Ocean acidification is caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making seawater more acidic and threatening marine life.

The ocean supports life on our planet, and changes in its chemistry can affect entire ecosystems, not just coral reefs.

Kelp forests play a crucial role in mitigating ocean acidification by removing carbon and nitrogen from the water, which helps protect bivalves such as clams and oysters.

Studies show that kelp cultivation can increase the growth and health of North Atlantic bivalves in both laboratory and farm settings.

Ocean acidification harms marine organisms with calcium carbonate shells, such as oysters and clams, by making it harder for them to build and maintain their shells.

Dead zones—areas with very low oxygen—have increased from 400 in 2008 to about 900 by 2019, impacting all marine life, including fish and invertebrates.

In coastal areas, litter, especially plastics, can compound threats faced by marine organisms by polluting their habitats.

Plastic pollution is a severe problem, as much of it ends up in the ocean, further stressing marine species.

Conservation projects, such as sea turtle tagging and coastal cleanups, help protect marine biodiversity and encourage community involvement.

Nature-based solutions like composting and kelp farming support healthier oceans by reducing waste and absorbing more carbon and nitrogen.

Healthy reefs and coastal ecosystems provide food and protection for many species, including cephalopods like cuttlefish and octopuses, which are vulnerable to habitat changes caused by ocean acidification.

Climate change education and local action, such as reducing plastic use, composting, and engaging in coastal cleanups, are key ways for communities to help ocean health.

Ocean health is crucial not only for marine species like cephalopods and marine mammals but for people everywhere, as we all depend on the ocean to survive.

Ocean acidification is caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making seawater more acidic and threatening marine life.

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Content: These projects are out of science fiction.

Climate Boogaloo

We are at the throw-the-kitchen-sink stage of our climate change crisis as researchers, backed by big money, are increasingly researching drastic, large-scale geoengineering methods that were once considered taboo because they involve tinkering with natural processes and their consequences are largely unknown, The Wall Street Journal reports.

One project that is kicking off this summer tackles the problem of oceanic acidity. The more carbon dioxide our seas absorb, the more acidic our ocean becomes, which is really bad for marine life.

In response, a $10 million project at Massachusetts' Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) involves researchers basically dumping thousands of gallons of an alkaline liquid solution — sodium hydroxide — into the sea near Martha’s Vineyard.

"When you have heartburn, you eat a Tums that dissolves and makes the liquid in your stomach less acidic," WHOI associate scientist and project leader Adam Subhas told the WSJ. "By analogy, we’re adding this alkaline material to seawater, and it is letting the ocean take up more CO2 without provoking more ocean acidification. Everything that we’re seeing so far is that it is environmentally safe."

End of the Line

Another project, which has raised $15 million, is in Israel and involves shooting tiny particles into the atmosphere so they could reflect solar radiation, the newspaper reports. Stardust Solutions, the startup behind this project, plans to perform outdoor tests of this process sometime this year.

A third project in Australia is also meant to deflect solar radiation — this time in the Great Barrier Reef area, and by shooting ocean water into the air to brighten cloud cover and hence increase shade.

Scientists and decision makers in public and private sectors are seriously contemplating these geoegineering projects because current methods to arrest climate change and global warming haven't worked.

With forest fires wreaking havoc everywhere from California to Europe, and our planet experiencing its hottest year ever last year, the writing is clearly on the wall.

In fact, the pace has accelerated, according to scientists interviewed by The Washington Post in December.

"There won’t be any argument [by] late next spring, we’ll be way off the trend line," Columbia University climate scientists James E. Hansen told WaPo.

And that's why these projects are attracting big dollars and serious attention, despite serious questions about how they might impact the environment.

More on climate change: Scientists Say the Atlantic Current Appears to Be on the Verge of Collapse

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What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

The ocean supports life on our planet, and changes in its chemistry can affect entire ecosystems, not just coral reefs.

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Content: - WSL / Brent Bielmann

The ocean critically influences our atmosphere, and a changing climate has consequences for our coasts and way of life. With this in mind, WSL pledged to become carbon neutral in 2019 by offsetting staff and athlete travel, events, and business operations, and also offset the 2018 calendar year, prior to making the commitment in 2019.

The WSL is offsetting its carbon footprint by investing in and supporting projects such as VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) and REDD+ (reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) certified carbon offset projects that have a focus on restoring and protecting natural ecosystems as well as supporting renewable energy development in each of the WSL's regions.

From 2018 to 2019 the WSL moved to 100% nature based solutions, adding the McCloud River andJari Pará Project to their portfolio and continued this approach in 2020. Nature-based solutions, or natural climate solutions, are projects that restore, protect or transform land. In this way, nature absorbs more CO2 emissions from the atmosphere.

In addition, from 2018 to 2019 the WSL identified that staff flights were the largest source of emissions in 2018 accounting for 53.1% of all emissions. With this in mind, a concerted effort was made to reduce staff travel while still providing the best event experience possible for athletes and fans and reduced staff travel emissions to 45.8% of all emissions (reducing the largest emissions source by 7.3% YOY).

Since 2018, WSL has measured, reduced and offset emissions from WSL Championship Tour, Big Wave Tour and WSL Operations. In total, from 2018 through 2022, WSL has offset 22,003 tonnes of CO2 emissions (mtCO2e) with an average of 4,401 tonnes of CO2 emissions (mtCO2e) per year, including 100% nature-based solutions, which is equivalent to planting and growing 363,821 trees for 10 years (EPA). In 2021, WSL deepened its investment in this space by also offsetting operations at WSL Surf Ranch, in Lemoore, Calif., a world-class facility that features the longest, rippable, open barrel human-made wave.

We all depend on healthy oceans to survive. - WSL / Kody McGregor

WSL offset projects from 2018-2023 have included:

In Australia: The Mount Sandy Conservation forest project ensures permanent protection for a regionally and culturally important pocket of biodiversity-rich land in partnership with its Traditional Owners. Local birds, animals and plants flourish undisturbed, while native plants for revegetation will be supplied by the local nursery at Raukkan Aboriginal Community, a self-governed Indigenous community 50 kilometers northwest of the project site.

In Asia Pacific: The Katingan Mentaya project in Borneo is a REDD+ peat swamp forest that fights deforestation from mining and palm oil plantations. VCS and Triple Gold Certified project recognized for its positive social impacts (34 communities; 45k people) and biodiversity (5 Critically Endangered, 8 Endangered, and 31 Vulnerable species).

In Africa: The Mikoko Pamoja mangrove reforestation project in Gazi Bay, Kenya is run by two rural communities who have protected 117 hectares of mangroves, provided clean water for 3,500 people, restored local school buildings, sponsored football clubs, and supplied educational materials for 700 school children.

In South America:

  • The Vida Manglar is the world's first blue carbon project to enter the market with its carbon stores fully valued - that is, with the carbon stored in both the trees and the soils, fully accounted for. The project is based in Colombia and will reduce approximately one million tons of carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years by conserving and sustainably managing coastal mangrove ecosystems, marshes, and associated streams. Conservation International and regional partners - INVEMAR Research Institute and CVS (Coporación autónoma regional del Valle del Sinú) are using the carbon value generated through the conservation and restoration of mangroves to contribute to a long-term sustainable financing strategy for the region.
  • The AgroCortex project is a REDD+ forest conservation project in the Amazon rainforest. Over the next 30 years, this project will help reduce over 14 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Additionally, this project will help protect the Amazon's rich biodiversity and lies inside a worldwide birdlife endemic area. Fauna surveys conducted indicated the presence of 345 species of birds.
  • The Jari Pará Project is a forest conservation project. It reduces potential greenhouse gas emissions by protecting a large swath of forest (almost twice the size of Luxembourg) that otherwise would have been destroyed. It is a REDD+ project that is at the front lines of deforestation in the Amazon today trying to stop clear-cutting practices that are causing the loss of so much rainforest today.
  • The Santa Vitoria do Palmar and Chui wind farm in Brazil (a United Nations Clean Development Mechanism Certified Emission Reduction project) which powers 400,000 homes. Also,the ceramic factories of Argibem, São Sebastião, and Vulcão which run on renewable biomass instead of native timber from endangered and unique Brazilian ecosystems, and also has positive social impacts in the community schools.

