Mumbai is an ocean of potential for those who are willing to plunge in. Mumbai wouldn’t have been what it is without the ocean near which it sits. Seven Islands, natural harbor has shaped the destiny of this city.
SEAmposium is a one-of-a-kind platform that brings together many stakeholders to celebrate the intrinsic connection that the Sea shares with Mumbai City. It is an annual port of call for all the ocean lovers and enthusiasts.
SEAmposium is the annual arribada of ocean lovers congregating to create bioluminescence of ideas. A rookery that will spawn imagination for exploration and not exploitation.
This one-day festival- where the first half is dedicated to SEAmposium & the other half for the Ocean film festival will be an assortment of talks, films, photography, debate involving stakeholders from Beach cleanups, Mangrove conservation, Turtle tourism, Shore walkers, Surfers, Underwater filmmakers, Beach resort owners, Ports, Fishing community et al.
This festival will be an attempt to re-connect the people of Mumbai to the ocean and our coast in a new way with a vision to drive home the message that –
‘Ocean is not a huge resource to consume but the last resource to conserve’.
Shores are safe & secure, The Ocean is dark & deep. Shores are fun and frolic, ocean commands fear and respect. But we have to leave the shores for the ocean. History is witness to the fact that the people who left the shore ruled the people who didn’t. From Shore loving we have to become sea faring, and only then will the ocean let you know its deep secrets. It will reveal the mysteries of life, because it is the ocean from where the life emerged.
In the past the mythical ocean had to be churned by opposing forces & from its deep recess emerged the nectar of eternal life….Amrut. But before that emerged Halahal-the poison that could have killed all life.
In modern day the churning on the land has created Halahal which is being dumped the ocean and now slowly turning it acidic. The Ocean needs to be saved from this poison and Neelkanth will not come as our savior. We have to rise to be the Shiva.
Temperatures are rising, Snow caps are melting, species are getting extinct. Life on earth is getting threatened.
Climate change is real.
‘Life emerged from the ocean, let it not submerge in it’.
Dr. Madhumita Kale is the Veterinarian in charge of the Humboldt penguin facility in V.J.B. Udyan and Zoo. She is the first Veterinarian in India to successfully work with penguins in captivity and manage their captive breeding. She has completed her Bachelor’s in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH) from Mumbai Veterinary College. Further, she did her Master’s in veterinary science (MVSc) in Wildlife Health from Massey University, New Zealand. She has wide experience in working with a range of wild animals during her post-graduation. She has also published a paper ‘Interspecies differences in plasma concentration of 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D3 and dermal vitamin D synthesis in Kiwi, Tuatara and New Zealand Sea lions in the Journal of comparative physiology.
Sejal Mehta is an author and editor. She has worked in the publishing landscape (print and digital) for 20 years. Her book on shore wildlife – Superpowers on the Shore, published by Penguin RandomHouse is in stores in May 2022. She has been part of the core teams that started and helmed Lonely Planet Magazine India, National Geographic Traveller India, Nature inFocus, Saevus Wildlife. Her past work includes JPMorgan Editorial and Femina. You’ll find her words in newspapers and magazines including Scroll, Mongabay, The Indian Express, The Hindu, BBC Top Gear, BBC Knowledge, TOI to name a few. She works on content and strategy and communications for organisations and corporate brands.
She is a published fiction author for children’s books (by Pratham books) and two anthologies, published by Hachette India (Magical Women) and Scholastic (Grandma’s Tales).
To further her individual outreach goals, she has launched Snaggletooth, a line of nature-inspired merchandise that illustrates positive associations between humans and animals.
Pradip Patade is a Co-Founder at Marine Life of Mumbai and Coastal Conservation Foundation. He is a former Human Resources professional and watersports instructor. A native of Mumbai, takes a tremendous interest in the vast unexplored marine life in the city. Seen mostly chatting with fishers and trawlers on the shore of Mumbai, the 55 year-old made a career switch that would later change his life forever. Pradip has vast field experience and leads shore walks to raise awareness about Maharashtra’s marine biodiversity. Intimately familiar with the shores of Mumbai, he has been documenting the biodiversity and threats to these shores for several years now. His long-term aim of bringing these little-known details to the notice of Mumbai’s citizens and decision-makers is what drives the Marine Life of Mumbai initiative.
Founder & President RAWW Mumbai, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Thane District, appointed by Maharashtra State Forest Department. Been working towards human wildlife conflict mitigation and urban wildlife conservation by rescuing distressed wildkinds and spreading awarness about their conservation. Have been working towards marine wildlife conservation, rescue and rehabilitation. Have been helping the Mangrove Cell of Maharashtra Forest Department in rescuing stranded marine animals, birds and reptiles like dolphins, flamingos, sea turtles.
Zsuzsanna who is Hungarian and has been living in India after marrying Mumbai businessman Ferrao in 2013 has been organising beach clean-up drives in Vasai since 2017. In the five years, Zsuzsanna and her team have managed to remove 500 tonnes of plastic from the beaches. She however admits that the disposal of the collected waste is still a challenge. According to her the waste that is being piled up on the beaches is not just making the area dirty, but also causing much harm to the environment and the local ecosystem. Other than the regular clean-up drives on the beaches, Zsuzsanna and her team are also involved in planting mangroves and tree saplings along the coastline.
