A Time to Celebrate the source of Our Existence

Celebrate the Sea Festival, North Sulawesi 2018

PROGRAMME

Satanan Sangsuk (12 years old), Thailand

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Celebrate the Sea — the Cradle of Our Existence

After staging the annual Sea Life Festivals in Australia, Indonesia, and the Maldives from 1997 to 2002, OceanNEnvironment Ltd conceptualised and launched “Celebrate the Sea Festival 2002” in Singapore, to promote greater awareness of the beauty and the importance of our seas to a wider audience. Since most life on Earth is aquatic, in terms of both diversity and biomass, it is only logical to generate greater interest in our ocean, to appreciate each and every living creature that makes up the vast biospheres that effectively govern our existence, climate, weather and all mechanisms that make this watery planet a hospitable place. Celebrate the Sea Festival promotes appreciation and greater awareness of the beauty of our ocean

Most of us do not pay attention to the blue heart of our planet that keeps us all alive. The oxygen that sustain life, EVERY SECOND BREATHE WE TAKE, COMES FROM THE OCEAN. If we knew the ocean was the heart of our planet, we would certainly pay more attention to its well-being. The Sea is the cradle of our existence, the source and support for all life on Earth. Occupying nearly 70.98% of our planet’s surface, the ocean provides 99% of the Earth’s living space — the largest space in our universe known to be inhabited by living organisms.

The ocean acts as both heater and air-conditioner for our planet. Ocean currents move warm water to cold areas and likewise from cold to warm. It absorbs heat in summer and releases it in winter. Marine life consumes huge amounts of carbon dioxide, and much more oxygen is produced and released through oceanic photosynthesis than by all the earth’s terrestrial plants and forests combined. Without the sea, there could be no life on this planet. It is only befitting we Celebrate the Sea annually.

The first Celebrate the Sea was launched in 2002 at ADEX (Asia Dive Expo) with presentations at the Hilton Hotel. The Award Gala dinner was staged at the Raffles Mariner. Keynote speakers were David Doubilet and Stan Waterman. In 2003, the festival was staged in Kuala Lumpur and the keynote speakers that year were Emory Kristof and David Doubilet. Since 2002, the festival has evolved to be one of the most influential event of the ocean in Asia-Pacific. The event has now been staged in Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

"No water, no life. No blue, no green."

Sylvia Earle

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MILESTONES

2008

"WE are the voices of the ocean; we have to speak on its behalf. It is necessary for us to speak out loud about preserving the wellbeing of our

planet; we should focus on fostering the passion of our children for the sea. Fish are friends not food….what goes into the drain, goes into the ocean."

Michael AW

One of the objectives of Celebrate the Sea Festival is to inspire nations and countries to preserve their marine heritage. In September 2007, Michael AW, founder of the festival, lobbied to USEC Cynthia Carrion and in March 2008, she wrote officially to Her Excellency, Gloria Arroyo, President of the Republic of Philippines. On 13th May 2008, President Arroyo made an official proclamation declaring June as Celebrate the Sea month and every 2nd Saturday of June as Celebrate the Sea day. Philippines become the first country in the world to declare an official day in the year to celebrate the sea.

In 2011, Celebrate the Sea celebrated its 10th Anniversary in Manado, Indonesia, with over 3,000 entries in the children’s art competition and nearly 1,000 entries for the international underwater imaging competition. Over 80 children from Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore and India competed in the finals.

In June 2013, Michael AW successfully lobbied to the Ministry of Fisheries and Trade of Brunei to ban the import and trade of shark products. On 8th June 2013, at the 12th Celebrate the Sea Festival, we celebrated the most momentous milestone since the inception of the festival in 2002. Minister Pehin Dato Yahya in his opening speech declared: “His Majesty, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, through the Department of Fisheries, enforce the ban on the catch and landings of all shark species from the waters of Brunei Darussalam and thus their sales in the domestic market. Furthermore, the government will also now officially enforce the ban on the importation and trade of all shark products.” Brunei was the first country in the world to declare a ban on shark fins and all shark products.

2018 marks another milestone for the festival, with a humble beginning (albeit an ambitious mission), to preserve our ocean for future generations. Our mission for the 2018 festival is to inspire the ban of shark products and single-use plastics in North Sulawesi.

2018

2010

2013

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Dr. Sylvia Earle - ‘Her Deepness’Sylvia Earle is a name of many achievements. It is synonymous with “Her Deepness”, “the Living Legend” and “the First Hero for the Planet” to name but a few. But as humble as she is heroic, she is not one to be preoccupied with material wealth or apparent fame. Known as the true ambassador of our worlds’ oceans, Sylvia is an oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer with an insatiable passion for underwater exploration and marine conservation. As of today, she has led more than 70 expeditions worldwide. Sylvia has authored more than 150 publications including “Sea Change: A Message of the Oceans” and “Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas” and currently holds the record for a solo dive to an astonishing depth of 1,005 metres into the deep blue. No mean feat.

