Burling and Tuke call on their artistic skills to highlight seamounts at UN Ocean Conference

Today our founders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke took part in a mural painting, calling on their artistic skills alongside other ocean athletes at the side event happening as part of the United Nations’ Ocean Conference (UNOC).

Burling and Tuke are at the global conference being held in Nice, France from 9-13 June.

The mural painting event was designed to showcase the vital importance and ecological significance of seamounts and was hosted by the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.  

The incredible mural was by Chilean artist Payo Söchting in partnership with the Bla! Art Collective and highlights seamounts as critical ocean lifelines.

Why Are Seamounts Part of the Conversation at UNOC?

Seamounts are underwater mountains. Globally, seamounts account for 21% of the ocean floor and provide nutrient-rich habitats for biodiversity – up to 90% of which hasn’t even been discovered yet.

Rich in nutrients seamounts are biodiversity hotspots and hubs for marine life, including migratory species like whales, pelagic fish, albatross and other seabirds that often follow the path of seamounts.

These deep-sea ecosystems play a vital role in ocean and planet health, supporting food chains, storing carbon and maintaining resilience in a rapidly changing climate.

Globally, seamounts are under threat from a range of human impacts including destructive fishing methods like bottom trawling, as well as climate change and seabed mining.