The oceans are at the heart of our warming planet, with long-term changes underway that are radically altering the marine environment, and threatening species that we treasure locally.

Unlike plastic pollution and industrial fishing, many of these changes are not so clearly visible, yet they are even more serious.

With greater visibility, would collective ambition to tackle our ocean climate crisis be strengthened?

Overlooking the spectacular Otago Harbour, the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre in Portobello is the perfect spot for a day of ocean exploration. As beautiful as it is, the ocean is changing drastically as it absorbs heat and carbon dioxide from human activities.

Scientists have been collecting a treasure trove of data here for almost 70 years, but for this data to have impact it needs to be shared in accessible ways.

As a community, we seek to empower change through visual imagery that resonates with greater meaning for our society. We hope that this may encourage action.

You will have the chance to explore some of the latest ocean climate data collected at Portobello and across New Zealand; collect a little of your own, and transform this into something more visual.

No artistic skills are needed, this is for everyone! Any creations that you are happy to share will be part of an open-access online collection, and a published calendar for 2024.

This workshop is part of a series of four workshops, held over 12 months. Each workshop will be stand-alone but with a strong connection to previous workshops.

While it is not compulsory to attend all workshops, we encourage you to attend as many as possible! The workshops are free with tea, coffee and lunch provided. Suitable for ages 14 and up.

All attendees require a ticket.

COVID-19. We encourage mask-wearing during the workshop when not eating and drinking. All staff will be masked.