Riding the wave of success from its first Beach Days comic book, Cal State Long Beach’s Shark Lab is releasing its next educational endeavor for kids, a 32-page work of art aiming to stress the importance of cleaning up the oceans, and preventing further pollution.
With 8,000 copies to distribute to kids for free, Dr. Chris Lowe, Director of the CSULB Shark Lab, said the goal is “to inform and empower them, but with a fun, colorful story.”
“Beach Days, Save the Waves,” created in collaboration with Dr. Erika Holland, Professor and lead of CSULB’s Aquatic Toxicology Lab, aims to educate beach-going youth and their families on the impact pollution has on the ocean. It also aims to show them how to contribute to the health of its ecosystems, which sometimes can be as simple as picking up after a pet.
The book’s concept was arguably a bit less fun than the first book in the series, “Share the Waves” which taught kids how to approach the ocean safely from a recreational standpoint. But educating kids on the more dire topics, such as the effects of pollution—one panel depicts a sea lion sick with acid poisoning—is a part of Holland’s research. And, of course, it will be the younger generations that make the decisions in the future regarding, well, saving the waves.
“Teaching kids how to be safe when at the beach and how to deal with marine wildlife is important, but teaching them about marine pollution, without depressing them is actually challenging,” Lowe said. “We wanted them to know what kind of pollution is out there, where it is from, and how they can help reduce it. The goal was to empower them, providing them with examples of how they can make a difference.”
Some of those examples include picking up after your pets, riding a bike instead of driving and using fewer household chemicals and fertilizers. More complex topics, such as the Harmful Algal Bloom (above), are broken down into colorful illustrations and step-by-step explanations.
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Artist Ren Bernal, a graduate of CSULB’s School of Art, who was recommended for the job by CSULB School of Art Faculty and artist Kim Dwinell, continued using characters found in “Beach Days, Share the Waves,” which in 2019 offered young readers advice on how to handle riptides, stingrays, jellyfish and sharks. Its cast was originally created by CSULB animation grad, Audrey Hopkins.
Compelled to participate once he heard the book addressed serious topics such as global warming, Bernal said when he was younger, comic books were a huge source of inspiration for him because “they have always had a message to convey.”
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“For me, it was really important to follow the consistency of the series,” Bernal said. “Not only did I want to respect Audrey but also respect the foundation of the series. I changed hairstyles, clothing, so when a reader dives into book two, they’ll see those changes. But, it’s so discreet that it doesn’t take anything away from the character you’re used to. It adds more to the character and the reading experience.”
Guided by the Shark Lab team, Bernal, who was aware of some of the risks facing marine life, was provided information via links, websites and access to the labs, offering him a more thorough understanding of the topic.
“Working with these young artists has been an amazing and fun venture,” said Lowe. “They have such a positive approach to their visual storytelling and since they aren’t biologists or scientists, are learning as they create. I think it makes the books more relatable for kids.”
“I hope Beach Days reaches the hearts of many, and with the knowledge that they’ve received, we can come together and make a difference,” Bernal said.
Copies of “Save the Waves” are being distributed through Jr. Lifeguard programs, the Surfrider Foundation, and local public aquaria for free, thanks to funding for production from the State of California Shark Beach Safety Program and a grant from the Save Our Seas Foundation.
For updates and more information, visit the Shark Lab at csulb.edu/shark-lab and on Instagram @csulbsharklab.