Down Where
It's Wetter
NFTs Under The Sea
Why
I've loved being in the ocean since I was a little kid - I'd go snorkeling on trips and chase the fish, or just hang in the water watching the life around me. My dad had grown up in Florida in the 50s and 60s and somewhere along the way had gone SCUBA diving on the still pristine reefs that still existed at that time in Florida and the Caribbean... He passed on the love of the ocean to me, but he always seemed sad about how the things he was showing me seemed less full of life than what he remembered.
When I was 12, I got my SCUBA certification so that I could go diving and actually stay underwater longer than the span of time I could hold my breath. I've been diving now for almost 30 years, and over that time I've come to understand why my dad was sad when we went diving. I've now been to places that were once great spots to dive, places full of corals and life, that are now almost barren. Seen places where the coral itself is healthy, but thanks to over-fishing there were almost no fish larger than something you'd keep in an aquarium.
In 2019 I was lucky enough to spend over a month diving in the Philippines and Indonesia and I saw first-hand how community led conservation efforts can help maintain reefs and biodiversity, while at the same time ensuring that the local people who count on the sea for their livelihood end up better off because their catches improve and they benefit from increased eco-tourism drawn to the marine reserves.
With all the silliness of the crypto world and the boom in NFTs, I figured maybe it would be a good idea to use some of the pictures I've taken over the years, make a collection of NFTs, and donate proceeds to a charity that helps to protect natural resources. Help me help our coral reefs!
I will be donating 10% of initial sales, and 50% of royalties to OneReef, a community conservation charity that works to protect reefs and communities in the south Pacific. More info about the charity can be found down the page.
About the NFTs
345 (1 of 1) NFTS created from 115 photos I've taken of weird and beautiful creatures while diving around the world. These aren't stock photos pulled from the internet, all the original source images were taken and wholly owned by me, and no more NFTs will be created from the pictures used for this collection. Each photo has been converted to a low-poly vector and manipulated in three ways:
- The animal as captured by my camera.
- A version representing a hopeful future, with the subject highlighted by a graphical element and sunny color grading.
- The last represents the sad reality of our current path. The subject dissolves away into a mist of triangles, set against a now blackened graphical shape and with ominous colors. It's a future I hope we can all avoid....a world where these amazing animals fade away into oblivion because of our ongoing destruction of habitats and callous over-fishing, and senseless / wasteful killing through bycatch.
About The Charity
OneReef works to fill a gap in the conservation world — less than 5% of $20 billion spent annually on the environment is made available directly to locals who manage ecosystems. They help communities commit to protecting their coral reefs, with OneReef committing to providing the services and tools those communities need to enforce managed fishing zones, measure impact, and build social cohesion around effective stewardship. OneReef Community Partnership Agreements ensure that both the community and charity work from a common plan: a 20-year shared vision, complementary commitments, finance plans, means of avoiding conflict, and capacity to be developed.
OneReef was one of 6 winners of the 2021 Community Award for Ocean-Related Climate Solutions from Blue Climate Initiative for its work in Palau.
How OneReef helps communities
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MEASURE IMPACT
By learning about the fish and corals at our sites, OneReef can determine the reef’s health and create science-based plans. The Smith and Sandin Labs at Scripps Institution of Oceanography provides baseline biological data, as well as novel 3-D coral reef images, to help communities adjust management plans to see the greatest benefits.
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TECHNOLOGY
Through technology, OneReef can make conservation safer and more cost effective. Systems like desalination units, satellite phones, ranger stations and marine radars can help communities work in and protect their reefs. OneReef constantly searches for the best and most affordable solutions, working closely with partners to inform the design of new tools.
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SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Marine Protected Areas require effective local management to protect fish populations. OneReef sponsors trainings, such as bringing US-certified enforcement officers to train local staff in Micronesia, to create well-trained and successful teams that can protect coral reefs.
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FINANCING
OneReef aligns multiple funding sources under a long-term finance plan for each program. By working closely with communities, philanthropists, foundations, and public funding streams, OneReef can ensure reef protection benefits long into the future.
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