeing over it (and who doesn't pee in the sea occasionally?).

I have depicted the fish that depend on the coral for food and shelter acting also as sentinels, guarding their world from human intrusion.