In North America:

  • Almost 24,000 acres of protected Redwood forest protected from traditional logging to store carbon and safeguard endangered wildlife (Coho Salmon and Northern Spotted Owl) in the coastal watersheds of the Garcia River Forests in Mendocino County.
  • The McCloud River project is an Improved Forest Management project. It generates emissions reductions through sustainable practices of commercial timberlands about 20 miles southeast of Mount Shasta in Northern California. Commercial harvesting does occur on the project, but by using sustainable practices the landowners have preserved more forest and actually increase the amount of carbon stored by the property over time.

In addition to the projects above, WSL has also supported the One Carbon World projects detailed below aligned to 2022 and 2023 emissions such as reforestation initiatives that enhanced soil quality and erosion in Uruguay and projects focused on mitigating climate change through innovative technologies and sustainable practices in India.

  • In South America, the Lumin/Eucapine/La Pitanga Project is a VERRA, Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) project, which is a 100-year project that will sequester up to 5.601.938 tonnes of CO2e. The main objectives of the project activity are to convert degraded grassland into beneficial forest plantations, enhancing soil quality and preventing erosion, conservation of natural resources, land restoration and carbon sequestration through afforestation. All practices follow FSC® forest management standard for responsible forest management, while enhancing biodiversity conservation by increasing the connectivity of forests and different ecosystems, generating income and job opportunities for local communities in rural areas of the centre-east region of Uruguay.
  • A United Nations GHG Emission Reductions by thermal oxidation of HFC 23 Project: This project innovation is a result of an international technical collaboration between the UK, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy, Japan, and India. In collaboration with industries and communities, this project strives to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This project has developed and built facilities that now capture HFC gases into substances with no or lower global warming potential, reducing the impact that such gases would have on our climate if they were released. This vital initiative is dedicated to preserving the ozone layer and mitigating climate change through innovative technologies and sustainable practices. By promoting cleaner production methods, energy efficiency, and renewable energy adoption, the project minimizes GHG emissions, contributing to global efforts in addressing climate change. This project will sequester 3,000,000 metric tonnes CO2 equivalent per annum.
  • This United Nations N2O Emission Reduction Project based in India, aims to protect the environment by significantly reducing N2O emissions and also aims to reduce pollution to our waterways. This project supports the installation of a secondary catalyst in the ammonia reactors of one of the two nitric acid production units of the fertilizer plant of Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers ("RCF"). N2O is a potent greenhouse gas with very high global-warming potential. The project activity helps in the catalytic reduction of N2O which is an undesirable by-product of the nitric acid production process and so emission reductions of it. This project will sequester 901,968 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent per annum.

In compliance with California Assembly Bill 1305 (2023), click here for more information on the WSL's supported carbon projects.

All coastline communities and ecosystems are impacted by the health of our ocean. - WSL / Jesse Jennings

The WSL also works to reduce its carbon footprint by regionalizing its operation, limiting non-essential travel and implementing policies to reduce carbon emissions at its offices. In 2022, WSL Announced the Global Impacts below:

  • Reduced emissions by 49% from the 2018 baseline year.
  • Reduced waste by 70% from the 2018 baseline year.
  • Collected 100 tons of plastic from Indonesia's rivers, and
  • Conserved 347,291 hectares of land, including long term protection for incredible waves and surf ecosystems at Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica and Grajagan Bay, Java, Indonesia.

From 2018 through 2022 the WSL carbon offset program was calculated and curated in partnership with STOKE (Sustainable Tourism & Outdoors Kit for Evaluation), a certification organization with standards built specifically for surf and mountain tourism operators, destinations, and affiliated events. Starting in 2023, WSL will be partnering with One Carbon World for their carbon offset program.

Some facts that propelled the WSL pledge to become carbon neutral by the end of 2019:

  • Because of increased global temperatures, the ocean has absorbed more than 90 percent of the excess heat in the atmosphere, which causes more frequent and intense storms and dangerously rising sea levels. (Laffoley, D., & Baxter, J. (2016). Explaining ocean warming: Causes, scale, effects and consequences.)
  • Sea level is expected to rise by 2-3 feet by the end of this century, and over 6 feet is plausible. Sea level has already risen 10 inches since 1900 due to warming oceans and melting ice. (IPCC, 2013: Summary for Policymakers.)
  • Sea level rise will threaten over 150 million people by the end of this century. (Kopp et al., 2017, Earth's Future)

Check out WSL's 2023 Annual Purpose and Impact Report to learn more about our impact in and out of the water.

The ocean is the largest ecosystem on Earth and supports life on our planet. - WSL / WSL/Matt Dunbar

Oceans make up over 70% of the earth's surface and are responsible for: regulating our global climate, providing us with food we depend on for survival, and cleaning the air we breathe. Our one ocean is also the world's largest storehouse for carbon with more than 80% of the carbon cycle circulating through the waves we ride.

With carbon emissions continuing to rise, our oceans are taking on more energy and heat, which results in rising sea levels and temperatures. This continual absorption of CO2 also leads to increased acidity, which combined with warming temperatures, is changing the basic composition of our ocean leading to the destruction of coral reefs. Our reefs not only provide us with some of the breaks we cherish most, but are entire ecosystems to many species that rely on them for food and protection. In addition, they serve as the primary source of protein for most coastal communities.

While business and governments play a large part in improving the health of our climate, individual actions are instrumental in creating global change. Take individual action today through the suggestions below and help build a healthy global climate by:

Transportation:

  • Biking/skating more, driving less (why: reducing your carbon footprint and use of fossil fuels makes a big difference for our planet)
  • Carpooling
  • Taking public transit

Food:

  • Eating local (why: because locally produced food has a much lower carbon footprint than items that are shipped across the planet)
  • Eating organic (why: because organic is healthier for our soil, our planet, and thus, our ocean)
  • Embracing a plant-rich diet (why: producing certain meat has a high environmental footprint in terms of carbon production and water and land use.)
  • Eating less dairy
  • Buying food in bulk
  • Composting food waste

Energy:

  • Supporting clean energy sources - such as wind, solar, or geothermal.
  • Switching to energy efficient light bulbs and LED lights
  • Turning off electronics when not in use to save energy
  • Getting a home energy audit

Community:

  • Vote! (why: because voting for policy leaders who supporting strong climate policy helps to effect change)
  • Working to spread awareness on the climate crisis
  • Supporting sustainable companies and brands who are actively reducing their carbon emissions

and...

support our WSL One Ocean coalition partners and WSL PURE Grantees who are committed to finding solutions to reduce our climate impact!

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What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Kelp forests play a crucial role in mitigating ocean acidification by removing carbon and nitrogen from the water, which helps protect bivalves such as clams and oysters.

