The IMA endorses the ‘Guardians of the Sea: Protecting Life below Water’ at the Rotunda Gallery of the Red House

From the breathtaking oil and watercolor paintings of coral reefs to fluid-preserved faunal specimens, the Exhibition titled, ‘Guardians of the Sea: Protecting Life below Water’, brought awareness to the beauty and fragility of our oceans and its inhabitants through a diverse display of talented artistic forms that included paintings, photographs and sculptures.

Hosted by the Rotunda Gallery of the Red House, Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, the Exhibition ran from June 9^th to July 4^th, 2025, which coincided with World Ocean Week – June 1 through 8 and World Oceans Day on June 8, (2025).  Displaying sixty-five (65) shortlisted pieces of artwork, the Exhibition provided artists, across Trinidad and Tobago, a platform to share their work, enabling them to communicate concepts and issues of the marine environment through their imaginative artwork.

Upon entering the Rotunda Gallery, visitors and art lovers are met immediately with a colourful splash and array of artwork – fabric art, soft pastels, oil and pencil paintings, water colour and digital art, and metal sculptures of modular turtle shapes – which highlight the plight of marine environments and the need for ocean conservation.  

Breathtaking paintings and drawings of underwater seascapes in their vibrant colours with intricate details amidst diverse and dynamic marine life found within these underwater ecosystems, to the abstract interpretations of the fragility of coral reefs to the realistic depiction of our coastal areas covered in marine trash, comprise several of the artwork pieces on display.  Despite the medium, all the artwork pieces capture the ethereal quality of underwater seascapes, showing the interconnectedness of the reef environment with the delicate balance of life within it.  Text Panels were used to offer in-depth information for each piece of artwork on exhibit.

One main theme is exemplified through all the pieces – the importance of marine conservation.

Located in the centre court of the Rotunda Gallery of the Red House’ Exhibition, which was gratis and open to visitors of all ages, stood mounted several carefully and tightly-sealed glass jars of faunal specimens preserved in an alcohol-based solution.  These glass jars containing preserved marine specimens were on loan from the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA).  The IMA had the pleasure of collaborating with the Rotunda Gallery of the Red House upon request through its loan of selected preserved specimens from its Marine Reference Collection and underwater photographs, to instill a sense of stewardship about our fragile marine ecosystems and the need for marine conservation.

The Institute’s Research Officer, Ms. Hannah Lochan, was interviewed on Tuesday 24^th June 2025 at the Rotunda Exhibition where she spoke briefly about the ongoing research and conservation work carried out by the IMA and the importance of the Institute’s Marine Reference Collection.  According to Ms. Lochan, the Institute’s Marine Reference Collection plays a vital role in not only preserving marine faunal specimens but safeguards the DNA of each marine specimen collected, which provides the basis for taxonomy and enhances our understanding of marine biodiversity.  She further added that these preserved specimens provide a physical snapshot of a species or community at a particular point in time, providing a wealth of unexpected information.  Exemplified below, the descriptive Text Panel of the Blacktip shark, which was on display centre court at the Exhibition, provided a descriptive snapshot of information of the species caught in Trinidad at a particular point in time and preserved for ongoing research purposes;

Common Name: Blacktip shark

Scientific Name: Carcharhinus limbatus

Location collected: Trinidad

Habitat: An inshore and offshore shark found on or adjacent to continental and insular shelves. Often off river mouths and estuaries, muddy bays, mangrove swamps, lagoons, and coral reef drop-offs. Bottom associated or pelagic. Young common along beaches.

Behaviour: Active hunter in midwater. Incriminated in very few attacks but dangerous when provoked

Food source: Feeds mainly on pelagic and benthic fishes, also small sharks and rays, cephalopods and crustaceans

Depth range: 0 – 140 m

Human uses: Commercial Fisheries. Used fresh for human consumption, hides for leather, liver for oil

As coral reefs were one of the popular subjects to be portrayed at the Exhibition, Ms. Lochan used the platform to announce and speak on the Institute’s latest publication titled, ‘The Coral Reefs of Trinidad and Tobago’.  Authored by the Institute’s Senior Research Officer and Coral Reef Ecologist, the publication provides information on the ecology and biology of local coral reefs and their associated species, distribution, status and threats and underscores the need for ongoing research and conservation.  Ms. Lochan also added that ‘it is so amazing to see all the rich paintings, the sheer talent conveyed through each individual piece of art, and watching people absorb the various pieces of artwork displayed here today. Thank you for having us’.

The artwork on exhibit at the Rotunda Gallery of the Red House, not only portrays beautiful paintings, photographs and sculptures, but each tells a story through the interpretative lens of the artist.  Inspired by the beauty and complexity of underwater seascapes, marine animals, coral reefs, the artwork on display raised awareness on the importance of marine conservation even going as far to engage viewers to take action to protect these vulnerable ecosystems.

‘Guardians of the Blue: Protecting Life Below Water’ enabled visitors and viewers to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing our oceans – climate change and pollution – and to foster an appreciation on the importance of protecting our marine environment and the steps being taken to address these issues.