In 1986, an unknown marine biologist and self-taught artist from Jamaica arrived on the Fort Lauderdale Worldwide Boat Present with a folding desk, a stack of T-shirts, and vibrant work of the ocean’s most charming creatures. The artwork turned heads, the shirts bought out, and one thing far greater than a weekend hustle was set in movement.
The person behind the desk was Man Harvey—destined to turn out to be one of many world’s most acknowledged marine wildlife artists and a number one voice for ocean conservation. What started as a humble sales space at a ship present grew right into a profession that seamlessly merged artwork, science, and training. In 2008, Harvey took his mission to the following stage, founding the Man Harvey Basis (previously the Man Harvey Ocean Basis) in Fort Lauderdale and channeling his ardour into a worldwide power for analysis, training, and preservation of the seas.
From shark-tagging expeditions on the Man Harvey Analysis Institute—based mostly at Nova Southeastern College’s Halmos School of Arts & Sciences—to coral restoration tasks within the Florida Keys, the Basis’s work is deeply rooted in South Florida. The waters listed below are greater than a backdrop; they’re dwelling school rooms, laboratories, and reminders of what’s at stake if we fail to guard the marine atmosphere.
Now main the Basis as CEO is Harvey’s daughter, Jessica. Raised on boats and analysis journeys, she grew up immersed in marine science and conservation. Her love of wildlife and the outside—instilled by her dad and mom—led her right into a profession as an environmental conservationist earlier than taking the helm of the household’s nonprofit.
Jessica’s newest initiative, the Man Harvey Conservation Training Program, provides educators—and, by extension, faculties and districts—entry to regional skilled growth in environmental Science, Expertise, Engineering, Arts, and Arithmetic (STEAM) training. After finishing the coaching, individuals turn out to be Man Harvey Conservation (GHC) Educators, geared up with recognition, sources, and grants to boost their school rooms and encourage the following era of ocean stewards. “That is open to all elementary, center, and highschool educators,” Jessica says. “It consists of all of the supplies, provides, and academic content material they should encourage and excite the following era of stewards of ocean conservation.”
This system builds on earlier instructional initiatives, together with Ok–12 marine science curriculum growth, STEAM-based lesson plans, and hands-on experiences that join college students on to the ocean’s wonders and challenges. Strategic partnerships with Brightmark, SeaWorld, the Florida Lottery, and Norwegian Cruise Line have exponentially expanded the curriculum’s attain, with an estimated potential influence of fifty million college students and 5 million lecturers worldwide.
For native college students in Broward, Palm Seaside, and Miami-Dade counties, the influence is quick and tangible. A seashore cleanup centered on plastic waste, learning coral well being, or monitoring a satellite-tagged shark from a classroom pc can ignite a lifelong ardour for conservation.
Fueling this training is the cutting-edge science produced by the Man Harvey Analysis Institute, established in 1999 by way of a collaboration between Harvey and NSU. One in every of solely a handful of personal organizations devoted completely to conserving fish populations and biodiversity, the Institute brings collectively scientists, college students, and volunteers to tag sharks, monitor reef well being, and generate information that shapes conservation coverage.
The Institute’s shark-tracking program—open to sponsorship by faculties, companies, and people—lets the general public observe tagged sharks on-line in near-real time. “That is science that captures the creativeness whereas additionally producing invaluable migration information that helps shield these important apex predators,” Jessica says.
Whereas the Basis’s attain extends throughout the globe, its heartbeat is right here in South Florida, the place eco-tourism, fishing, and recreation rely on wholesome oceans. Locals can help its mission by volunteering, buying Man Harvey merchandise (a portion of proceeds goes to conservation and training), or attending the annual fundraising gala.
Each October, the Basis hosts this signature occasion in Fort Lauderdale, with proceeds benefiting ocean analysis and training. This yr’s seventeenth anniversary celebration will happen October 29 on the Lauderdale Yacht Membership and can honor two people for his or her important contributions to marine conservation and training.
Dr. Harvey’s story is a testomony to how one particular person’s ardour can spark a motion—however as he usually says, “It takes money to care.” Simply as his profession started with a desk on the Fort Lauderdale Boat Present, the way forward for ocean conservation rests with college students, lecturers, and ocean lovers working collectively to guard our seas.
Go to guyharveyfoundation.org to get entangled.
