Artist and author Josie Iselin speaks on the science of seaweed
On Sunday, March 19, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., the Grace Hudson Museum will host a presentation by artist, author and seaweed advocate Josie Iselin on seaweed ecology and science as seen through the lens of her artwork. Iselin is the author of the awardwinning book “The Curious World of Seaweed,” and the co-creator with Exhibit Envoy of the exhibit of the same name, which is on display at the museum through April 30.
“The thin region where the sea meets the land is unlike either land or sea, it is betwixt and between,” Iselin writes in the opening of her book. “It is a place of dramatic change and remarkable abundance — of life, and also of possibility.”
That abundance was discovered by Iselin as she went on expeditions to the Point Reyes peninsula and other marine locations in and around San Francisco and began studying the seaweed for herself. Using her flatbed scanner, she created an extraordinary hybrid of art, science and history, illuminating the seaweed from within while overlaying some of the images with historical lithographs.
On her expeditions, Iselin noticed that most people weren't paying much attention to seaweed and marine algae in general. She noted that in 2012, a coalition of marine agencies released a 15-year census of marine life, only one page of which was devoted to what she calls “the primary producers of the ocean: marine algae” (another name for seaweed).
Like many an artist and science-oriented explorer before her, Iselin set out on a journey, one which she describes as “letting the seaweed speak for itself.” Deciding to learn its biology and history, she started taking workshops with Kathy Ann Miller, a curator and seaweed expert at the Herbarium at UC Berkeley. She experienced the wonder and beauty of “this botanica of the ocean” in a series of intertidal zones up and down the California coast. “We live in one of the most abundant places for marine algae on earth,” Iselin affirms.
That abundance, however, is threatened with the changes wrought by global warming. The oceans that cover twothirds of our planet are subject to the same disruptions to the communities they host as are terrestrial systems. Even small changes in temperature can disrupt a delicate balance threatening entire species.
In 2013-2014, a starfish wasting disease caused a massive die-off of the sunflower sea star, an urchin predator. This caused a population upsurge in sea urchins, which in turn impacted the kelp forests, as sea urchins turned to grazing there in large numbers. Iselin is inspired to ask: “How can us storytellers and visual artists help restore the kelp forests and bring this issue to life?”
To answer this, she has helped form a collective called Above/below, bringing together scientists, artists and activists to tell stories about seaweed up and down the Pacific coast.
That story, and the weaving-together of human care and concern with the ancient, splendid heritage of the ocean, is still under development. In her talk, Iselin will bring the audience up to date on the most recent projects.
Admission to Iselin's talk is free with museum admission: $5, $4 for students and seniors, $12 for families, and free for members, Native Americans and standing military personnel. Visitors can also view the exhibit, “The Curious World of Seaweed,” between noon and 4:30 p.m. on that day. The museum is also open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Grace Hudson Museum is at 431 S. Main St. in Ukiah. For more information, call (707) 467-2836 or visit www.gracehudsonmuseum.org.