an atlantic & caribbean coral reef story
by courtney mattison
2013
glazed stoneware + porcelain; fiberboard; aluminum
300 x 200 x 100 cm (118 x 78 x 39 in)
on public display weekdays 8 am – 5 pm
center of excellence for coral reef ecosystems research
nova southeastern university oceanographic center
8000 N Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004
This large-scale ceramic coral reef sculptural installation is the second in Courtney's Our Changing Seas series (the first is at AAAS headquarters in Washington DC). This piece was completed in September 2013 and is now on permanent display at the Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center’s Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Research in South Florida. It stands nearly ten feet tall, three by six feet wide and is entirely covered in hand-sculpted and glazed ceramic corals, sponges and other reef-dwelling invertebrates from Western Atlantic and Caribbean coral reefs. The piece depicts a 360° transition from a healthy, vibrant coral reef to a bleached and algal-dominated one and back again to illustrate the human-caused threats reefs face with a sense of hope for recovery.
Photos by Courtney Mattison