Winter_2019_AlertDiver3

I never thought I’d lead a dive essay with a quote from Vogue , but here it is from the Dec. 11, 2018, issue: “Pantone revealed its color of 2019 yesterday. It’s called ‘living coral,’ a mélange of orange and blush tones with hints of sherbet, if you haven’t already heard — though it seems that Gigi Hadid clearly got the memo. Seen out on streets of New York City earlier today, Hadid was dressed head to toe in the distinctive hue.” What do Alert Diver and Gigi Hadid have in common? Well, there is scuba diving. She went diving for the first time in December 2017. Her motivation, as reported by W magazine: “‘I also think there should be a female James Bond,’ she said, spelling it out J-A-Y- M-E-S. ’So in my mind, I was like, this is me training for my female James Bond film.’” Beyond that tangential link, we’ve both embraced Pantone 16-1546. Pantone makes the color matching system used in the graphics and printing industries, and their choice of the color of the year is a much-celebrated annual event. For its Dec. 5, 2018, edition, the New York Times interviewed Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, about the selection criteria. “We look at a great many influences,” she said. “This year nature is one of the leading elements in our choice. It speaks to coral reefs. Vibrating living coral in the sunset. Some place we’d want to visit … some of them are endangered. Just like coral nurtures marine life, we want to nurture the color and keep it alive.” If the color choice helps raise a greater awareness of living coral beyond our scuba niche, then our planet benefits. We need a crescendo of mass media pointing to the acute perils facing our coral reefs and the oceans in general. FROM THE SAFETY STOP PUBLISHER’S NOTE 10 | WINTER 2019 ASPIRATIONAL HOPE FOR LIFE: PANTONE’S LIVING CORAL Text and photos by Stephen Frink