We’re a few weeks into our “new normal” with COVID-19, and I know it has been really, really hard for many of us. I keep reminding myself (and I hope you are too!) that this won’t be the normal forever.
We are all in this together, and we will come out of this—together.
I want to be clear—I don’t claim to be an expert in our current situation. But I do have experience with working with scientists and policy makers on big problems. Although this is a difficult time, I see a lot of things that make me incredibly hopeful.
First, I am in awe of the scientists who are working around the clock to develop and test testing and treatments for the virus, and ultimately a vaccine, at breakneck speed. Every day we are learning more about this novel virus, which brings us closer to learning how to beat it. Here at Ocean Conservancy, we know first-hand how the solutions to our ocean’s biggest problems need to be based in science. Seeing the scientific advances happening around COVID-19 in real time is truly remarkable.
I want to especially acknowledge all of the brave and essential frontline workers—from nurses, hospital cleaning staff, researchers and doctors to those working every aspect of critical supply lines that keep us fed and with essential supplies. We have never appreciated you more, and never needed you more than now.
Second, I am encouraged every day by the acts of kindness, big and small, of people around the world as we collectively deal with this crisis. From people dropping off groceries to their elderly neighbors to university research labs donating their spare gloves and masks to hospitals, people are finding incredible ways to help one another. Empathy and compassion are critical right now. I hope you, like me, feel hopeful each time you hear one of these stories.
We are doing everything we can to help stop the spread of the virus and ease the strain on our incredibly brave healthcare workers. We are fortunate that we can largely continue our ocean conservation work remotely, and we are doing our best to keep up the momentum for a healthy, sustainable ocean.
In times like these, I remind myself to look to the ocean and take comfort in its strength and resilience. Even if you don’t live by the ocean, I encourage you to do the same by taking a minute to watch our new video:
The priority right now is the health of our staff, supporters and friends. That means you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know how you’re doing—we would love to hear from you on Twitter or Facebook. I’m especially interested to know what keeps you inspired during this time.
One of the joys of working for Ocean Conservancy is pursuing our mission to bring the ocean to everyone—especially in this time where many of us are confined to our homes. We will continue to bring you ocean news and stories on our blog and social media, and we hope you will join us.
In the meantime, I hope you and your loved ones stay healthy and safe. Please take care of yourselves (even if that means turning off the news for a few minutes and watching some more soothing ocean videos).
And remember, we are here for you. We will get through this—together.
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I don’t know about you, but as I’m adjusting to staying home and social distancing there are some days where I just want to do something good. While social distancing is by far the best action anyone can take right now, we can still help other causes we care about.
One of the issues that I care about most is climate change. Climate change is altering the very makeup of our natural world, including the ocean! And I’m here to share with you some ways you can make a difference for our climate while also protecting our shared public health.
But before we get to how each of us can help, it helps to remember that it isn’t any one person’s responsibility to fix climate change. This will take a coordinated effort by all of us and it requires systemic change in our industries and governments to truly tackle climate change. While climate change is a massive and daunting challenge, if we all take action in our own small ways, we CAN make a difference. We have the opportunity to stop climate change from continuing to worsen and we have a chance to protect the planet we all love.
As Mary Annaïse Heglar, a self-described Climate Person and writer, wrote in a recent essay (which I highly recommend you read):
“The world is not falling apart in front of our eyes so much as it is falling into our hands. What will happen if we’re brave enough to catch the falling pieces?”
With that said, there are a few things we can each do now from home to help take action against climate change. And even better, we can all continue following these steps once the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
1. Talk about it
It might seem silly in the time of social distancing to recommend talking to people, but I, for one, find myself on the phone with family and friends way more often than I did before. One of my personal climate communications heroes is climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, and one piece of advice she routinely gives is that talking about climate change is one of the best things anyone can do to help. Talk about it with your friends, your family, maybe even your coworkers. Maybe they already care about the issue or maybe they don’t, but the only way to find out and possibly motivate others to take action is to talk about it.
If you’re talking to someone who doesn’t really care about climate change or even denies its existence, one of the best ways to communicate with them is by talking about why climate change is important to you personally and finding some common ground. Don’t try to bombard them with facts and information thinking that will win them over. Instead, find out what you both care about and talk about why climate change is important to you in relation to that shared value—whether it’s SCUBA diving among coral reefs or protecting your homes from stronger storms and flooding.
Finally, finish with a specific solution. Oftentimes people are scared by thinking that any solution to climate change will dramatically hurt their lives or livelihoods. But when people hear actual solutions that are applicable and doable in their communities they’re more likely to get on board.
