Hommes
The Future of The Oceans
Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative seeks to protect more than 140 vital marine ecosystems.
There are more and more expressions that, around the world, seek to create awareness and counteract the damage against the planet. One of them, Mission Blue, puts the focus on the oceans. This non-profit organization led by marine biologist Sylvia Earle bases its actions on what it calls Hope Spots. In these more than 140 territories that make up a global network of protecterd areas, the problems that threaten ocean life are explored and possible solutiones are worked on. The projects are as diverse as the habitats they compromise. The coral nurseries, the design of capsules that allow immersion in the depths never seen before, the remote recorders that record how marine beings communicate or the electronic tags that follow the movements of endangeered species are some examples of the activities that take place there. One of the latest areas incorporat4erd into the network is the Sargasso Sea, a vital high seas ecosystem for birds, fish and invertebrates that coexist on its islands of floating algae.
Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative supports those like Mission Blue who use science to understand enviromental challanges and seek ways to restore balance to our ecosystems, particularly the oceans. Much of the success of these enclaves of marine life depends on the collaboration between scientistsm enviromental organizations and nations, and especially on the participation of the local population. In this sense, disclosure occupies a prepoderant role. The documentary Heroes of the Oceans, produced by the BBC Studios Scientific Unit for Rolex, aims to fulfill this task. "We cannot preserve what we do not know; we know more about outer space than about the ocean depths", says one of its protagonists.
Along the film (available at rolex.org) walks through six of the threatened regions hand in hand with people who face the challenge of investigating and finding a path to recovery. Their first-person accounts account for a shared belief based on humanity's potential repair. Sylvia Earle's message is simple and direct: if the ocean is in danger, so are we. Aspiring to a perpetual planet has to do with acting today thinking about tomorrow. It is the legacy of these generations for those to come.
Photos: courtesy of Rolex.