In 1970, at the same time as astronauts first set foot on the moon, Sylvia moved to California where she became part of the Navy’s Tektite Project, jointly funded by the U.S. Navy and NASA. The project saw her leading the first team of all-female aquanauts on a two-week mission, literally living in an underwater laboratory 50 feet below the surface off the Virgin Islands. Times named her “Woman of the Year” twice! Almost a decade later, Sylvia carved an opportunity for herself to put her footprints on the ocean bed. Six miles offshore and 381 metres down — 10 times deeper than with traditional scuba gear — Sylvia set yet another record for the deepest dive without a cable to the surface in one of her “favourite bathing suits”, an open-ocean submersible metal suit called ‘Jim’. The experience fuelled her to initiate three companies and a non-profit organisation called Deep Search, dedicated to designing and building more systems that could eventually access even the deepest of oceans.

On the presentation night for the 2009 TED Prize, Sylvia spoke to those present. She told them that they could do anything to this world, that tomorrow’s future depended upon today’s resolution. “No blue, no green. If you think the ocean isn’t important, imagine Earth without it.

Mars comes to mind. No ocean, no life support system,” she said with the highest of confidence in the same breath. Not once did she flinch. Sylvia won the TED Prize that year, a prestigious honour that finally fulfilled her lifelong wish: “I wish you would use all means at your disposal — films! Expeditions! The web! More! — to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.”

A million dollar grant from the Planet Heritage Foundation at TED2009 soon breathed life into Mission Blue, a project that exists to salvage what’s left of the earth’s oceans by managing and creating new marine protected areas, otherwise known as “hope spots”.

Howard Shaw Howard Shaw is former Executive Director of the Singapore Environment Council (SEC). Howard graduated from Oxford Brookes University, UK in 1995, majoring in environmental biology and business administration. Since returning to Singapore he has been actively involved in driving the environmental movement through numerous SEC and green group projects, as well as at a personal level. As a representative of Singapore’s NGO community, Howard has contributed towards shaping Singapore’s environmental policies, strategies and action plans.

SPEAKERS

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Michael AW — Founder of FestivalMichael AW is a wildlife photographer, explorer and conservationist. He has authored 35 books of the ocean. His accolades include winning more than 65 international photographic awards and he was named as one of the world’s most influential nature photographers by Outdoor Photography. Michael AW’s essays and pictures have been published in BBC Wildlife, GEO, National Geographic, the Smithsonian, Nature, Ocean Geographic, Asian Geographic, Nature Focus, Times and Discovery to name but a few. From 2010 to 2016 Michael was the project director for the Elysium Epic expeditions to the Antarctic and Arctic. The Arctic expedition, with 66 team members comprising the world’s best image makers and scientists, documented the flora and fauna for a movie and climate change index of the Arctic from Svalbard, Greenland to Iceland.

Michael is also the founder of Asian Geographic, Scuba Diver Australasia and Ocean Geographic. He is recipient of four awards from the Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Competition in 2000, 2010 and in 2006 and 2015 he was the Winner in the underwater category. In 2013 he was awarded the NOGI AWARD for Arts and inducted into the American Academy of Underwater Arts and Science.

In 2012, Michael’s ‘Indonesia’s Global Treasures’ won the International Prize for Best Book of the Year at the World Underwater Pictures Festival (Festival Mondial de l’Image Sous Marine). “Global Treasures” received the Palme d’Or (Gold) award. Michael is the first to have won this prestigious award twice; the first was for ‘Heart of the Ocean’ in 2009.

Craig A. LeesonCraig Leeson is an award-winning journalist, television presenter and filmmaker. His debut cinematic feature film, “A Plastic Ocean”, which he wrote, directed and executive produced, is currently ranking as the number one documentary on iTunes in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada. Craig is the CEO of Leeson Media International and Ocean Vista Films and founder of the I Shot Hong Kong Film Festival.

He is a television news correspondent, presenter, emcee and public speaker. He began his career as a newspaper journalist before moving to radio and television as a news correspondent and anchor for ABC TV Australia. Craig has worked with the world’s major broadcasters including BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, PBS, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Bio Channel, Universal, Al Jazeera and the Seven Network. He began his documentary filmmaking career in 1999 and has won the Asia TV Awards for “Rebel Impasse”, on the Maoist rebels of Nepal; “Marco Polo: The China Mystery Revealed”, (National Geographic Channel); and a New York Festivals medal for Best International Affairs Documentary on “The fall of President Suharto”. A Plastic Ocean has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2016 Raindance Film Festival.

Kristin HoffmannKristin is a spokesperson for ocean conservation, she has performed her Song for the Ocean at environmental awareness conventions and concerts around the world, including TEDxSF, Bioneers, Hermanus Whale Festival (South Africa) and with The Royal Philharmonic

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Orchestra in London. Song for the Ocean was most recently performed at The Sydney Opera House in August 2016.