2. Get involved
There are many different organizations and environmental campaigns that could use your help. While many of us may not be in a position to contribute monetarily, we can still donate our time. A lot of organizations are looking at new ways to carry on their work virtually, whether it’s the climate strikers taking their strikes to social media or more traditional nonprofits considering how to substitute virtual and remote experiences for the in-person events they used to hold. If you have the time and capability to help out, reach out to one of your favorite climate organizations or campaigners to see if there’s anything you can do to help from home.
3. Tell your elected officials that climate change matters to you
Just as when you’re talking to someone who may not be concerned about climate change, tell your elected officials why climate change is important to you as their constituent. Do you live in a coastal community that is at risk from sea level rise? Are you a fisherman who’s witnessing your catch decrease as fish populations move away in search of cooler water? No matter what it is, if you make it personal and local to the jurisdiction your official represents then you have a better chance that they will actually listen.
And finally, you can sign up to receive alerts from organizations like ours that let you know when and how you can take action by signing letters that tell our government they need to protect our climate and ocean.
As we’re learning through the COVID-19 pandemic, it takes all of us to truly make a difference. Right now we need to all stay home and limit our physical contact as much as possible to stop the spread of the virus. If we can take that lesson of communal action and apply it to climate change, then we can help not only our ocean but the entire planet.
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People look forward to the return of many things in spring: daffodils, asparagus, migrating birds, baseball. For me, spring signals the beginning of our season of trash cleanups. This year is certainly different, but it doesn’t mean our commitment to keep trash out of the ocean is taking a break. We are fortunate enough to continue our work to protect our ocean.
If you’re looking for ways to make a difference while also helping to #FlattentheCurve, here are some ways you can help us stem the tide of ocean plastics.
1. Learn about Marine Debris
We have educational resources for all ages to dive into:
Talking Trash & Taking Action is Ocean Conservancy’s marine debris education program geared for youth. The learning materials can be adapted for a variety of ages. Our Instructor’s Guide is based on the latest scientifically sound information and is chock-full of lessons and activities that will introduce your kids to the marine debris problem. It will also help them to be informed and think creatively around solutions to preventing ocean trash altogether. The program is built around a cleanup activity, which can be skipped or done on a smaller scale, while respecting social distancing rules. If you’re looking for a place to start, check out this word search and mad lib.
Our partners at The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) have created an online guide of education materials. Their Parent Survival Series provides weekly activities for students K-12 that will spark interest in the marine environment. As part of this series, they have lessons around marine debris for you to use at home.
We’re excited to partner with the University of Toronto Trash Team to present live readings with guest authors and scientists ready to dive into the exciting world of trash. Litter-ature for Waste Litter-acy is a four-week program where we dive into children’s books about plastic pollution in the ocean with very special guests ready to answer questions and inspire action. You can read more about the exciting line up here.
2. Turn Trash into Treasure
During this time, I find myself valuing what I have. Quarantine is a great time to practice the “reuse” part of the Three Rs. Here are some ideas of crafts you can do at home:
Not only is this a way to beef up your crafting skills at home, you are also preventing items from ending up as trash. You could even turn it into a social event and host a virtual craft party for everyone to learn how they can breathe beautiful new life into their disposables.
3. Become a Digital Advocate
You can support legislation to stem the tide of ocean plastics from home. For instance, the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act provides a sweeping set of policy measures which would aggressively reduce plastic waste and prevent it from entering the ocean from the start. You can use this time to contact your representatives in Congress and ask for their support. Together we can take a critical step forward in the fight against ocean plastics.
4. Reduced Waste (Where You Can)
We all need to stay safe and some items need to be sealed or packaged in plastic for medical and health reasons. Yet there are still ways we can reduce waste when ordering online. Look for vendors or options that minimize plastic packaging as much as possible. Batch online orders or, when possible, order things in bulk instead of individually-wrapped. Even the smallest steps can make a big impact for our ocean. To help #QuittheCutlery, some takeout vendors will forgo giving you plastic utensils if you ask them. You can even make DIY paper straws at home so you can continue to #SkiptheStraw.
As we continue to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ocean Conservancy is encouraging everyone, including our staff, partners, supporters and volunteers, to continue to practice social distancing to ensure our health and safety. While we may not be able to attend cleanups now, we can still help keep trash from reaching our ocean.
Today is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. In 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated on the first day of spring in the Western Hemisphere. It was a perfect time to celebrate the Earth as it was undergoing its annual rebirth. People went out and enjoyed the sunshine while raising awareness about the critical need to protect our environment. Fifty years later, it is one of the largest secular holidays on earth, celebrated by more than a billion people each year.
This Earth Day is different, as every day is different during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We may not be able to go out and enjoy fellowship in the sunshine like the first celebrators of Earth Day, but that doesn’t mean we cannot celebrate it at all. This year, we have a wonderful array of opportunities that both honors our progress in the past fifty years and continues the charge to protect our environment for generations to come.
