Sea•thos Foundation

Earlier last week, Oahu became the latest Hawaiian island to pass legislature banning the distribution of single-use plastic bags. Under the new guidelines, paper bags will be allowed only if they are made of at least 40% recycled material.

“This is a bold action and I think here in the state of Hawaii we have always been bold, especially when it comes to protecting our environment,” said Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard, who co-sponsered the initiative with Honolulu City Council Chair, Ernie Martin.

The law will go into effect in July of 2015, giving storeowners three years to deplete their current inventories.

“I’m confident when we reach 2015 we will have progressed to a point where the cost of a biodegradable plasticbags will be no different from the price of bags that are given out now,” said Council Chair Martin.

Oahu, home to Hawaii’s capital city of Honolulu as well as the legendary North Shore surf spot, is the pacific island chain’s most populous island, with an approximate population of 953,207.

They join Kaua‘i, Maui and the Big Island (who just passed a ban this past January) in implementing similar bans. This is no small feat, and will make Hawaii the first US state with a complete, statewide plastic bag ban.

Learn more about plastic pollution and what you can do to help at seathos.org/movement/pollution/.

Sea Turtle Cupcakes

Inspired by Squirt, the Sea turtle from Finding Nemo!

You’ll need:
-Cupcakes
-Frosting
-Sour Peach Gummy ring candies
-Red and green gum drop candies
-Spearmint Leaves candies
-Mini chocolate chips
-Toothpick or kitchen skewer
-Oval fondant cutter

Instructions:
1. Bake cupcakes and frost them

2. For the turtle shell: Place a gummy ring on each cupcake. Slice off the bottom half of a red gum drop and place the top half at the center of the gummy ring. Push the gum drop into the frosting so it will stick.

3. For fins, slice a Spearmint Leaves candy in half. Using a oval fondant cutter, cut each half into two pieces (shown far right). Use the curled pieces for the front fins and the thicker pieces for the hind fins.

4. For the head, poke a hole into the sides of a green gum drop using a toothpick or kitchen skewer. Push mini chocolate chips into the holes for the turtle’s eyes. Use a dab of frosting to hold the eyes in place. Place the head onto the cupcake and slightly push into the frosting so it will stick.

5. All done! Enjoy! : )

Known as Turtle island, Fiji is a beautiful island country located in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Among its 330 islands, around 100 are permanently inhabited while the rest remain in natural harmony.  Its largest and most visited islands are Venua Levu and Viti Levu.

Fiji has had its share of diverse inhabitants starting with a migration from Indonesia three and a half thousand years ago! Europeans first came in contact with the islands in the 17th century.

Cannibalism, which was once wide spread on the islands, was put to an end due to missionary influence and the acceptance of Christianity.

Today Fiji encompasses a mixture of Polynesian, European, Indian, and Chinese cultures. The official language of the country is English but local dialects and Hindi are also wide spread.

Due to its abundant resources of forest, mineral, and fish, Fiji has the most developed economy out of all the pacific island nations.  Fiji receives many visitors every year who come to enjoy the island’s crystal-blue lagoons, clear waters, and lush green forests. “Sea” for yourself….

On March 31st, individuals and households across the globe are invited to participate in Earth Hour, a single hour without electricity designed to promote climate change awareness.  While you’ll have to turn your light switches off, candles are encouraged, so what better time to start stocking up on wax and wick.

Coral Candles are made by the ocean, for the ocean. Constructed from sustainably farmed sea-urchin shells and 100% soy wax, these scented candles deserve a spot in any sea-lovers home. In addition to their environmentally conscious design, proceeds from all sales help fund Ocean Conservation groups as well as local beach clean-ups.

The sea-urchin shells are also re-usable! After burning for up to 24-hours, the candle can be replaced by a new Coral Candle Scented Refill in such ocean-inspired smells as Atlantic, Indian or Pacific.

Order your Coral Candle today at coralcandles.com!

Leatherback Turtle

Scientific name: Dermochelys coriacea

Home: This enormous marine animal has the largest range of all reptiles and can be can found in tropical, subtropical and even frigid arctic waters around the world. The leatherback spends most of its time in the open seas looking for food. It prefers to mate and nest on beaches adjacent to deeper waters and tends to avoid beaches near coral reefs.

Physical features: The leatherback is the largest of all turtles and can weigh over 2000 lbs. It also has the largest flippers out of all its turtle relatives. They extend out of its tear-shaped body and grow up to 9 feet in length. The leatherback’s other distinguishing characteristic, besides its enormous size, is its lack of bony carapace or hard shell. In lieu of the typical turtle shell our marine friend has a oily leathery osteoderms  (a layer of skin embedded with bony deposits). Its shell is grayish black while its underside tends to be of a lighter hue. The sharp point on it’s beak, the tomium , is what this marine creature uses to rip apart its food. The backwards spines in the back of its throat help it swallow its prey.

Food: The leatherback turtle spend the majority of their day hunting the only thing they like to eat, jellyfish. They eat twice their weight daily! Sadly many times the leatherback mistake plastic debris such as plastic bags and balloons for jellyfish. Even ingesting the slightest amount of plastic can obstruct their digestive tracts and be fatal.

Conservation status: Critically endangered

FunFacts:
• One of the largest threats to the leatherback population is the fact that many people collect its eggs for food! #NotSoFunFact
• The leatherback will travel as far as 12, 000 miles to lay its eggs!
• The Leatherback turtle is one of the deepest diving living mammals. It can reachdepths of over 4,200 ft!