In 2011 she became the singer for Bella Gaia, a multimedia immersive theatre experience created in conjunction with NASA. Over the past two years she has continued to expand her worldly voice, guest-blogging for many well-respected magazines from Elephant Journal to The Ecologist, and performing at The Conscious Life Expo (LA), the signing of The Fuji Declaration (Mt. Fuji) and The Emoto Peace Project concert in Tokyo. In 2014, Kristin was invited to become the youngest member on the board of FIONS (Friends of Institute of Noetic Sciences). In early 2016 she was voted onto the board of Gandhi Global Center for Peace and was also a new inductee into the acclaimed group Evolutionary Leaders. Her most recent work includes a self-produced album entitled The Human Compass, a symphonic collaboration with composer Marco Missinato called Unfolding Secrets: A Symphony of the Heart, and the brand new release of the meditational film, “Amazing Space,” for which Kristin composed and produced the soundtrack. In October 2015, Kristin began a new monthly musical blog with Gandhi’s BE Magazine called “BE~Cause: Music with a Message,” and has been creating a new song every month focused around important worldly issues and themes.

Peter LightowlerAfter culmination of years of study and practical application in several fields. Peter Lightowler gained his knowledge in underwater cinematography, digital media creation, data management & wrangling as well as attaining his professional qualifications in video editing and colour grading through the Australian film television and radio school. Peter is also trained as a Colourist through The International Colourist Academy and is proficient in using Davinci Resolve Software for Colour Grading. Peter is

an industry professional in the industry and have on set experience having filmed for TV shows in feature documentaries in Australia and continues to build his stock footage library with stunning 4K and 8k contents. Peter is the Ambassador for and representative for Gates underwater housings.

Alex RoseAlex Rose holds a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Aquatic Biology and has a wide variety of experience in the biological sciences including, but not limited to, bioacoustics research, exhibit construction, science writing, teaching, public presentation and aquatic animal husbandry and breeding. She is a professional violinist, photographer and lover of all things aquatic. She is currently working as the Science Editor and a principle writer for Ocean Geographic Magazine and is also the Managing Editor of Ocean Geographic Explorers. Alex also composes violin pieces for use in ocean themed films and exhibitions. Her driving goal is to find ways to protect our world’s precious marine habitats through diving, writing, photography, education, and research.

Matty Smith Matty’s images have been exhibited all around the globe including the London Natural History Museum in the UK, The Louvre, Paris and the Australian Museum right here in Sydney. He also regularly speaks publically about his style and approach and writes for Ocean Geographic and several other magazines. Matty has featured in Nat Geo Traveller (Aus), Ocean Geographic, BBC Wildlife Magazine, GEO, The Washington Post and The Guardian amongst many others, as well as featured in TV appearances and The Discovery Channel and Channel 7 (Australia). He has also won over 20 international photography awards including the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year title in 2014.

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PRESENTATIONS

31-Mar Megamall Atrium14:00 Sylvia Earle The Future of Ocean Exploration14:20 Howard Shaw Climate Change and US (in the tropic) 14:40 Sarah Lobwein Swap for the Sea15:00 Alex Rose Sharks by Number15:30 Break15:50 Craig Leeson Intro to Plastic Ocean16:00 A Plastic Ocean18:00 Opening Ceremony presentation

4-Apr Mercure13:30 Michael AW Successful Pictures and Critiques for Shoot Out Submission14:15 Peter Lightowler Leafy Sea Dragons of Australia14:45 Matty Smith Above & Below Pictures15:15 Jayne Jenkins Chasing Corals18:00 Award and Closing Ceremony

PROGRAMME

Jayne JenkinsJayne worked for over ten years specialising in dive travel which led to work as a safety diver and researcher for various underwater film, television and photographic expeditions focussing on diving in the Pacific, including the cave diving spectacular Sanctum. This has given Jayne the opportunity to travel to many exciting dive locations around the world.Jayne’s passion and skill for underwater photography, for which she is best known has won her many awards and she remains a regular editorial contributor to Ocean Geographic Magazine. Jayne has been a volunteer and the Vice President of the OWUSS in Australasia (Our World Underwater Scholarship Society — a scholarship sponsored by Rolex for young underwater enthusiasts) for the past ten years an also resident photographer /consultant with The Ocean Agency.

Sarah-Jo LobweinArmed with degrees and backgrounds in marine science and secondary science education, Sarah-Jo Lobwein is a passionate marine science and conservation educator involved in multiple projects at any one time, including freelancing in Marine Science Outreach and journalism (including a contributor to Ocean Geographic online and print publications) and instigating several social media initiatives (check out #swapforthesea #rejectedasingle and #pickedupasingle to name a few) encouraging ocean conservation, reducing plastic marine pollution and the awareness of alternatives or ‘simple swaps’ to single use disposable plastic consumption in our everyday lives to stop the seas drowning in plastic.

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Official Festival Supporting Resorts

Event Organiser

eco-divers.com bunakenoasis.com murexdive.com siladen.com

lembehresort.com lumbalumbadiving.comjanjilaut.com

blue-bay-divers.de twofishdivers.com bastianos.com

tasikria.com manadosafaris.comthalassamanado.com

Supporting Organiser Supporting Venue

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