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Content: Newswise — STONY BROOK, NY, May 25, 2022 – While kelp is known as a nutritious food item for sea creatures and humans alike, harvesting kelp may be a new way to help keep bivalves such as clams and oysters – a more common food source and marine industry staple – healthy and more abundant. A new study led by Christopher Gobler, PhD, and a team of scientists at the Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) shows that the presence of kelp significantly reduces ocean acidification, a result of climate change.

Published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the study also demonstrated that the deployment of kelp on an oyster farm nullifies ocean acidification and therefore protects bivalves against acidification. The process may also have additional ecosystem and aquaculture benefits, including the sequestration and extraction of carbon and nitrogen, and protection against harmful algae blooms.

For shellfish, one of the most serious climate change-related threats is ocean acidification. Carbon dioxide or CO2 levels in Earth’s atmosphere continue to rise, infiltrating oceans where it causes chemical reactions that lower pH and cause ocean acidification. For the past two decades, one of the most robust conclusions of ocean climate change research has been that increasing levels of CO2 in surface waters threaten shellfish that rely on higher pH waters to grow and survive. This threat is particularly acute in coastal zones where additional sources of acidity can further reduce pH and slow shell formation in shellfish, especially bivalves. And while many wild populations of bivalves have collapsed, a burgeoning wave of aquaculture in the U.S. and around the World has caused the global production of seafood via aquaculture to grow and now exceed wild capture.

“Despite this wave of aquaculture, the intensification of ocean acidification now threatens bivalve aquaculture and has necessitated a solution,” explains Professor Gobler, the Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation at SoMAS.  “We believe our work is foundational to a solution.”

In the study, titled “Kelp (Saccharina latissima) Mitigates Coastal Ocean Acidification and Increases the Growth of North Atlantic Bivalves in Lab Experiments and on an Oyster Farm,” Professor Gobler and colleagues conducted six experiments to assess the effects of elevated CO2 and presence of kelp (S. latissima) on the growth rates of three different species of bivalves: (Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), and hard clams / Northern quahogs (Mercenaria mercenaria).

In each of the experiments, acidification was significantly reduced with the cultivation of kelp. They furthered the research with the ultimate test – a field experiment at the Great Gun oyster farm in Moriches Bay, New York.

They found that during a one-month deployment, oysters that were surrounded by kelp enjoyed higher pH water and grew significantly faster than individual shellfish located further away where the pH of the water was significantly lower.

Professor Gobler and colleagues emphasize that these findings have powerful implications for oyster farming in coastal zones.

“We have been witnessing coastal ocean acidification for years and have documented its ability to slow the growth, and even kill off, shellfish. We began growing kelp on oyster farms to simply expand aquaculture, regionally. After seeing its ability to rapidly take up CO2 and improve low pH conditions, we knew it had the potential to benefit shellfish experiencing acidification. And while showing that in the lab was exciting, being able to improve the growth of oysters on an oyster farm experiencing coastal acidification proves this approach can have very broad applications,” explains Professor Gobler.

Overall, the research clearly shows, according to the authors, that “the cultivation of kelp constitutes an environmentally friendly means of protecting shellfisheries against present and future ocean acidification and other coastal stressors.”

Building on the work, helping the oyster farms

“We’ve helped grow kelp on 10 oyster farms across New York since 2018 and more and more aquaculturists have been hoping to incorporate kelp into their farms,” says Mike Doall, Associate Director of Shellfish Restoration and Aquaculture at Stony Brook University. “In addition to providing crop diversification and additive revenue streams, the ability of kelp to fight ocean acidification gives these oyster farmers one more reason to add kelp as a second crop.”

The recent study builds on other research by the same SoMAS group, which published a study in Harmful Algae in 2021. That study demonstrated that kelp has the ability to deter the intensity of harmful algal blooms, another environmental threat to shellfish aquaculture.

Such scenarios with kelp appear to create a win-win scenario for oyster farmers like Paul McCormick, owner of the Great Gun oyster farm where the current study was performed.

“Kelp looks to be the perfect complement to oysters on my farm,” says McCormick. “It grows during winter and spring, when the oysters need less attention, and there is lots of interest in kelp from restaurants. If it is offering protection to my oysters against poor water quality, well that’s another good reason to add it to my farm.”

Citations:

Young, C. S., Sylvers, L. H., Tomasetti, S. J., Lundstrom, A., Schenone, C., Doall, M. H., & Gobler, C. J. (2022) Kelp (Saccharina latissima) mitigates ocean acidification and increases the growth of North Atlantic bivalves in lab experiments and on an oyster farm. Frontiers in Marine Science, Volume 9 | Article 881254

Sylvers, P. H., & Gobler, C. J. (2021). Mitigation of harmful algal blooms caused by Alexandrium catenella and reduction in saxitoxin accumulation in bivalves using cultivable seaweeds. Harmful Algae, 105, 102056.

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Frontiers in Marine Science

Studies show that kelp cultivation can increase the growth and health of North Atlantic bivalves in both laboratory and farm settings.

Ocean acidification harms marine organisms with calcium carbonate shells, such as oysters and clams, by making it harder for them to build and maintain their shells.

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

Dead zones—areas with very low oxygen—have increased from 400 in 2008 to about 900 by 2019, impacting all marine life, including fish and invertebrates.

Title:

Content: How climate change and warming waters are affecting the health of the oceans

(NEW YORK) — Oceans do so much to sustain life on Earth, including bearing the brunt of global temperatures that have been steadily warming for decades.

An IPCC special report published in 2019 found that oceans — which make up more than 70% of the world’s surface — have absorbed between 20% and 30% of human-made carbon dioxide emissions since the 1980s. They’re also responsible for absorbing more than 93% of the “combined heat stored by warmed air, sea, and land, and melted ice” since the 1970s, according to the Fifth Assessment report published in 2013 by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The tipping point is near, experts told ABC News. But there are collective actions to take that could revitalize oceans to a healthier state — the theme of the United Nations World Oceans Day 2022.

“We really see oceans as the biggest ally in the climate change crisis,” Lea d’Auriol, founder of nonprofit Oceanic Global, told ABC News.

This is how climate change is affecting the health of the world’s oceans:

Species are faced with adapting or becoming extinct

Currently, the oceans “are in a state of complete imbalance” that has nearly doubled since the 1990s, d’Auriol said. Look no further than the fishermen, who supply sustenance to more than three billion people who rely on seafood as their main source of protein, as witnesses that climate change is already here, d’Auriol, said.

“If you wanted to ask someone if climate change is really happening, probably the most surest answer you’d get from anyone aside from a scientist is a fisherman,” Arlo Hemphill, senior oceans campaigner for Greenpeace USA, told ABC News. “Because fishermen are seeing these things happen in real time.”

One of the changes long-time fisherman are witnessing is the presence of new species venturing north as the area with their preferred water temperature expands.

Marine organisms maintain the same temperature as the surrounding water, so that when temperature increases, so does the temperature of the organism, Martin Grosell, professor of ichthyology and chair of the University of Miami’s Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, told ABC News. As the temperature rises, the organisms require more energy to move and survive. But, conversely, the levels of oxygen in the water decrease as the temperature warms, forcing the species to move, Grosell said.

The migrations may seem innocuous, but they are disrupting ecosystems all over the world, such as the phenology, or timing, of when grey seals give birth, Hemphill said.

Conversely, species are continuing to die off due to repeated events of marine heatwaves, Anne Christianson, director of international climate policy for the Center for American Progress, a public policy research organization, told ABC News.

