Lifelines is a large-scale sculpture exploring issues of marine pollution and climate change. First exhibited at Trinity Buoy Wharf in September as part of the Totally Thames festival 2021. After which Trinity Buoy Wharf generously offered to host the exhibition of this new pubic artwork indefinitely.
The sculpture consists of a row of four wooden longboard surfboards featuring a scaled drawing mapping the world’s remaining tropical coral reefs printed right across their middle section. Positioned vertically, they stand sentinel against a wall of the historic Proving House at Trinity Buoy Wharf.
Coral reefs are referred to as the rainforests of the oceans. They are a precious, diverse ecosystem, and although they cover only 0.2% of the ocean, they support 25% of all marine life. They act as early-warning beacons for the health of the oceans, helping to protect shorelines and playing a significant part in the blue economy by providing food and livelihood for around 1/2 billion people.
Since the industrialisation of the 1950s, half of all coral reefs have been lost due to pollution, over-fishing, sea temperature rises and coral bleaching. The frequency and intensity of these events leave corals with inadequate time to recover or adapt and increase their resilience to these rapid environmental changes. Without urgent and significant action coral reefs could be one of the first major ecosystems to collapse as a direct consequence of climate change. The World Resources Institute projects that 90% of coral reefs will be in danger by 2030 and all of them by 2050.
