Marine art featured at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters in May

The work of Bird Rock Coffee Roaster’s May artists — Mark Rosen and Ralph Pace — create a bold and conscious vibe in the art and music collective this month at 5627 La Jolla Blvd.

Artist Rosen has produced a new collection of dynamic abstracts in his signature bold style.

Environmental photojournalist Pace is showcasing his most amazing photo, a 140-pound Opah fish off the coast of San Clemente. Known to be the only full-bodied warm-blooded fish, Pace’s shot of this rare fish in its natural habitat was featured in National Geographic magazine.

Pace brings his love of marine science to a conscious level by using it to create awareness on environmental issues. Each photo is framed (with reclaimed oak wood once used to store Prussian helmets), by his father Oz Pace, a famous Virginia artisan, framer and woodcrafter who has his work hanging in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Pace said always had a strong appreciation for nature.

In 2009, he moved to San Diego to attend graduate school at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) to study marine conservation. There he used an economic value of a surfing break and photography to stop the construction of a marina project that would ruin a lagoon, critical sea turtle nesting habitat and a world-class surf break in Puerto Escondido, Mexico.

After working in the traditional marine sciences, he said he realized he could have a broader impact if he focused on using photography as a way to raise awareness and educate the public about the issues the world’s environments are facing.

Using his education in science, Pace works with scientists, nonprofits and governmental agencies to act as an interpreter to simplify scientific messages through imagery to help push conservation agendas.

Pace has worked with The Nature Conservancy, PEW, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Whale Trust Maui, Sea Turtle Conservancy, Parque National Tortuguero, Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (P.I.E.R), Medical Missionaries, Sportfishing Association of California and SIO.

His works have been published by National Geographic, Nature, Smithsonian, GEO, Discover, Science et Vie Junior, National Wildlife Magazine, Sportdiver, National Wildlife, Sportfishing Magazine, Golf Range, Southern Fried Science and the Weather Channel. See more of his work at ralphpace.com