Coral reefs are among the most threatened marine ecosystems in the world, scientists say. Coral bleaching, a process that occurs when water is too warm and the corals expel algae from their tissues, causing them to turn completely white, is happening at “alarming” rates — increasing by a rate of 4% per year — along with an uptick in mortality events along entire regions, d’Auriol said.

A study published in the National Academy of Sciences found that coral reefs could stop growing in 10 years unless greenhouse gases are significantly reduced and that, under a worst-case scenario, 94% of all reefs could erode by 2050.

Reefs are often the indicator of the health of an ecosystem, Brenda Ekwurzel, director of climate science for the Union of Concerned Scientists, told ABC News.

Mammals that rely on Arctic ice, such as polar bears and ringed seals, one of the polar bears’ main food sources that live their lives almost entirely on the ice, are also at risk, Ekwurzel said.

Vegetation such as mangroves, seagrass plants and marshes, some of the largest carbon sinks on the planet, which absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, are also at risk of extinction, d’Auriol said.

The number of dead zones are increasing

A dead zone, or the process of hypoxia, occurs when an algal bloom sucks up all the oxygen in an area, making it impossible for marine life to survive — essentially a biological desert, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A study published in 2008 in Science found that there were 400 dead zones around the world. By 2019, the number of dead zones had increased to about 900, d’Auriol said.

The dead zones often occur in regions with rampant nutrient runoff, such as at the base of the Mississippi River, where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico, Hemphill said.

Sea level rise will change coastal communities

The biggest contributor to sea level rise is the melting ice in the Arctic, which is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the world, according to the 2021 Arctic Report Card by NOAA. Increases in sea level rise of 6 inches to a foot since the Industrial Revolution may seem like small increments, but crucial infrastructure near oceans was not built to withstand the added inches of water, experts say.

Millions of people living in coastlines around the world, including those in mega cities such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, will be displaced by the rise in sea levels, d’Auriol said.

Carbon dioxide emissions sparks ocean acidification

Ocean acidification, which occurs when water’s pH levels are lowered as a result of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, is not directly caused by warming temperatures but rather by excess carbon dioxide emissions, Hemphill said.

“The alarming thing about it is that shellfish everything from from microscopic plankton, to clams and crabs and coral reefs themselves use calcium carbonate to build their shells,” he said. “And as the ocean acidifies, it becomes more difficult to create the shells.”

Ocean acidification, rather than coral bleaching, will likely be the culprit behind the demise of coral reefs, Ekwurzel said.

Collective actions are necessary to protect the oceans

In line with the 2022 theme for World Oceans Day, “Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean,” scientists and conservationists are highlighting the need for individuals, communities, nonprofits, the private sector and governments to come together to create solutions, d’Auriol said.

This includes ensuring the health of marine protected areas by eliminating housing, fishing zones and shipping traffic in the vicinity, d’Auriol said.

Governments will need to create policies to protect both human life and the health of the ocean, Christianson said.

“There isn’t one silver bullet for solving this crisis in the ocean and on land,” Christianson said.

However, the ticking time bomb is the race to drastically reduce global greenhouse gas emissions within the next decade, the experts said.

“We can’t afford to delay those solutions any longer,” Ekwurzel said.

Along the path to properly protecting and preserving oceans is ridding the narrative that oceans are a separate environmental issue from climate change and the conservation of biodiversity, d’Auriol said.

“Because we do live on a water planet, and it’s responsible for sustaining all life on Earth,” she said.

Copyright (C) 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In coastal areas, litter, especially plastics, can compound threats faced by marine organisms by polluting their habitats.

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Content:   • Home

Redditor shows how they ‘de-trashed’ their neighborhood in less than half an hour: ‘This took almost no effort’

“There’s so much of it everywhere.”

Photo Credit: u/Bootycarl / Reddit

One small action can have a big impact on the planet, as proven by one Redditor’s mission to “de-trash” their local area.

In a photo posted to the r/ZeroWaste subreddit, the user holds up a packed trash bag, which they filled by picking up litter in their neighborhood.

As the post explains, it took 25 minutes to fill the bag within a one-minute walk from the OP’s home.

“There’s so much of it everywhere!” the Redditor adds in a comment. “This took almost no effort.”

More than 90% of Americans think litter is a problem in their state, according to research by Keep America Beautiful. The study found on average 2,000 pieces of litter per mile in the U.S., totaling nearly 50 billion trash items along roadways and waterways.

Litter can have devastating consequences both for people’s health and wildlife. As the trash breaks down, it releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere — for example, cigarette butts emit arsenic when they decompose.

In coastal areas, litter may also get blown into the ocean. Once in the water, plastic items break down into microplastics, forming pellet-sized nurdles that marine animals eat. The absorption of these microplastics into the water is thought to increase the ocean’s acidity, which contributes to coral reef bleaching.

Picking up litter helps to remove some of that harmful trash from the environment, although some have questioned how much difference it can make against a mountain of trash. In an interview with Postive News, David Katz, the founder and CEO of The Plastic Bank, likened the practice to mopping the floor before turning off the water in an overflowing sink.

But others argue that litter picking can help to change people’s attitudes towards their own litter. For example, the Keep Scotland Beautiful campaign views trash picking as an opportunity to “change your community’s relationship to litter and [for] promoting behavior change.”

Redditors seemed to agree that individuals could make a difference in their own communities.

“I started doing this after seeing someone in my neighborhood with a grabber. Now that Reddit has seen your post, *who knows* how many people might start?” one user comments.

“This is really what matters and something each and everyone can do,” another replies

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Plastic pollution is a severe problem, as much of it ends up in the ocean, further stressing marine species.

Conservation projects, such as sea turtle tagging and coastal cleanups, help protect marine biodiversity and encourage community involvement.

Title:

Content: 6 Ways Families Can Protect the Marine Environment—and Why They Should

The ocean is important for mankind. Here's how experts say families can make a difference in caring for the marine world.

Many nights out of the year, Lemuel Pemberton walks along Lover's Beach on the Caribbean island of Nevis looking for nesting turtles. "When they come to nest, we measure them and tag them if they are not tagged," says Pemberton, founder of the Nevis Turtle Group, which pioneers sea turtle conservation across the island. "We have tagged probably somewhere between 500 and 1000 turtles so far in the region since 2003."

It's one of three main beaches on the island where turtles nest, which occurs at different times throughout the year, depending on the species of turtle. It takes 60 days on average for the eggs to hatch after they've been laid, but that's only if they get the chance. Whether it's due to coastal erosion, human-driven habitat destruction, or other harmful human behavior, many sea turtles will never hatch and make their way into the ocean.

Pemberton says sea turtles, which are an indicator species helping to diagnose the health of the ecosystem, are a great way to get families to care about the marine world. "Everybody loves the turtles," says Pemberton, pointing out that it's easy to engage with them since they are one of few marine animals to come on land, and they are also gentle. And getting families all over the world to care about the marine ecosystem, says Pemberton and other experts, is important in protecting ocean life.

Why do the oceans matter so much? Oceans not only regulate the climate, but scientists also estimate that up to 80% of oxygen production comes from them. The ocean also provides food and sustenance for people all over the globe. "The protection of the marine environment is very much a link to our own survival—that's one of the reasons why marine conservation in general is so important," says David Godfrey, executive director of the Sea Turtle Conservancy, a Gainesville, Florida-based organization founded in 1959.

That's why it's critical for parents to start teaching their kids from a young age to protect the marine world. Here are simple ways experts say they can do that together as family.

Don't Litter at the Beach

Littering anywhere is a bad idea, but be extra cautious while near water. The simple act of cleaning up after your family on the beach can prevent garbage from getting into the water and hurting sea creatures. "Whatever garbage you have, take it back with you, no matter what it is," advises Pemberton.

