We dream of healthy oceans teaming with life, functioning marine and coastal ecosystems and prosperous communities of artisanal fishermen and women producing high-quality food.
We dream of fishing communities being the guardians of coastal environments helping also to keep pirates out and the sea clean, where their children are proudly looking forward to study the sea and harvest only in tune with its ability to regenerate resources.
We dream of intact corals and mangroves neither threatened by global warming nor by pollution or indiscriminate cutting - natural protections of the coastlines in balance with ecological and human needs.
We dream of harnessing the power of the waves for clean energy while maintaining the awe and beauty of nature.
We dream of studying the sea around us, trying to understand more of the dynamics of its currents that heat Europe through the Gulf Stream, well-up nutrient-rich water off West Africa, Peru and Chile and circulate in huge conveyor belts which connect even the most far-flung corners.
And work together so that the dream does not turn into a nightmare.
In this spirit the Arts Working Group (now Working Group for Science and Arts for Sustainability) of the Helmholtz-Gymnasium Hilden, Germany, wanted to capture the beauty and the love for the sea, but also the fragility in their exploration of artistic photography.
More of their works is shown in the occasion of an exhibition with other schools and professional artists in 2009 entitled “Sustainable Seas Through the Eyes of Art”.