Ocean Not Mars: Art, Science, and The Restoration of the Florida Keys

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is proud to partner with artist and advocate, Barbara Boissevain.

Oceans Not Mars is a photographic and mixed-media project that centers on ocean restoration and the fragile systems that sustain life underwater. Developed from images made while diving during my residency at The Studios of Key West (June 2025) and refined through subsequent studio work, the series explores coral reef recovery in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, one of the most biodiverse marine environments in the world.

Oceans Not Mars explores our human footprint in the ocean, suggesting that before seeking life on distant planets, we might look more closely at the life already in motion here on our own fragile little planet.

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Host or Publisher National Marine Sanctuary Foundation