Take a Family Conservation Trip

"As a parent myself, having raised a child in the world today, I think exposing them to the natural world as much as you can, letting them see that we're not alone and the world is full of other types of animals that have their own lives, that use habitat in different ways than we do [is important]," says Godfrey.

There are various conservation vacation destinations across the world that families can travel to, and hotels that participate in conservation efforts. For example, the Sea Turtle Conservancy has been working with the Four Seasons Resort Nevis to protect sea turtles in the region, and families can participate in the annual Sea Turtle Summer Camp package to learn all about the animals through marine-themed activities. Programs like these help kids build a love and care for the marine world that they will carry with them as they grow.

Engage With Ocean Life Right at Home

Experiencing marine adventures firsthand is great, but it's not feasible for every family to take a trip to the beach each year. The good news is there are ways to engage kids at home. You can pick up marine books to read together or have a movie night. "A lot of kids first learn about the ocean through fiction; I'd be shocked to find anyone under the age of 10 who doesn't love either SpongeBob SquarePants, Finding Nemo, or The Little Mermaid. Help build on this love by teaching them about the real sea life behind their favorite flicks," says Britta Baechler, Ph.D., senior manager of ocean plastics research at Ocean Conservancy. "Nature documentaries like Blue Planet II are also great ways to see beloved cartoon characters in a whole new light, and maybe meet some new ocean friends, too."

Keep Up With Conservation Groups

Families can donate to marine conservation groups around the world and also engage with their efforts. The Sea Turtle Conservancy, for example, has developed a research program that involves using satellite tracking to track specific turtles as they swim through the ocean for scientific purposes, as well as for conservation and education. The organization encourages families to join in on the fun by following the journey of the turtles for free online through a program called Tour de Turtles Marathon. "Whichever of the turtles travels the furthest in the course of three months will be the winner," says Godfrey. And each turtle races to raise awareness for a cause, including problematic lighting on shore that is bothersome to marine life, plastic in the environment, and commercial fishing.

Participate in a Local Coastal Cleanup

Regardless of whether you live on the coast or hundreds of miles inland, every piece of garbage you collect can make a difference, says Dr. Baechler. The Ocean Conservancy runs the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), a beach and waterway cleanup effort. "Teach your kids about the importance of caring for our ocean and make joining a cleanup an annual tradition," she adds. Families can visit SignUpToCleanup.org to learn more about cleanups in their area.

A few more pluses? Volunteering has been found to increase empathy, improve mental health, and enhance teamwork and leadership skills.

Reduce Your Family's Use of Plastics

"So much of the plastic we use ends up in the water," says Godfrey. "It ends up in rivers, in streams, and those flow to the coast and so it all ends up in the ocean." Currents take those plastics and tend to accumulate them in specific areas where they break down into smaller pieces and then marine animals mistake them for food.

Families can make choices together to reduce their use of plastics at home and opt for recyclable items or alternative ones. "Plastic is almost like a gateway lesson," says Godfrey. "You learn about plastics and learn about how your use of them affects the natural world and that kind of opens up kids' minds to ask themselves, 'Well, what else do I do that affects the natural world?'" That can get them thinking about being conscious of other issues that affect the planet like water use and driving.

"Every family isn't going to sit around and solve climate change," says Godfrey. "But you can sit around as a family and you can decide to make your footprint on the world a little less harmful to the natural world."

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The traditional art of glassblowing in Syria, particularly in Damascus, has a history that stretches back over 2,000 years, making the region one of the world’s oldest centers for glass production.

Syrian craftsmen developed and passed down unique techniques and methods, such as free-blowing and mold-blowing, which contributed greatly to the development of glassmaking across the Middle East and beyond.

Syrian glass products—ranging from elegant vessels to intricate decorative pieces—are known for their beautiful shapes and vibrant colors, and have been highly prized for centuries.

Glassblowing has played an essential role in the cultural identity of Syria, with generations of artisans upholding techniques tied closely to local tradition, family heritage, and the crafts districts of Damascus.

The craft has traditionally relied on communal workshops, apprenticeship systems, and manual labor, preserving skills that require years of training and artistic commitment.

However, in recent decades, the number of glassblowers practicing traditional methods in Syria has declined sharply, due to factors including industrialization, the impact of war, disrupted supply chains, and competition from cheaper factory-made glass.

Many workshops have closed, and it is estimated that only a handful of master craftsmen now remain who can teach the authentic techniques of Syrian glassblowing to new generations.

Recognizing the urgent challenges facing this living heritage, UNESCO placed Syria’s glassblowing on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, aiming to support measures to help the craft survive and encourage its transmission.

This listing highlights the need to protect not just the technical skills, but also the cultural significance, historic continuity, and community values associated with Syrian glassblowing, before the tradition is lost.

The traditional art of glassblowing in Syria, particularly in Damascus, has a history that stretches back over 2,000 years, making the region one of the world’s oldest centers for glass production.

Title:

Content: Manal AlDowayan to represent Saudi Arabia at Biennale Arte 2024

Artist Manal AlDowayan in Venice, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and the Visual Arts Commission, the Commissioner for the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia

Artist Manal AlDowayan in Venice, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and the Visual Arts Commission, the Commissioner for the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia

  • Manal AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant contemporary artists, recognised internationally for her work that spans participatory practice, photography, sound and sculpture
  • The artist interrogates traditions, collective memories and the status and representation of women
  • The Saudi Pavilion is commissioned by the Ministry of Culture’s Visual Arts Commission
  • This will mark Saudi Arabia’s fourth participation in the Biennale Arte, and is the third National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia to feature woman artists

Artist Manal AlDowayan in Venice, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and the Visual Arts Commission, the Commissioner for the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Manal AlDowayan will represent Saudi Arabia at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, taking place from 20 April to 24 November 2024. The Saudi Pavilion is commissioned by the Ministry of Culture’s Visual Arts Commission.

AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant contemporary artists working internationally. Her work, which spans various mediums including photography, sound, sculpture, and participatory practice, interrogates traditions, collective memories and the status and representation of women.

AlDowayan acts as a critical witness to the cultural and social metamorphoses sweeping her home country, and her work in turn navigates a territory where the personal and the societal overlap. Her works explore themes such as invisibility, active forgetting, and collective memory. Through her decades-long practice, AlDowayan’s art resonates with audiences around the world, fostering connection, interaction, and engagement. She is best known for participatory installations such as Suspended Together (2011) and Esmi-My Name (2012), which are the result of participatory workshops offering channels for thousands of women in Saudi Arabia to reflect on social customs relating to the position of women in Saudi Arabia and further afield.

Commenting on her participation, AlDowayan says:

My approach to art over the last two decades has given me the chance to be part of a transformation that is taking place in my country. The Biennale Arte 2024 presents a rare opportunity to represent where I stand in my practice, positioned in the context of my community, my country, and the world as a whole.

More recently, AlDowayan performed From Shattered Ruins, New Life Shall Bloom at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in August 2023. There, she invited visitors to navigate the space which featured a landscape of totems topped with porcelain rolls filled with texts and images depicting narratives that have upheld structures around women for generations. In a conclusive collective gesture of protest against a history of control, participants destroyed the scrolls – ultimately stripping the words and images of their power and encouraging solidarity in the face of fragmentation of action and the need for a multipolar approach when it comes to helping women and girls around the world.

