Vanishing
Great Neck, New York
2019, Junior, Art
Reflection
I created I layered piece of art depicting a manatee, an endangered animal, trapped at the bottom. The layers were created with paper and acrylic paint and resemble the different layers of the ocean. I wanted to bring awareness to climate change and the damage that results to the ocean environment. I also learned that animals aren’t the only organisms that are harmed by climate change. Coral reefs are also dying because of pollution, fish blasting, and changing ocean temperatures, as shown on the top layer of my project. In the center, there is a manatee, which is one of the many endangered species due to habitat loss and boat collisions. The changing temperatures in oceans make it hard for seaweed to grow, which is a problem for manatees, as they feed mainly on this plant. All of these problems are caused by humans, and we can also do things to prevent them. Now that I am aware of this issue, I will take steps such as not littering in the ocean to prevent these animals from going extinct.