Story Behind This Mural
Artist Statement
Cozumel has become primarily a tourist area with hundreds of people coming onto the Island from cruise ships daily, to go diving or snorkeling, to see the coral, which as I experienced first hand is fast becoming an underwater desert. Coral is commonly mistaken for rocks or plants and are unaware of these delicate creatures growing like little mothers providing a nursery for thousands of species of fish. Coral is a living creature. In my mural I have personified coral in the form of the face of Mother Nature, a relatable image for humans to connect to illustrating that coral is a living entity and to tread carefully in the water. Just like us, once it is gone, it is gone. So, be careful not to stand on or touch her and not to use sunscreen in the ocean as it creates a barrier stopping nutrients from the sunlight reaching through the water to the coral. The black and white splitting and melting of the form in the mural represents the rapidly declining and dying coral reefs. This is due to many human impact/global warming factors including rising water temperatures that cause non-reversible coral bleaching and an increase in smothering sponges & algae, sunscreen, and sediments upturned by ships. The large scale of the coral mother in comparison to the tiny diver represents the large scale of the issue we are facing and the beauty we are losing before our eyes.The Focus
Coral reef conservationTake Action
You can help save coral reefs by:
- Reducing your carbon footprint.
- Using reef-friendly sunscreen.
- Only consuming sustainably caught sea life.
- Being an ocean-minded voter.