Dina Amin, Chief Executive Officer of the Visual Arts Commission says: At the Visual Arts Commission, our goal is to bring to the forefront the talent that resides within our country and to look for ways to nurture, amplify and celebrate it on local, regional and international stages. We are proud to be showcasing Manal AlDowayans work at the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, an important international platform for exchange.

This will mark Saudi Arabia’s fourth participation at the International Art Exhibitions of La Biennale di Venezia and is the third National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia to feature woman artists. A concept and further details surrounding AlDowayan’s installation will be announced at a later stage, but the artist revealed that the Saudi Pavilion will reflect on the Biennale Arte’s overarching theme. Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere, curated by Adriano Pedrosa, will bring together artists to reflect on the differences and disparities conditioned by areas such as identity, nationality, race and gender, amongst others.

The exhibition will be on view from 20 April to 24 November 2024 at the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia’s permanent space at the Arsenale, Sale d’Armi, Venice, Italy.

Manal AlDowayan for The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia, commissioned by the Visual Arts Commission, 20 April – 24 November: saudipavilion.org

Press contacts:
Rania Habib at Pelham Communications
rania@pelhamcommunications.com

Annabel Hoyng-Van der Meijden at Pelham Communications
annabel@pelhamcommunications.com

Press kit link here.

About Manal AlDowayan
AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant contemporary artists working internationally. Her work, which spans various mediums including photography, sound, sculpture, and participatory practice, interrogates traditions, collective memories and the status and representation of women. AlDowayan’s work has been exhibited regionally and internationally in institutions such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, USA (2023); the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada (2023); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA (2023); Misk Art Institute, Saudi Arabia (2023, 2022); Setouchi Triennale, Japan (2022); Louvre Abu Dhabi, UAE (2023); Diriyah Biennale, Saudi Arabia (2022); Taehwa River Eco Festival, Korea (2021); V&A Museum, UK (2021); British Museum, UK (2021); Desert X AlUla, Saudi Arabia (2020); The Nobel Museum, Sweden (2019); the Aga Khan Museum, Canada (2018); Royal College of Art, UK (2018); Abu Dhabi Art, UAE (2017); Institut du Monde Arabe, France (2017); the Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE (2016); Santander Art Gallery, Madrid (2016); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA (2015); Prospect New Orleans, American Biennial, USA (2014); Gwangju Museum of Art, South Korea (2014); Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar (2014); and in a Collateral Event at the Biennale Arte in 2009 and 2011, among others. Her works can be found in the collections of the British Museum, UK; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark; the Centre Pompidou, France; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar; and the Solomon R. Guggenheim, USA. She participated in the Robert Rauschenberg Residency, USA (2015), and the artist-in-residence programme at the Delfina Foundation, UK (2009).

She holds an MA in Contemporary Art Practice in Public Spheres from the Royal College of Art, London. She also received a research fellowship from New York University Abu Dhabi (2014). Born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia in 1973, AlDowayan currently lives and works between London, Dhahran and Dubai.

Website: https://www.manaldowayan.com/
Instagram: @manaldowayan
#ManalAlDowayan

About the Visual Arts Commission:
The Visual Arts Commission is one of 11 sector-specific commissions under the Ministry of Culture. Founded in 2020, it is leading the development of the visual arts sector in Saudi Arabia. The Commission is working to nurture the talent of art enthusiasts, practitioners, and professionals in the Kingdom, and support the production and exhibition of artwork in all its forms, locally and internationally.

To learn more about the Visual Arts Commission, please visit www.visualarts.moc.gov.sa/en and the commission’s page on Twitter @MOCVisualArts

About the Ministry of Culture:
Saudi Arabia has a vast history of arts and culture. The Ministry of Culture is developing Saudi Arabia’s cultural economy and enriching the daily lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.

Overseeing 11 sector-specific commissions, the Ministry is leading a cultural transformation to develop an abundant ecosystem that nurtures creativity, unlocks the economic potential of the sector and unleashes new and inspiring forms of expression.

Find the Ministry of Culture on social media: Twitter @MOCSaudi (Arabic); @MOCSaudi_En (English) | Instagram @mocsaudi

About the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia:
The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia supports and celebrates the Kingdom’s artistic and architectural community. It serves as a meeting space for dialogue between creative minds, and an exchange of concepts and ideas. The pavilion provides a permanent home for research and ideation from the nation’s leading cultural voices.

To learn more about the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia, please visit www.saudipavilion.org and on Instagram: @saudipavilion.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a91498e-5d3e-41fa-91e4-de6dd610be50

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8983844

Syrian craftsmen developed and passed down unique techniques and methods, such as free-blowing and mold-blowing, which contributed greatly to the development of glassmaking across the Middle East and beyond.

Title:

Content: Art of glassblowing returns again in Aleppo countryside liberated from terrorism

The town of Urem Al-Kubra in Aleppo province in northern Syria has historically been famous for its skilled glassblowing craftsmen. The war considerably affected this traditional craft inherited from our ancestors, but after the liberation of the city from terrorism, some artisans have brought it back to life. The artisan, Yassin Arab learned the glassblowing craft from his father when he was a child, and after the town was liberated from terrorism, he returned to his small facility, where he worked to restore it and start working again. Arab does not hide his enormous passion for the craft of glassblowing and his belief in the need to preserve this ancient Syrian heritage. Regarding the working mechanism, the artisan explained to SANA that he uses recycled glass, melts it again in the oven at high temperature, and then chooses a specific shape for its manufacture, whether hookah bottles, vases, plates, small jugs, fish houses for decoration, decorated cups and antiques of different sizes. After that, t he piece is blown, rotated and processed by the artisan until it takes its final shape using white and brown colors, and once the manufacturing of the product is finished, it is decorated and colored to give it the required aesthetics. For his part, Hussein Najjar noted that he learned the craft of blowing glass manually since he was young and has been working in this field for 40 years. He added that he is able to make any shape or glass container, using his imagination, and considered that the art of glassblowing is one of the types of plastic arts. Traditional glassblowing is a profession that dates back more than two thousand years (since the time of the Phoenicians) and was included in December 2023 by UNESCO on the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity that needs urgent preservation. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Syrian glass products—ranging from elegant vessels to intricate decorative pieces—are known for their beautiful shapes and vibrant colors, and have been highly prized for centuries.

Glassblowing has played an essential role in the cultural identity of Syria, with generations of artisans upholding techniques tied closely to local tradition, family heritage, and the crafts districts of Damascus.

The craft has traditionally relied on communal workshops, apprenticeship systems, and manual labor, preserving skills that require years of training and artistic commitment.

Title:

Content: OIC conference to discuss the development of youth, sports

Hissein Brahim Taha. (Twitter @oicarabic)
Short Url
Updated 04 September 2022

OIC conference to discuss the development of youth, sports

  • The conference will discuss the commitment of member states to implementing OIC strategies on youth and developing sports to promote joint Islamic action in these two fields

JEDDAH: A conference to discuss the development of youth and sports is being held in Jeddah on Wednesday.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, together with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Sports, is holding the fifth session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers under the slogan "Development of Youth and Sports for a Solidarity-based Ummah.”

The three-day forum will discuss the situation of young people in OIC member states and the importance the OIC and its relevant bodies attach to developing youth and sports.

It also seeks to enhance the capabilities of young people and advance their role in development to pave the way for stability, progress, and prosperity, combat the extremist and violent ideas propagated by terrorist organizations, and encourage dialogue, moderation, tolerance, and respect for others.

The conference will discuss the commitment of member states to implementing OIC strategies on youth and developing sports to promote joint Islamic action in these two fields.

