Reflection

I volunteer at my local aquarium because I love the science of the ocean and I like teaching it to others, but I've also learned that climate change and ocean conservation are topics that are intrinsically tied with marine science. I decided on the topic of red tides, knowing that we had given out many brochures about the issue of harmful red algae and the effects of domoic acid. I always start my creative process by researching. I knew that I wanted to cover the topic of red tides, so I did some searching through the Environmental Protection Agency website and pulled some knowledge from what I saw on the aquarium brochures. I learned that while red tides are not a California-specific problem, there's been much local news and warnings about this issue. I also learned that climate change has been exacerbating the problem of harmful algae blooms as a whole. When starting the piece, there were several aspects of the "red tide" I wanted to highlight. One, I wanted to emphasize the strong red color of the algae as it washes in from the bottom right corner like an actual tidal wave. I included the brown pelican because of its staple role in the California coastal ecosystem. The pelican, as well as the fish, are seen being "swallowed" by the red tide and domoic acid. The footstep represents how humanity has lived side-by-side with similar climate problems, as well as my own experience with red tides. It shows that while we have roles in creating the problem, we have new footsteps to look forward to making just like new steps in solving climate change. I believe I will take what I've learned through this process to my community in ways I both already have and haven't before. I hope that my art on conservation inspires the same passion for the ocean and its preservation.