Our planet is currently facing more environmental crises than ever before. The year 2024 saw 220 million tonnes of plastic waste generated, with approximately 33% of this waste polluting the natural world. Chemical fertilisers are destroying freshwater habitats, increasing nutrient levels in the water, resulting in algal blooms. Overfarming to meet food demand is causing soil degradation and biodiversity loss. 

 

Tides of Possibility is a photographic celebration of seaweed as an abundant, sustainable resource that has the potential to combat many of these global issues. Seaweed has a wide variety of properties that make it potentially useful in a number of different applications. From seaweed plant fertilisers to beautiful artworks, various companies and individuals along the South Coast of the UK are making an effort to harvest seaweed and use these properties to their advantage, making small changes to help combat environmental threats. 

 

Presented as a book alongside a box of supporting prints, the project features a variety of photographic styles. While the book conveys a deeper story surrounding seaweed, its properties and the people using this in a variety of applications, the prints support this story by showcasing its key points, as well as highlighting the beauty of the seaweed itself. Through this combination the project aims to challenge and change common misconceptions of macroalgae, opening people’s eyes to the huge potential it has as a resource.