Walking my local beach this summer, I was pulled apart by the amount of plastic debris in the same areas as the turtle nests. I created this sculpture out of plaster and an array of trash I collected from the beach, representing the burden and weight we create on the marine species around us. I made sure to use not only pieces of plastic but also recognizable objects that I collected, such as lighters, forks, shoes, and fishing tackle. The purpose of this sculpture is to inspire and teach the danger our marine habitats are in.
When walking along the beach, one is sure to stubble upon plastic. This environmental change has negatively affected many marine species, such as a common coastal resident, the snook. This fish's natural habitat is being destroyed and trashed by harmful human debris. Trying to encompass this world of filth and disgust, I created this piece as a personal project to show how the fish, in its toxic living environment, lives in a world of plastic. This piece's creation consisted of individual pieces of plastic collected from the beach, representing how each piece can get confused with small bait fish schools on the shoreline and end up in animals' stomachs.