It will also review the efforts made by member states and OIC bodies working in the fields of youth and sports, led by the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Women Development Organization.

On the celebration of OIC Youth Day on Sept. 3, the body's secretary-general, Hissein Brahim Taha, extended his sincere congratulations and blessings to all young men and women in the Islamic world. He singled out the Palestinian youth who lived under the Israeli occupation and the youth who lived in conflict zones in other member states.

He said OIC Youth Day was an affirmation of the centrality of youth issues in the body's priorities and an opportunity to commend the contributions of young people in improving the world and highlighting their essential role in development, building and strengthening peace and dialogue, and combating extremism and terrorism in member states.

Taha called on member states and the international community to join efforts to enhance the role of young men and women in development so they were effective partners in advancing the global economic and social situation.

Saudi cuisine takes over Paris gastronomy festival

Updated 05 September 2022

Saudi cuisine takes over Paris gastronomy festival

  • We have 7 pavilions for Saudi Arabia to indicate all the regions and diversity of our cultural offerings, says Mayada Badr

PARIS:  If you think that Saudi Arabia’s cuisine is only famous for kabsa, think again, and the Eiffel Tower is a witness!

Paris hosted one of the biggest gourmet events this weekend, which took place from Sept. 1-4.

The fifth edition of the International Gastronomy Village offered four days of conviviality with popular cuisines and cultures from over 50 countries. This year, Michelin-starred chef Guy Savoy sponsored the village.

All this is very familiar to the CEO of the Saudi Culinary Arts Commission, Mayada Badr, who took part in 2016 as a chef.

“I realized the impact of how just sharing a meal with someone can change the perception of a country through gastronomy. It honestly is such amazing soft power,” she told Arab News.

At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the Kingdom set up seven pavilions, making it one of the largest participants at the event — welcoming visitors to witness live cooking sessions, enjoy traditional music and shows, and taste authentic dishes and Saudi coffee.

“We have seven pavilions for Saudi Arabia to indicate all the regions and diversity of our cultural offerings,” said Badr, adding that one can experience all five regional Saudi coffees with a variety of dates.

She highlighted that 2022 has been dedicated as “The Year of Saudi Coffee” by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture.

Next to the coffee pavilion, there was an area dedicated to dates that offered date-based desserts such as qishd and mehalla.

Two pavilions were devoted to Saudi dates, helping to introduce festival goers to the Kingdom’s rich heritage and highlight the large variety of dates that grow in the country.

Badr said people assume that Saudi Arabia is all desert, but after visiting the pavilions, they understand that the Kingdom has coffee farms and grows mangoes and bananas.

As well as a craftsmanship pavilion, there are culinary tents with the flavorsome aroma of jarish, banana mutabbaq, mandi and veggie markouk.

The Saudi chefs offered traditional mouthwatering dishes that you can find in Saudi homes, hence bringing a part of the Kingdom to the very heart of Paris.

When asked about jarish, Chef Carly told one visitor: “It is a traditional Saudi grandma’s dish. It is similar to risotto in a way, but instead of rice, we use cracked wheat. It can either be done with chicken or with tomatoes for a vegetarian option.”

After a good meal, it was time for some sweets. In another pavilion, chef Omar Mulla was busy preparing Saudi Arabia’s most loved luqaimat, magshush and masoub.

While preparing freshly made sweets, he told Arab News that luqaimat, which translates into small bites, are fried little dumplings with sugar syrup and cardamom, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Masoub is a famous sweet dish in the Hijaz, made from sajj bread, banana, honey and ashta. Maghough comes from Hail, where it is made with bread and date molasses.

When asked about future projects, Badr said there was a memorandum of understanding signed with Le Cordon Bleu to open a culinary school in Riyadh soon.

Saudi Arabia’s Misk silkscreen micro-residency etches pure emotion on print

Updated 04 September 2022

Saudi Arabia’s Misk silkscreen micro-residency etches pure emotion on print

  • The month-long intensive program has seen six residents fully immersed in the contemporary art of silkscreen printing

RIYADH: Misk Art Institute’s latest art residency showcase brought together a variety of culture vultures to experience a wave of emotions — from inner demons to journeys of self-exploration — through silkscreen prints.

The residency, a month-long intensive program that took place at the Masaha art hub throughout August, saw six residents fully immersed in the contemporary art of silkscreen printing, supervised by an expert team of in-house printmakers.

The residents brought their own unique ideas to life, from the curatorial phase to the production phase through access to the institute’s screen-printing facilities and individual studio spaces.

“The residency was great. The printing methods helped me to deliver the message more prominently and more easily. I think that we achieved a lot in a one-month residency,” resident and film photographer Haitham Alsharif told Arab News.

His work further explored the conversation of self-awareness, coping mechanisms, and contemporary social pressures. The vulnerability issues his generation faces in their daily lives act as an influence on his work, focusing on creating a printed representation of various expectations and criticisms such as the pressure of marriage or wearing labels.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The micro-residency was organized to bring together artists from various disciplines to experience this delicate but immersive technique, gain a deeper appreciation for silkscreen printing and showcasing their work to the Saudi community.

• The art residency comes after three cycles of three-month intensive programs, the Masaha Residencies, which have featured artists from all over the world coming to Riyadh to develop their craft and explore their designated themes.

“In photography, I think printing is an essential way of showcasing a photo, but using different colors and different formats of printing, it can add another layer of creativity so you can deliver that message in a more creative, attractive, and prominent way,” he said.

By contrast, fellow resident Shatha Altumihi explored the inner pressures that one creates within themselves. Her work, an audience favorite, centers around characters that individuals can morph into in the process of expressing themselves emotionally by dealing with their inner demons.

“I decided to choose this subject because I often feel misunderstood. I’ve gone through certain experiences so I wanted to visualize that in a funky and visually pleasing way so that people don’t feel that these emotions are negative or that monsters are a bad thing,” she told Arab News.

Altumihi has used this opportunity to delve into silkscreen printing to further enhance her graphic design and illustration background. She’s used various techniques, such as bitmap photoshop effects, to bring texture and vividness to her artworks.

Resident Mohammad Fattal brought an emotional display to the halls of Masaha. His pieces, printed on draped sheer fabric, represent our relationship with abandoned or old buildings.

Photographs of torn-down places and homes shed light on the emotions we endure when we leave precious memories behind, either willingly or forcefully. On a personal level, it’s an ode to his home country, Syria.

“I haven’t been to Syria since the war, so when I saw these scenes of torn down buildings, I got the feeling, even if they weren’t real, of how I would feel if I saw this in my country, in places that are dear to my heart,” Fattal told Arab News.

As a digital photographer, he tested the contrasting reactions to his digital photos with physically printed works, playing around with fabrics and textured paper.

“It gives you a different feeling, and that’s what I wanted to transfer from my personality to things that are more artistic, not just photography. I’ve found that in printing in a beautiful way… with every print or try, we get a new artwork,” he said.

The micro-residency was organized to bring together artists from various disciplines to experience this delicate but immersive technique, gain a deeper appreciation for silkscreen printing and showcasing their work to the Saudi community.

The art residency comes after three cycles of three-month intensive programs, the Masaha Residencies, which have featured artists from all over the world coming to Riyadh to develop their craft and explore their designated themes.

