Walking along the beach, it can be all too easy for the multitude of plastic straws, eating utensils, flip flops, discarded toys and other plastic waste to all but disappear into the background.
But a 6-foot seahorse sculpture made of this litter? That’s harder to ignore.
Through Oct. 30, more than one dozen artistic installations of jellyfish, seahorses, otters, sharks and other aquatic animals made out of recovered plastic debris will be exhibited throughout the campus of the Tennessee Aquarium and IMAX 3D Theater.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Nobody Trashes Tennessee litter prevention campaign is presenting the exhibit, which features works by artists with Oregon-based nonprofit Washed Ashore.
The group hopes to raise awareness of the threat water-borne plastic pollution poses to aquatic life.
“We want to reduce our impact on the planet by eliminating single-use plastics, recycling and repurposing other plastic items and properly disposing of anything else,” says Brad Parks, Washed Ashore’s conservation education director.
Every year, mankind produces about 300 million pounds of plastic, less than 10% of which is recycled, according to a news release from the Tennessee Aquarium. Much of that material languishes in landfills or is blown or washed into waterways, where it makes its way to an ocean.
According to the TDOT, there are more than 100 million pieces of litter on Tennessee’s roadways at any given time, which poses a threat to both land and aquatic animals.
“The connections between roadside litter, water quality and aquatic systems cannot be overstated,” says Denise Baker, TDOT’s transportation program supervisor. “Since visible litter studies began in Tennessee, TDOT and its community partners have been effective at decreasing the amount of roadside litter, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“By continuing our work with the Tennessee Aquarium and other organizations, we can get more people of all ages excited about cleaning up the litter that already exists and preventing more litter from piling up across the state.”
TDOT initiated the Nobody Trashes Tennessee campaign and is partnering with organizations like the Tennessee Aquarium to encourage people to join in an anti-littering push.
The Washed Ashore sculptures Aquarium guests can see during their visit or while exploring the plaza and city park surrounding the Aquarium include:
• Seemore the Sea Lion Pup (plaza)
• Sylvia the Silvertip Shark (plaza)
• Lemon Zest Jelly (Ocean Journey)
• Giacometti the River Otter (River Journey)
• Flip Flop Fish (River Journey)
• Fish Bite Fish (IMAX)
• Stella the Seahorse (Ocean Journey)
• Jelly Bloom (Ocean Journey)
• Sea of Debris Collage (Ocean Journey)
• Plastic Tribe (River Journey, IMAX)
• Pinky Wallfish (Ocean Journey)
• Noah Wallfish (Ocean Journey)
• Shoefish Wallfish (Ocean Journey)
• Annie the Anemone (Ocean Journey)
In addition to the works Washed Ashore created, guests exploring the Discovery Hall gallery on the third floor of the River Journey building will encounter a sculpture of a Southern Appalachian Brook Trout. Aquarium employees made this large work out of plastic items collected internally last summer and fall.
Access to view Washed Ashore artwork installed in the Aquarium is included with admission. Works installed outside the Aquarium may be enjoyed for free.
Learn more at washedashore.org and NobodyTrashesTennessee.com
Source: Tennessee Aquarium