Stingray Studies in Spain: film shows challenges today for research

Today's world is a challenging one for ocean conservation.  On top of all the competing or opposing interests and the need to better communicate the importance of ocean conservation to the general public, we have the crushing burden of limited finances due to struggling and fragile economies.

Obviously, the worldwide economic downturn has rained havoc on many industries and the lives of many people have been turned upside down.  Therefore, charitable donations are down significantly and government or private foundation funding has been severely cut back.

David Diley of From the Office to the Ocean has produced a short film, A Ray of Light, that highlights this predicament. In Spain, one of the Eurozone nations currently being racked by economic problems, in the island of Mallorca, a small scuba diving operator, Brad Robertson has taken it upon himself to study a large population of stingrays that seem to frequent the area.  

Do they do so because of some sort of ideal habitat?  Are they there for breeding?  Is the feeding particularly good?  These are questions he hopes to answer.  He is taking it on himself because there is no government interest (ie: funding) and these rays are exposed to local fishermen, even in supposedly protected areas.

A Ray of Light from David Diley on Vimeo.

The Mediterranean has suffered terribly over the years - tuna and shark populations, as an example, have been decimated - to the extant that Jacque Yves Cousteau once declared the Mediterranean as un-salvageable.  In the mid-80's I was working on a film, Navy Seals, in Spain and while diving in the Mediterranean I was completely taken aback by how desolate it was.  No fish, no seaweeds, nothing save for one seastar grazing on algae.

However, there are little pockets of hope and Brad Peterson is hoping to understand and protect one of them, the stingrays in Mallorca, as it benefits not only the local ecosystem but also helps support dive tourism when there is any improvement in marine life.

These are challenging times for ocean conservation.  In a recent tweet, Dr. Sylvia Earle said, "It is the worst of times but it is the best of times because we still have a chance."  David Diley wants us to see what people like Brad Robertson are actively doing to preserve the oceans even at a time when ocean conservation would seem to be low on a list of world priorities. 

Source: From the Office to the Ocean

From the Office to the Ocean: taking a leap of faith for sharks

How does one define commitment to a cause? How do you know that you are doing enough? Will a donation suffice? Or perhaps some volunteering. Or does it require a career-changing epiphany?

Of course, it is all subjective, but many of us have a soft spot - and perhaps a little envy - for those who drop everything, throw caution to the wind, and devote themselves entirely to trying to make a difference.

From his office desk, David Diley reached that critical juncture where his concern for sharks and their future could no longer exist within his stable corporate lifestyle. From that conflict, an idea was borne, From the Office to the Ocean, that would document his journey, his escape, from the confines of the business world to travel and beat the drum in defense of sharks, proving these two seemingly disparate worlds have a lot in common and actually depend on each other.



Foolhardy? Reckless? Perhaps, but Mark Twain said it best over a hundred years ago,

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Wish David well in his journey and take a moment to learn more about From the Office to the Ocean.