Editor,
Over 80 artists, photographers and ocean supporters celebrated the Laguna Bluebelt’s fourth annual photo contest winners at the Susi Q Gallery “What Do You Sea” reception last Thursday.
Everyone there appreciated the power of photography and art to move us to take action in protecting Laguna’s incredible Bluebelt. Everyday hundreds of photos of local marine life are taken and shared in a delightful procession of images reflecting the joy from being in, on or near the ocean. I want to thank each of our photographers for their dedication in capturing the beauty of our coast and for promoting these and other images with friends and our city’s leaders.
Working together, the Laguna Bluebelt’s Marine Protected Areas places us in the vanguard of a global movement to protect and restore our magnificent sea life. Our community’s leadership is producing valuable coalitions and improving local ocean water quality with dramatic, innovative projects aimed at reducing urban runoff pollution to the coast. We are deservedly proud to be among global leaders in creating sustainable marine life protection.
The photo reception is all the more significant since next year the Department of Fish and Wildlife will be reevaluating Laguna’s Marine Protected Areas. Our intelligent passion, based upon sound science, is central to extending the State Marine Reserve from Table Rock to Three Arch Bay for full citywide protection. We hope you will join us in this effort.
Protecting the ocean produces more than beautiful images and experiences. The ocean is the key to the health of the regional economy and ecology. The air we breathe, the rainwater we eventually drink and water to grow the food we eat originate from the ocean’s cycle of life. The beauty we see in the images around us at the Susi Q Gallery are a reflection of the powerful importance of a healthy ocean to our community and future legacy.
Working together takes lots of work and we all appreciate the hard work of the Laguna Bluebelt Coalition and Susi Q to make the photo contest exhibit an exciting annual event. Special thanks goes to our wonderful mermaids Jinger Wallace, Charlotte Masarik and Joann Ekblad for bringing us the fourth annual Bluebelt photo contest.
Mike Beanan, Laguna Beach
