"My piece 'Cirri' is a depiction of the Nautilus being cut free from netting by its spirit. The Nautilus is a living fossil, that propels itself by its own biological jets that functions a lot like a submarine. Its existence is miraculous and it immediately inspired me after learning more. The Nautilus has existed for 500 million years (yes, they are older than dinosaurs) but they are slow growing invertebrates that take 15-20 years to mature. Once they do mature they only lay one egg that takes one year to incubate, because of this there are now six living species of nautilus that are on the decline. They are often caught up accidentally in fishing lines from overfishing and are trapped for their shell’s inner lining which is used as a substitute for pearls. They are also often trapped for their shells alone to be sold to tourists and shell collectors. Over 1.7 million of this mollusk’s shells were imported to the US in the past 16 years. To help keep this ancient creature alive be sure to avoid purchasing products that have pearls or fake pearl components, also consuming fish from sustainable sources or considering a diet with less seafood can greatly help save this animals population as well as many underwater creatures."
- Audra Auclair -
