Project Details
SelfKelp is an educational platform leveraging social media as a vehicle to educate the public around the power of seaweed, the threats to its existence, and the activities trying to harness its potential.
Project Description
SelfKelp is an educational platform leveraging social media as a vehicle to educate the public around the power of seaweed, the threats to its existence, and the activities trying to harness its potential. Kelp, and seaweed more broadly, has massive potential as a nature-based solution. It sequesters carbon, restores habitats, provides sustainable food consumption, and is emerging as an alternative to plastics. The challenge with seaweed is that it is poorly understood by the general public. Seaweed is still considered “gross”, “creepy”, or a product only found on sushi plates. Raising awareness around seaweed benefits, threats, and activities helps disrupt those perceptions so that the use of seaweed in everyday life can become more commonplace and prioritized.
This project has been created in commemoration of the lives of all the victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, including two Ocean Bridge ambassadors, Danielle Moore and Micah Messent. We aspire to carry on their legacy and commitment to making the world a better place by creating long-lasting impacts with a firm commitment to driving positive change for the environment and our ocean. We will never forget the light that Danielle and Micah brought to the world and will continue to keep them in our hearts. To learn more about these two amazing people, please visit: Honouring Danielle and Micah – Ocean Wise. This work is partially funded by the Commemoration Fund for Victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Tragedy.
What was your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge was organizing dive trips. Free diving, particularly when trying to capture footage, requires calm conditions with low visibility. I had a trip planned to Northern Vancouver Island where seaweed is abundant, but a storm with 100km/h winds came through. Further, due to the warm winter, visibility was poorer, which impacted the quality of the footage that I was able to collect. I navigated these challenges by seeking out sheltered areas that contain seaweed (Ogden Point in Victoria, Little Beach in Ucluelet), diving frequently, and requesting historic seaweed footage from other divers.
What was your most valuable takeaway?
My most valuable takeaway was realizing how essential this project is. Free divers spend all of their time in the ocean and even they can’t speak to the benefits that seaweed has to offer. I learned that this project can start with a smaller target audience and then expand to the general public.
