top of page
Writer's pictureGeoffrey C. Smith

The Patina Journal - Tarpons Artist Blog

Geoffrey diving in the water to take pictures of the life on the sea floor

In this artist blog, we take a deeper look at tarpons, watch Geoffrey's video blog showing him creating an icon, and share with you an interesting article about the economy of the ocean.

As always, we invite you to stop by and see us at the studio.

Thank You!



"Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance."

~Theodore Roosevelt


Geoffrey standing on the edge of a boat fishing surrounded by shallow water and plant life

Geoffrey looking for inspiration


Tarpon are large air-breathing fish of the genus Megalops. They may be found on the eastern Atlantic coast from Virginia to Brazil, throughout the coastal Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. They can be found in both saltwater and freshwater habitats, usually ascending rivers to access freshwater marshes. They are able to survive in brackish water, waters of varying pH, and habitats with low dissolved O2 content due to their swim bladders, which they use primarily to breathe. They are also able to rise to the surface and take gulps of air, which gives them a short burst of energy. The habitats of tarpon vary greatly with their developmental stages. Stage-one larvae are usually found in clear, warm, oceanic waters, relatively close to the surface. Stage-two and stage-three larvae are found in salt marshes, tidal pools, creeks, and rivers. The habitats are characteristically warm, shallow, dark bodies of water with sandy mud bottoms. Tarpon commonly ascend rivers into freshwater. As they progress from the juvenile stage to adulthood, they move back to the open waters of the ocean, though many remain in freshwater habitats.



Sculpture Spotlight


Silver King stainless steel sculpture of a tarpon leaping by artist Geoffrey Smith

The Silver King above & The Tarpon in Waves below


leaping tarpon bronze sculpture by Geoffrey Smith


The Artist's Telegraph


The Tarpon Episode, Video Blog



Community News


a beautiful waterscape in Jardines de la Reina, Cuba, showing a single spot of plant life in the middle of the water and a lightly cloudy blue sky

Lastly, I want to share with you an article I read in the Economist. This article explains that if the ocean was an economy, it would be the world's 7th largest economy by GDP.

I think it is worth a read.

~photo by Geoffrey, Jardines de la Reina, Cuba



4 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page