Collaborative Wildcoast Project Protects Sea Turtle Nesting Beach

Jacques Guetta is a native of Los Angeles who enjoys traveling and listening to jazz. Additionally, Jacques Guetta is a regular supporter of Wildcoast, an international nonprofit that works toward the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems.

The uninhabited beach near Morro Ayuta, Oaxaca, along Mexico's southern pacific coast is one of 12 beaches worldwide with a massive nesting population of Olive Ridley turtles. In conjunction with the Mexican government, Wildcoast recently completed actions to protect more than nine miles of the beach's coastline. Wildcoast first formed a conservation partnership with Mexico's National Commission for Protected Areas (CONANP) in 2008, and the collaborative effort has since resulted in the protection of more than 1,000 miles of coastline against rising sea levels and coastal development. 

"We are grateful to the government of Mexico for preserving the pristine beach of Morro Ayuta that is crucial for the survival of threatened and endangered sea turtle species," said Wildcoast executive director Serge Dedina following the government's decision to permanently protect the area. The shoreline is also home to critically-endangered leatherback sea turtles and other marine mammals as well as reptiles, amphibians, and birds. In addition to the protection measure, Wildcoast is working with CONANP, SEMARNAT, the Mexican Navy, and the Mexican Turtle Center to monitor and provide surveillance of turtles in the area.

Sun Ra’s Improvisational “Cosmic Swing” Sound

Jacques Guetta is a surfing and travel enthusiast who is studying photography and learning about renewable technologies. A music aficionado, Jacques Guetta particularly enjoys the free-form, improvisational qualities found in jazz. 

One of the most remarkable figures in modern jazz was Sun Ra, who developed a “cosmic swing” style that enabled the development of free jazz. Starting out with the Fletcher Henderson band in the late 1940s as Herman Blount, Sun Ra started his own band in the mid-1950s and successfully synthesized big band traditions and jazz’s African roots. 

Sun Ra’s futuristic vision was embodied in the collective Arkestra, which imagined a utopia in outer space for musical inspiration. Over the years, he explored concepts such as collective improvisation using acoustic, electric, and electronic sounds. 

Sun Ra also pioneered the use of free rhythm and atonality in lengthy compositions. His pioneering works included 1965’s “The Magic City,” which involved “electronic forest sounds” created by instruments such as drums, bass clarinet, flute, keyboard, and the tambourine. As the decades passed, Sun Ra remained true to his vision, which included longstanding collective members with distinctive costumes that embodied the spirit of improvisation.