Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition photo by Troy Ruprecht

2019–20

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

INVASIVE,

THE LIONFISH SCULPTURE

Being a coastal town, Rosemary Beach is keenly aware of the environmental threat posed by plastics. A dump truck load of plastic enters the ocean every minute, rapidly destroying our marine ecosystems. Much of this plastic debris is single-use plastics like water bottles that can take up to 450 years to completely degrade.

To help raise awareness of this ever-growing problem, the Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition Committee invited students at Ohana Institute to create a sculpture fashioned from plastic debris collected from our Gulf waters, beach and surrounding areas. The sculpture, titled Invasive, was unveiled on Earth Day 2019.

2019–20 Student Lionfish Sculpture at Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition Florida

Invasive, the Lionfish sculpture, created by students at Ohana Institute, raises awareness of the ever-growing problem of single-use plastics. Why a Lionfish? Although beautiful, the Lionfish is an invasive species in Florida that decimates populations of important reef fish. Like the Lionfish, plastics are also invasive in our ocean environment, jeopardizing marine life and our own health.

Invasive, the Lionfish sculpture (detail).

EARTH DAY, April 22, 2019, Invasive, the Lionfish sculpture, is unveiled in Rosemary Beach. Created by students at Ohana Institute, shown above, the sculpture inspires all of us to be better stewards of our oceans and earth.

The students at Ohana Institute created Invasive, the Lionfish sculpture, under the direction of Art Teacher, Julie Martin, left, and Science Teacher, Mike Sturdivant.

EARTH DAY, April 22, 2019. The Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition Committee at the unveiling of Invasive, the Lionfish sculpture. Pictured above, from left, Victoria Lee, Lawrence Pugh, Linda Gifford, Project Director Thomas Kramer, and Marsha Aldridge King.

HELP STOP THE INVASION OF SINGLE-USE PLASTICS:

5 SIMPLE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE NOW