SOLD OUT: Kelp Night at the Two Oceans Aquarium
Thu Jan 31, 18:30 - Thu Jan 31, 22:00
Two Oceans Aquarium
ABOUT
Please note: This event is now sold out.
“There is a wild sea-forest growing beneath the wind and waves at the southern tip of Africa. Here, millions of creatures live in a borderless realm still ungoverned by man and it is strange and beautiful beyond the telling”– The Sea-Change Project
Join us on Thursday 31 January 2019 to celebrate the amazing and unique kelp forests of South Africa with four speakers who are passionately connected to the ocean world and who will share their stories about these underwater forests. This evening of sharing, snacks and celebration at the Two Oceans Aquarium will also be a showcase of the long-awaited re-opening of our beloved Kelp Forest Exhibit, one of a handful of living kelp forests on display in the world, and the only one of its kind in Africa.
Enjoy an evening of beautiful images of these forests and the animals which call them home, discover how kelp grows and why it flourishes off our coastline, hear about the life-changing and healing power of the kelp forest, and be intrigued as we delve into the secrets of kelp and seaweed as nutritional and healthy choices in human diets, both now and in the future.
Read more about the event here.
Event details:
- Date: 31 January 2019
- Time: 18:30 for 19:00
- Price: R190 per person (includes a snack)
- Cash bar available
The recently published book Sea Change which Craig co-wrote with his friend Ross Frylinck will be on sale on the evening.
Meet the speakers:
Our expert, passionate and world-renowned speakers will be talking about their connections with kelp forests and sharing stories from the ocean's depths.
- Loyiso Victor Dunga is a second year Masters candidate at the University of Cape Town with the goal of mapping South African kelp forests using advanced techniques. Loyiso is a simple young man, who is passionate about marine conservation - his favourite quote, "the sea chose me", is from the animated movie Moana.
- Roushanna Gray is the founder of Veld and Sea, and a wild food innovator and avid forager. She introduces indigenous edible foods through educational and immersive experiences, with a focus on sustainability, connection and creativity.
- John Bolton is a lifelong seaweed biologist, lecturer and marine botanist. He has co-authored 2 books and 140 scientific publications, on southern African seaweeds. He is currently Emeritus Professor and Senior Research Scholar at UCT, still fully involved in research into seaweed biology.
- Craig Foster is a renowned filmmaker, author and founder of The Sea Change Project.He has spent a decade diving in and exploring the kelp forests off the Cape Peninsula almost on a daily basis. His dives, sans wetsuit, have shown him the enchanting world of marine creatures and have revealed secrets previously unknown to science.
Did you know?
- There are currently 8,500 known species of sea plants in the world. Approximately ten percent of these are found only off the southern African coastline. We should be as proud of our sea plants as we are of our famous fynbos!
- Sea bamboo is the fastest growing sea plant in the world. -The fronds (leaves) grow at a rate of 13mm per day while the entire plant grows 10mm per day and by up to 400mm in height a month.
- Kelp plants use hold-fasts instead of roots to attach themselves to rocks.
- Kelp plants absorb nutrients through their fronds.
- Phytoplankton, which are tiny single-celled sea plants, produce 90% of the Earth’s oxygen! Sea plants play an important role in maintaining the delicate balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere. With global warming threatening our planet and our survival, we need to protect our sea plants as well as our forests as they provide us with oxygen and absorb carbon emissions.
- Kelp is dried and crushed to produce alginate which is a gel used in these products - toothpaste, ice-cream, pizza-toppings, beer, jelly, salad dressings, flavoured milk, cosmetics, paint and ink. Pet food, dental moulds, clothing dyes and even explosives also contain kelp extracts.
