Exhibition explores ocean of life
Posted on 17 September 2012
Through a series of extraordinary images, historical film clips and writings, the exhibition ‘Ocean of Life: How our seas are changing’ shows how our oceans once brimmed with enormous fish in almost unimaginable numbers.
The exhibition draws on the research of Professor Callum Roberts and his colleagues in the University’s Environment Department, and is based on a book of the same name published this year (Ocean of Life: How our Seas are Changing, Allen Lane).
Professor Roberts said: “Humanity can make short work of our amazing sea creatures and the numbers of many fish, including some of the largest, have declined to a bare whisper of their past abundance.
“The exhibition charts how fishing has changed over the centuries and graphically portrays the new threats to our oceans posed from a cocktail of man-made stresses, particularly pollution and climate change. More damage has been done to our oceans in the last thirty years than in all of previous human history. To survive the growing crisis, we need a radical overhaul of our relations with the sea, shifting from overuse and misuse, to better stewardship and smart exploitation.”
The exhibition charts how fishing has changed over the centuries and graphically portrays the new threats to our oceans posed from a cocktail of man-made stresses, particularly pollution and climate change
Professor Callum Roberts
Hosted by the Creative Technology Centre in the superb Ron Cooke Hub, the free exhibition is open to all and includes a multimedia installation in the 3Sixty immersive space alongside physical exhibits.
The exhibition is the second in the Research in Focus series designed to showcase the variety and excellence of research at the University of York.
Professor John Robinson, the University of York’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Information, said: “Callum Roberts does high-impact, rigorous and reflective research. He communicates it excellently to students – something we expect of all our academic researchers – and in his recent book, he's reached a broad audience with a compelling message about marine conservation. This Research in Focus exhibition presents his work in yet another exciting and engaging way."
The exhibition ‘Ocean of Life: How our seas are changing’ will run until 27 September and from 1 October to 3 October, in the Exhibition Space, the Ron Cooke Hub, Heslington East.
Notes to editors:
- Further information on the University of York’s Environment Department at www.york.ac.uk/environment
- For more information on the University of York’s Creative Technology Centre visit www.york.ac.uk/ctc/
- Cover photo: Victor Hugo Casillas Romo/SeaWeb Marine Photobank. Feature image: Marco Octavio Aburto-Oropeza, Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
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