The topic of last night’s Cafe was as intriguing as it was unexpected. Thinking that I was going to hear about the conservation of the marine environment, I was surprised when we were introduced to the beautiful glass art pieces that were made to imitate the ornate intricacies of their living counterparts. The majority of the talk consisted of a screening of the short documentary, Fragile Legacy, which outlines the art’s history and impact it’s currently making in the world.

The glass art, depicting all sorts of marine invertebrates such as flatworms, jellyfish, starfish, and octopuses, dates back early in Cornell’s history to when A.D. White purchased a large number of these sculptures for the use in instructing marine biology. Since then, the art was long forgotten and stored away until Professor Harvell discovered the collection and revitalized it. Harvell talked about her work restoring the art, as well as using it as a tool to draw attention to changing ecosystems of the real world which the art is meant to portray. This project evolved into the making of a film that documents the species represented by the glass pieces. It was fascinating to see how Harvell traveled around the world, from Hawaii to Indonesia, to dive at the few locations where certain species still exist.

Particularly interesting was the story of the starfish that have been dying out rapidly along the west coast of the U.S. since 2013. I remember reading many articles about this tragedy, as thousands of star fish were mysteriously dying and washing up on shore. As a keystone species, the starfish death is especially devastating to the balance of the underwater ecosystem. It was interesting to realize that it was a Cornell professor who identified the virus that is causing this massive devastation ranging from Alaska to Mexico. Unfortunately, according to Harvell, there is nothing to be done. The last two years have brought a worsening of the virus as it has now spread to China, and most recently, Australia. It’s depressing to think about the damage we are unintentionally inflicting upon the balance of the natural world, even down to the smallest marine invertebrates. Although it was gratifying to follow-up with a story I had read about two years ago and hear first-hand about the research being done, it was discouraging to learn that there is no strategy in place for dealing with such misfortunes. I hope that Harvell’s work, both in showcasing the glass art and creating a film about conserving the marine environment, as well as the efforts of others, will have some impact in saving that which deserves to be protected.