Conservation

Since my younger age, I’ve always been passionate about the ocean and especially sharks ! They’ve always represented the most iconic apex predators in the entire world !

When I truly realized what was going on in the world’s oceans and the fact that sharks are currently disappearing faster than ever, I decided to use my skills knowledge to fight for this cause !

At first, my goal was to use my filming / photography skills as well as my community on social media to raise awareness about sharks.

I rapidly realized that I could actually do far more and this is why we decided to create our own NGO: Deep Sea Guardians.

THE OCEANS ARE UNDER THREAT

It is nothing new that the world’s ocean ecosystems are under threat: sharks are disappearing, coral reefs are bleaching, plastic pollution is smothering everything, yet the world’s leaders still don’t seem to take it seriously and put real measures in place.

Despite thousands of scientific reports trying to sound the alarm, the ocean’s ecosystems keep getting closer and closer to collapsing.

This is why I decided to dedicate my life to this cause and to fight to change the tide !

MORE THAN 70% OF SHARK POPULATIONS HAVE DISAPPEARED IN THE LAST 50 YEARS

Sharks simply can’t keep up with the current fishing pressure.

Unlike other species of fish, sharks have a very slow reproduction cycle.

All sharks species are different but it usually takes years for them to reach sexual maturity, once pregnant, they have a much longer gestation period and give birth to a lot less offsprings than other species.

Either targeted or killed as by-catch, the current fishing pressure in the world’s ocean is simply too much for sharks to have time to reproduce which is the reason why their numbers are so rapidly decreasing…

The combination of slow reproductive rates and targeted fishing practices as well as bycatch creates a huge challenge for shark populations to sustain themselves in the face of current fishing pressures.

Urgent conservation measures are essential to ensure the survival and recovery of these vulnerable apex predators in our oceans.

PROTECTING SHARKS THROUGH IMAGES, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

The power of images

One of my first mission is to use my creative skills and vision in order to create powerful images that will raise awareness and educate people about ocean conservation and all the issues that marine creatures are facing nowadays.

One of the main assets of art is to create emotions within people and this why I’m using it to promote ocean conservation. Once people fall in love with something, they start caring about it and protecting it. This is exactly what I want to do through my images.

Together with our NGO Deep Sea Guardians, we constantly travel the globe to capture both the beauty and horrors happening in the oceans. We’re currently putting together a feature length documentary about sharks on a global scale.

Alongside images, science plays a crucial role in protecting sharks.

I strongly believe that both images and science should work together in order to change the tide.

This is why our NGO Deep Sea Guardians is leading scientific researches worldwide with different approaches:

We conduct research and monitoring studies in collaboration with marine biologists in order to better understand shark populations, behavior, and habitats. These studies help identify areas where sharks are most vulnerable, assess the impact of human activities and prove the pressure of overfishing in order to ultimately inform the governments to try and implement new regulations. and informs conservation efforts.

This knowledge helps inform developing conservation measures, such as fishing regulations, marine protected areas, and international agreements to control trade in endangered shark species.

Scientific research

MAKO SHARK TAGGING PROJECT

In association with fellow conservation groups and marine biologists, we are currently leading a long-term tagging project with Mako sharks. The goal is to place GPS satellite tags on Mako sharks in Baja California Sur, Mexico in order to better understand how they live, how they migrate and what they rely on to survive in order to better protect them in the future.

As of today, we’ve already successfully tagged 5 Mako sharks in these mexican waters where they had never been tagged before !

In order to learn more about this project, click here.

Education & conferences

Our 3rd and last focus in our NGO’s strategy is education.

Education plays a crucial role in protecting sharks by raising awareness to future generations, fostering conservation-minded attitudes, and promoting sustainable practices.

It helps people understand the importance of sharks in marine ecosystems. It raises awareness about the critical role sharks play in maintaining the balance of ocean ecosystems and highlights their unique biological characteristics. By learning about the ecological significance of sharks, people are more likely to appreciate their value and support conservation efforts.

Moreover, it helps dispel common misconceptions and myths about sharks. Many people perceive sharks as dangerous and ruthless monsters, largely due to media portrayals. Education provides accurate information about shark behavior, highlighting the fact that sharks aren’t interested in humans and that they are apex predators, not monsters…