EN·CAP·SU·LAT·ING
Degree Project Spring 2020 // By Lucy Zakharova and Ted Lu // Studio Crits: Eva Perez de Vega and Gonzalo Carbajo / HMS Faculty: Daniela Fabricius / DPAC Advisors: Christian Lynch and Meredith TenHoor
EN·CAP·SU·LAT·ING
Humans have always been drawn to unknown mysteries of the night sky. We have invested large amounts of resources to explore beyond our planet. Those incredible clouds of light couldn’t attract people more. But we know little about identical marvels that exist here on earth - the species that inhabit the darkest zone of the ocean. We don't need to leave our planet to observe these creatures. We know more about outer space than we know about our own planet, especially our oceans. Only 5% of the ocean bed has been discovered by humans, and only four people have traveled to the deepest part, the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. The surface of the ocean is familiar to humans. Long in our history humanity explored this world through sailing, and have learned about the currents and wind forces that exist in this incredible environment.
However, this free and open space without national borders has been gravely affected by humans. The Pacific Ocean is where the world’s largest garbage patch is located. Due to the directions of global ocean currents, plastic is being concentrated into ocean gyres. There are five major garbage patches around the world. Two of them are within the Pacific Ocean; the one between Asia and North America is the largest one. Sea turtles think that the plastic is jellyfish and eat it. Other animals can entangle in the plastic and eventually drown. Algae is not growing as it should and the entire food chain is being affected negatively, including humans. Together, the garbage patches form new continents on the surface of the ocean and create destroyed ecosystems on earth. It harms the ocean, the marine inhabitants, and also our coasts. Certainly the marine species that depend on the ocean.
Our project site is the dynamic and ever-changing Pacific Ocean - both it's surface and its depths. We started by exploring the vertical and horizontal currents, and how they interact with the wind forces. We propose a constellation of 5 capsules built from the refuse of the Pacific Ocean garbage patch, deployed at different depths of the ocean to clean, mitigate, educate, research, conserve, restore and radically reconfigure human interaction with the ocean and its species. Our project is non-static, it moves cyclically through a dynamic and ever-changing Pacific Ocean. A cluster of vessels in international waters that work together to benefit not only humans but also other species that are important to this oceanic environment. We aim to detoxify the ocean by reconfiguring plastic pollution while promoting knowledge of the oceans and teaching the public their duty to protect natural heritage.
Although we are encapsulating now to resolve the issues that humans have created, one day we will be decapsulating, then we can eliminate the barriers between all living species.
However, this free and open space without national borders has been gravely affected by humans. The Pacific Ocean is where the world’s largest garbage patch is located. Due to the directions of global ocean currents, plastic is being concentrated into ocean gyres. There are five major garbage patches around the world. Two of them are within the Pacific Ocean; the one between Asia and North America is the largest one. Sea turtles think that the plastic is jellyfish and eat it. Other animals can entangle in the plastic and eventually drown. Algae is not growing as it should and the entire food chain is being affected negatively, including humans. Together, the garbage patches form new continents on the surface of the ocean and create destroyed ecosystems on earth. It harms the ocean, the marine inhabitants, and also our coasts. Certainly the marine species that depend on the ocean.
Our project site is the dynamic and ever-changing Pacific Ocean - both it's surface and its depths. We started by exploring the vertical and horizontal currents, and how they interact with the wind forces. We propose a constellation of 5 capsules built from the refuse of the Pacific Ocean garbage patch, deployed at different depths of the ocean to clean, mitigate, educate, research, conserve, restore and radically reconfigure human interaction with the ocean and its species. Our project is non-static, it moves cyclically through a dynamic and ever-changing Pacific Ocean. A cluster of vessels in international waters that work together to benefit not only humans but also other species that are important to this oceanic environment. We aim to detoxify the ocean by reconfiguring plastic pollution while promoting knowledge of the oceans and teaching the public their duty to protect natural heritage.
Although we are encapsulating now to resolve the issues that humans have created, one day we will be decapsulating, then we can eliminate the barriers between all living species.
Project Statement
When closely investigating and doing research on our oceans, we were absolutely amazed at how the deep sea is largely unexplored and unknown to humanity. Yet billions of creatures live in this alien and extremely fascinating environment. Therefore, a major part of our proposal is being dedicated to research labs, and data collecting centers. The deep-sea looks much the same at any given depth anywhere in the world, but with the change of temperature, pressure, and salinity of the water it is known to be occupied by different living organisms. Those are potential zones for investigation for the part of the program dedicated to oceanic research and education.
Other parts of the program would be dedicated to preserving endangered marine species and their ecosystems. A variety of known living organisms face extinction due to the simple inability to adapt to the new climatic conditions in their living environment, therefore their lives are highly endangered. Environmental preservation centers would be independent and would focus on animals and vegetal species as the main priority while allowing a program mixture with research investigation.
Other parts of the program would be dedicated to preserving endangered marine species and their ecosystems. A variety of known living organisms face extinction due to the simple inability to adapt to the new climatic conditions in their living environment, therefore their lives are highly endangered. Environmental preservation centers would be independent and would focus on animals and vegetal species as the main priority while allowing a program mixture with research investigation.
Aerial
Underwater
EN·CAP·SU·LAT·ING