Bleaching

By Kathleen Ross

Bleaching completes a three part series about our role in rising ocean temperatures. It shows two figures layered with coral reef. In this image, colors appear mostly pale, and white areas cover large portions of the picture plane. This represents the changing status of the ecosystem from a healthy environment to one in need of critical care. Our role is central to the destruction or recovery of these critical ecosystems. Viewers can think about the fact that we can’t always see a problem, but we can create it, worsen it, or improve it. Using the colors and subject matter symbolize our relationship to the ocean and how our fates are intertwined. At this time, 75% of the world’s coral reefs are bleaching due to rising ocean temperatures, threatening a collapse of the entire system.