Mission:“Fishes Feed Us” is a collaborative, art-science, public awareness project that draws attention to the critical ill health of our planet's oceans. It is designed to engage and empower youth to become "ocean stewards" on behalf of our oceans and ocean life. This project addresses the human consequences of our rapidly diminishing fish supplies. One in five people globally (about one billion), depend on fish as their primary source of protein, and 200 million depend on the sustainability of ocean fisheries for their livelihoods. Children and families in coastal fishing villages are already suffering from rampant over-fishing and the destruction of their ocean fisheries and their ecosystems.There seems to be a profound disconnect between "man" and nature. We are not aware of how our individual, daily actions (eating endangered seafood, etc.) are making this situation worse. "Fishes Feed Us" strives to provoke a new consciousness of and respect for the interdependency between sustaining our life on planet Earth and the health of our oceans.

Components:~ a KidsFishesBlog creates a world stage for the words of youth directly impacted by our collapsing ocean fisheries~ a performance as a public awareness youth action~ documentation web-pages, including step-by-step "How-To Guides," to inspire project replication by others

Fishes Feed Us Collaborative Art Project

Fish Feed Uslink:

Collaborators

Guide to Creating Your Own

"Fishes Feed Us" is the newest component produced by Art & Science Collaborations, Inc. (ASCI) for its Beneath-the-SEE global public awareness initiative. Art & Science Collaborations, Inc. is a 19-year old, 501(c)(3) cultural organization based in New York City. ASCI has already received much commitment of participation from both the arts and marine science communities to collaborate on Beneath-the-SEE, including an endorsement letter from Klaus Topfer, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (2003-2006).

2001: Cynthia Pannucci, while on a scuba diving trip in the Florida Keys, discovered the fragile state that ocean life was in.

2003: Read the Pew Report, which documented human threats of the health of our oceans

2004: Brainstormed idea for an art-science project in response to the crisis concerning the ocean. ASCI's Beneath-the-SEE project was being designed to lead with the heart, capture the imagination, and use art to deliver science in dramatically expressive ways. When the concepts for each of the components were flushed-out enough, she presented the project materials to top marine research scientists, to appropriate artists and technologists, and to aquaria and cultural center directors. To her amazement, no one said "no," all pledged their advice and/or direct involvement.

Late 2004: Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC had begun the development of the largest, permanent exhibition in its history, The Ocean Hall. Pannucci had successful meetings with potential artistic talent for two different "SEE" components. And, the head curator for the Ocean Hall committed to taking the photo exhibition component if it was offered as a traveling exhibition

2005: Cynthia, back in Washington, shared the Beneath-the-SEE project with various department heads at NOAA (the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce), seeking feedback and potential partnerships. Appointments were easily obtained. No money was promised. Submitted a grant request to NOAA's ocean literacy RFP (Request for Proposals), but ASCI did not get the grant. Also visited the regional office of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). This meeting went exceptionally well and eventually led to receiving a strong letter of support for the Beneath-the-SEE project from the Director of UNEP at the World headquarters in Nairobi. More art talent was lined-up in New York, and UNEP's support letter was helpful in gaining sponsorship commitment for "SEE's" fashion show component from AVEDA, the women's natural beauty products company.

2006: in Normandy at the National Aquarium of France attending the third international conference of WON (The World Ocean Network). This opportunity was provided through the financial generosity of Leonard Sonnenschein, Director of the World Aquarium in St. Louis, and also a co-founder of WON. Actually, one of these contacts became the education advisor for "Fishes Feed Us", and another, who recently joined UNESCO in the Indo-Pacific Region, lent the prestige of his office. But, by far, the most impactful part of this experience was a comment that Jean-Michel Cousteau [son of the famous underwater explorer and filmmaker, Jacques Cousteau] said during one of his presentations at the conference. He said that teenagers were responsible for finally persuading their parents to vote for and pass the automobile seatbelt law in the European Union.

Mid 2006: She dreamed-up and developed a Teen Ocean Literacy Project for the seaside town on the west coast of Florida where she had moved in 2003. The project was a richly diverse, art-science, informal education program devised to be entertaining and use various art forms as a vehicle for "deep learning" experiences (research, dialogue, conceptualizing, creating, as well as formulating and publicly sharing the results).

Late 2006: Cynthia received information about a funding opportunity from the World Aquarium/Leonard Sonnenschein who had funded her trip to the WON conference in France. Although the grant was small, only $2,500, there was an express interest in youth and public awareness. Cynthia applied for and received the grant [from what is now called the Conservation of the Oceans Foundation], and along with the help of several global partners, from January-June 5, 2007, the "Fishes Feed Us" project became a reality.

Late 2007: Cynthia was invited to give a presentation of the "Fishes Feed Us" project at the 32nd Pacem in Maribus [Peace in the Ocean] Conference, "Women, Youth and the Sea" in Malta. This conference was organized by the IOI [International Ocean Institute] and its mission was to address the empowerment, roles, and involvement of women and youth within the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals Strategies, Options and Challenges related to the ocean protection and sustainability.

Project Background

Project Objectives~ to heighten public awareness about this global environmental, food, and economic crisis

~ engage youth by challenging them to transform information about our ocean crisis into performance and the creation of animated web images

~ provide a platform [a youth Internet blog] for global sharing of stories about our ocean fish crisis and reactions between kids in the Indo-Pacific Region and those in New York City

~ inspire others to become informed and then to ask themselves "What can I do to be a part of the solution?"

~ share the "how-to" steps of this low-cost, highly replicable project in hopes of inspiring "spin-offs" in local communities and cities around the world

~ become a "social-cultural tool" for celebration, community coalition building, and exchange of marine science/ecological sustainability concepts and information, especially in coastal communities in the Indo-Pacific region

Fish Feed Us Blog

Fish Feed Us Bloglink:

Fish Feed Us Performance

Fish Feed Us Monologues

Video