Art Exhibition - Seascapes of the 21st Century

My art exhibition, Seascapes of the 21st Century, composed of 21 oil paintings on the effects of plastic pollution, harmful algal blooms and climate change on oceans and seas, is now open at Science Museum of Virginia through May, 2025.

Seascapes of the 21st Century spotlights the annual influx of megatons of plastics and nutrients introduced into our oceans and seas, and the impacts of climate change, lead to significant consequences for both the environment and human health.

Flightless Forever - Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) Over a million seabirds succumb to the ingestion of plastics each year. By 2050, 99% of all seabirds will have ingested plastic. Mixed media, oil on canvas and recycled plastics. Catalogue Number: EGM-113; Oil on canvas (30x40”)©Eugene G. Maurakis Ph.D. 2019.

Plastic fragments account for up to 74% of sea turtles' diets. In 2018, the journal Nature reported that juvenile green sea turtles ingesting one piece of marine debris plastic experience a 22% chance of death; ingesting 14 pieces increases their chance of death to 50%. Catalogue Number: EGM-111; Oil on canvas (30x40”)©Eugene G. Maurakis, Ph.D. 2019.

Say It – Live It!

“Respect and protect the natural world” - a global plea in unison in 15 languages.  Sincere appreciation to friends and colleagues who enthusiastically provided translations. Earth interpreted from imaged observations made by MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite, 10 July 2005 at https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/46209/the-water-planet. Catalogue number EGM-218; Oil on canvas (48x48 in.)©Eugene G. Maurakis Ph.D. 2024. Earth Day is not one day... it's everyday.

Say It - Live It!

Λουλουδια (Flowers)

Λουλουδια (Flowers)

Interpretation of native flowers planted in flower gardens created by my wife. I walked around and took photographs of her flowers and started painting in October, 2023. Catalogue number EGM-215, oil on canvas (48”x48”) by Eugene G. Maurakis, Ph.D. 2024.

Nexus of Art, Cuisine, and Science

After 4.5 years amidst a host of personal, research, and teaching activities, my cookbook, Foods are Memories, is now available at sheepandthechicken.com.

Foods Are Memories is a cookbook with sturdy 100lb soft front and back covers, protected by clear plastic, and bound with metal Wire-O binding. Each recipe is beautifully captured in full-color images, while 35 black and white photographs clarify complex or lesser-known culinary techniques.

In addition to its mouth-watering recipes, Foods are Memories enhances your Greek dining experience with suggested menus and traditional beverage pairings for meals and special occasions. To ensure your culinary journey is both enjoyable and authentic, the book provides phonetic pronunciations for the Greek names of each recipe.

What sets Foods are Memories apart is its rich storytelling. The author weaves cherished memories inspired by specific dishes throughout the text. These reminiscences, alongside interesting anecdotes, and accompanying photographs from the author’s research in Greece, the Mediterranean Sea, North America, and the North Atlantic Ocean, add a unique layer of insight to the cookbook. As you explore these recipes, you will gain a deeper understanding of Greek lifestyle and, perhaps, a fresh perspective on life itself.

Dimensions: 9.00” x 11.00” x .75”; 220 pages

Weight: 2lbs, 6oz; 1.08kg

Caution - Toxins

The frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms (HAB) are escalating in seas and oceans globally due to climate change and other factors such as increased nutrient inputs (nitrogen and phosphorus) from human activities. HAB are primarily composed of dinoflagellates (single-celled organisms with two flagella) common in marine and estuarine environments. Many HAB contain natural toxins that cause a variety of poisonings in humans (e.g. diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, paralytic shellfish poisoning, and ciguatera poisoning).

Interpretation of red tide based on photograph from National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, New Zealand with permission.

Karenia brevis (dinoflagellate in Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean shore, and Gulf Stream north to Delaware) causes neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) in humans who eat shellfish containing brevetoxins produced by the dinoflagellate. NSP can cause slurred speech, dizziness, nausea, parathesis of lips, mouth, and tongue, vomiting, ataxia, and in some, partial paralysis and respiratory distress. Brevitoxins are not destroyed by cooking or freezing shellfish.

Interpretation of harmful algal bloom based on Copernicus satellite image in Marmara Sea..

Pyrodinium bahamense (an equatorial dinoflagellate) causes paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in humans who eat shellfish containing saxitoxins produced by this dinoflagellate. PSP causes nausea, vomiting, parathesias (tingling and pricking sensations), coordination loss, speech defects, and death. Saxitoxins are not destroyed by cooking or freezing shellfish.

Interpretation of harmful algal bloom in Barents Sea photograph by Envisat.

Gambierdiscus toxicus (an equatorial dinoflagellate) contain the toxin ciguatoxin which causes ciguatera poisoning in humans who eat fishes high on the food chain (barracuda, moray eel, grouper, amberjack, sea bass, sturgeon, parrot fish, surgeonfish, red snapper among others). Ciguatera poisoning presents as diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, itchiness, numbness, weakness, and sensitivity to hot and cold. Ciguatoxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.

Dinophysis toxicus (distributed globally) and related dinoflagellates can cause diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) in humans who eat shellfish containing with okadaic acid produced by the dinoflagellate. DSP causes diarrhea (most common), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Okadaic toxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing shellfish.

Dispatches from the field (21 MAY 2021)

Colleagues (Emmanuel Frimpong, Kyle Strom, and Hosein Foroutan) from VA Tech and I (University of Richmond) plus a half platoon of graduates students are conducting a collaborative research: An interdisciplinary approach to understand selfish parental care of egg and larvae in mixed-species communal nest breeding freshwater fishes. Yesterday (21 May 2021) was the first day that we observed nest construction and spawning in Nocomis leptocephalus, Bluehead chub and its nest associates. Water temperature was 16.5 C at 1206 hours EDT. We filmed behaviors for four hours using three cameras (one from above the surface of the water to give context to all behaviors and two underwater cameras for details of behaviors). Below is a short, low resolution clip of HD video of behaviors of fishes over nests. Stay tuned.

Mixing

Interpretation of 2013 NASA satellite image of thermal mixing of an area of Gulf Stream waters of coast of North Carolina. White and lighter colors represent warmest waters; magentas and blue are cooler waters.. Oil on canvas (48x48”)©Eugene G. Maurakis, Ph.D. 2021.

Plastic Oceans

My colleague and co-producer, Tyler Rhodes, and I are so honored to have received the award, Best Short Film, in the RVA Environmental Film Festival. Here is the link to the University of Richmond Press Release. http://bit.ly/Maurakis-Film-Award