The showcase will be running until Sept. 8 at Misk’s Masaha space, open to the public daily from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Saudi Arabia sends 211 students on cultural scholarships

Since its launch, the scholarship program has benefitted 683 students: 443 women and 240 men. (SPA)
Updated 04 September 2022

Saudi Arabia sends 211 students on cultural scholarships

  • Ministry of Culture’s scholarship program aims to prepare Saudis to meet labor market needs

RIYADH: The Ministry of Culture is sending 211 students on scholarships to international higher education institutions, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Cultural Scholarship Program, supervised by the ministry, intends to prepare Saudis to meet the labor market’s need for qualified and talented nationals specializing in the arts and culture sectors.

It is the first program of its kind in the Kingdom and covers tuition fees and all study costs of the participating students.

This latest group of students — comprising 133 women and 78 men — is the seventh since the program first launched in December 2019. Among the students, 123 are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs, 83 in master’s degree programs and the remaining five in Ph.D. programs.

The students’ specializations cover food and science technology, theater, music, heritage and archeology, fashion design, libraries and museums, filmmaking, visual arts, literature and linguistics, architecture, culinary arts and design.

HIGHLIGHT

This latest group of students — comprising 133 women and 78 men — is the seventh since the program first launched in December 2019. Among the students, 123 are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs, 83 in master’s degree programs and the remaining five in Ph.D. programs.

They will attend institutes and universities including Culinary Arts Academy, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Culinary Institute of America, University of the Arts London, Pratt Institute, Manchester School of Architecture, Virginia Commonwealth University, Australian National University, Indiana University Bloomington, University of Edinburgh and Durham University.

The majority of the students will continue their educational journey in the US, which will host 115 students, followed by the UK (56 students), Switzerland (20 students) and Australia (10 students). Egypt and France will each host two students, while the three remaining students will be divided between Italy, Singapore and South Korea.

Since its launch, the scholarship program has benefitted 683 students: 443 women and 240 men. Students studying for their bachelor’s degree composed the highest share of the program with 384 students, followed by those studying for a master’s degree (291 students) and a Ph.D. (eight students).

The Cultural Scholarship Program is distinguished by its comprehensiveness and specializations diversity in cultural and artistic fields. The selected students will benefit from financial coverage for tuition fees, living expenses for both themselves and their companions, health care, travel tickets, as well as follow-up and evaluation guidance programs.

Content creator’s food videos fill gap in the Saudi market

Raneen Joudah started her social media journey by making simple food vlogs of delicious home-cooked meals. (Supplied)
Updated 04 September 2022

Content creator’s food videos fill gap in the Saudi market

  • “I am a content creator who cooks food and shoots at the same time. Before, people viewed me as a housewife who cooks, but now I elevated my content by cinematography,” Joudah told Arab News

RIYADH: Food content creators on social media have stepped up their game by posting cinematically shot food pictures and videos to create a tempting and glossy gallery of images.

One of them is Jeddah-based Raneen Joudah, a housewife and a digital creator with 305,000 followers on Instagram, 33,000 on Tiktok, and 350,000 on Snapchat. She also has 172,000 YouTube subscribers.

Joudah started her social media journey by making simple food vlogs of delicious home-cooked meals but decided to take things up a notch when she realized there was a lack of creative, professional, and informative content.

“I am a content creator who cooks food and shoots at the same time. Before, people viewed me as a housewife who cooks, but now I elevated my content by cinematography,” Joudah told Arab News.

She offers tips and tricks for baking, and ideas for children’s lunchboxes, sweets, spreads, and salads. Her Instagram shows a range of recipes, mostly covering the Arab and Mediterranean regions.

HIGHLIGHT

Raneen Joudah offers tips and tricks for baking, and ideas for children’s lunchboxes, sweets, spreads, and salads. Her Instagram shows a range of recipes, mostly covering the Arab and Mediterranean regions. She also shares proper cooking techniques and the science of food in her perfectly shot and aesthetically appealing videos.

As a content creator, Joudah shares more than just recipes. She also shares proper cooking techniques and the science of food in her perfectly shot and aesthetically appealing videos.

Simple recipe videos take around six hours comprising cooking, filming, and editing, but a creatively shot video can take anywhere from three to seven days of work, which includes building the creative concept, shooting, and editing.

“Creating content as in production with a certain style of cinematography is something that we lack on social media and I like that I'm filling the gap here.

“The market lacks content creating production, and in Saudi Arabia, we don’t have a middle ground. You either find an immature cinematographer or pay so much for a professional production company, so I established a creative production house and named it Creative Table that’s going to be launched soon.”

Joudah believed that Creative Table, a location to shoot and produce content, bridged the gap between big production houses and small solo videographers working on creative campaigns.

She said all social media platforms could work together to create a brand.

“I use Snapchat as a curtain raiser of the recipe video that I, later on, post the professional content on Instagram. Snapchat is a good engagement tool to get people excited and communicate with the audience, and having more than one platform like Snapchat, Instagram, and now, Tiktok all serve together.”

Joudah preferred Snapchat because she could be herself more and be close to people.

“Snapchat people can see the behind-the-scenes most of the time, so they know the effort and appreciate it.”

She also thought working on social media was better than opening a restaurant.

“Many people advised me to open a restaurant since I’m a food content creator. However, opening a restaurant is my last priority, and I won’t open one under my name because I don't like to link my name to a place, and everything that may go wrong in the restaurant can reflect on my name.”

Saudi Arabia’s Mawhiba reviews success of research programs at European Council for High Ability

The workshop helps outstanding students enroll at leading institutions in the US. (Twitter: @mawhiba)
Updated 04 September 2022

Saudi Arabia’s Mawhiba reviews success of research programs at European Council for High Ability

  • The conference, held in the Netherlands, was attended by more than 800 people from 15 countries

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) reviewed its successful experience in research programs at the 18th European Council for High Ability between Aug. 31 and Sept. 3.

The ECHA seeks to create communication opportunities for teachers, researchers, psychologists, and parents and enhance the exchange of information among people engaged in this field.

The conference, held in the Netherlands, was attended by more than 800 people from 15 countries.

Three Mawhiba students, Abdulrahman Al-Fheid, Rafif Hubani, and Hanin Al-Tamar, participated and exchanged ideas, expertise, and culture with people from other countries.

The director general of the Excellence Center, Khalid Al-Sharif, reviewed a paper that discussed the steps Mawhiba had adopted to increase the quality of student research and how these had helped the body win 22 awards at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and a Mawhiba student receive an award for being the best researcher in the world.

Al-Sharif went over Mawhiba’s efforts in caring for talented youth and its approach to offering research programs.

The conference saw the participation of specialists from the US, Europe, and Africa. There were scientific papers, workshops, and lectures on areas including innovative educational practices, supporting talent development, self-development, the necessity of engaging every educated person, considering student opinions, and creating new norms to invest in talent.

Recently, Mawhiba launched its second training workshop this year to prepare 200 secondary school students for admission to top US universities.

The seven-day workshop is part of Mawhiba’s Excellence Program, which helps outstanding students enroll at leading institutions in the US. The students receive career guidance, counseling, and intensive courses on academic writing.

However, in recent decades, the number of glassblowers practicing traditional methods in Syria has declined sharply, due to factors including industrialization, the impact of war, disrupted supply chains, and competition from cheaper factory-made glass.

Many workshops have closed, and it is estimated that only a handful of master craftsmen now remain who can teach the authentic techniques of Syrian glassblowing to new generations.

Recognizing the urgent challenges facing this living heritage, UNESCO placed Syria’s glassblowing on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, aiming to support measures to help the craft survive and encourage its transmission.

This listing highlights the need to protect not just the technical skills, but also the cultural significance, historic continuity, and community values associated with Syrian glassblowing, before the tradition is lost.