1. Take 24 Hours of Action on Earth Day
The Earth Day Network has 24 hours of virtual opportunities to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
Join them for 24 hours of action, featuring a new action every hour today. These are actions that you can take right now and from your own home to continue our collective fight for the planet.
Make your voice heard in the global digital surge by participating in the social media storm. Join them with the hashtag #EarthDay2020 to flood digital platforms with messages of hope, optimism and action to keep environmental action front and center in our collective global conversation.
Watch the Earth Day Live livestream with video messages from former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, actor and activist Zac Efron, former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, media personality Van Jones, Grammy Award-winning musician Ricky Kej, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and more.
2.Watch Our Live Conversations
We’ll be sharing a special interview with Captain Benny Blanco, Flamingo light tackle charter captain and clean water advocate, and our own J.P. Brooker, Senior Manager & Policy Counsel for Florida Conservation, for Ocean Conservancy about their work in Florida conservation. Tune in today, April 22 at 5:00 pm EST.
George Leonard, Chief Scientist, and Becca Robbins Gisclair, Senior Director of Arctic Programs, will be joining the Centerplate head chef for the Mariners about sustainable seafood and helping fishermen. Head over to Centerplate’s Facebook page today, April 22 at 12:00 pm EST to learn more.
Ships connect the world. Unfortunately, fossil-fueled ships also destroy it. Dan Hubbell, Shipping Emission Campaign Manager at Ocean Conservancy will be talking about ways to get ships off fossil fuels. Attend the webinar today, April 22, at 3:00 pm EST.
During this unprecedented time, here at Ocean Conservancy, we are fortunate to be able to continue working to protect the ocean. We are honored to celebrate our ocean this Earth Day with a very generous gift from our Board of Directors and generous donors. Every gift you donate will be triple matched—up to $100,000—making one gift reach three times as far for our ocean. If you have the resources to give at this time, celebrate Earth Day by supporting our work.
4.Find Inspiration at the Earth Optimism Summit
This free digital event showcases stories of both small and large-scale actions that demonstrate that success is possible. Explore some of the incredible sessions starting today and running until April 26th:
From Coral Reefs to Floating Cities: Two visionary inventors, one a marine biologist and the other an architect, discuss ways they are designing solutions to seemingly impossible problems.
Climate Change and Coastal Cities: Political and business leaders join scientists in a discussion of how we are restoring and building resiliency and sustainability into our port cities, where most of our people live and the majority of our economy is based.
Big Thinking on Land and Sea: On land and in the ocean, in cities and rural landscapes, conservation leaders discuss saving species, protecting places, and uniting people with the natural world.
Environmental Justice: Individuals from different backgrounds discuss their work with communities to address environmental challenges and bring people closer to nature at both local and global scales.
A View from the Ocean: Find out how the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is working to help preserve and restore the health of the ocean and the organisms that depend on it.
Bearaby:Bearaby, the sustainable weighted blanket company, believes that all companies—big or small—have a duty to protect our planet. Bearaby’s weighted blankets are made from sustainably-sourced wood pulp. For the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Bearaby is launching the Ocean Napper. Hand-knit and dipped in non-toxic, water-based dye for a unique, blue to white gradient effect, this limited-edition weighted blanket aims to raise awareness for plastic pollution in our ocean. The Ocean Napper is fully biodegradable on land and water, and Bearaby is donating $50 from each Napper sale to Ocean Conservancy through April 30th, with a guaranteed minimum donation of $10,000.
Earth Day comes every year. This year’s celebration might be a little different, but it is a testament of the positive impact of our hard work and our enduring commitment to the environment. No matter how you celebrate it, we hope you take a moment to thank yourself for being such a wonderful friend to our ocean.
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For the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we’re celebrating our blue planet through a contest that highlights people’s connections to, and experiences of, the ocean, the blue heart of our planet. Marine Conservation Institute invites you to enter our Ocean Photo Contest to celebrate our deep connection to our blue planet!
When Earth Day began in 1970, it was the culmination of an environmental movement that began decades before, inspired by the prescient writings of a marine biologist who saw ecosystems in decline all around her: Rachel Carson. The first images of Earth from space highlighted how fragile the balance of life is on our planet. Seeing our home planet as a delicate blue pearl drifting in the emptiness of space emphasized two key realities: that the planet we call Earth is really mostly Ocean (evident in the savoy blue color of Earth photographed from space), and that ours is a fragile home that necessitates better stewardship.
Arthur C. Clarke wrote: “How inappropriate to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Ocean.” We couldn’t agree more, hence our focus on the ocean this Earth Day. Environmentalist James E. Loveluck, in 1979 added: “Nearly three-quarters of the Earth’s surface is sea, which is why those magnificent photographs taken from space show our planet as a sapphire blue globe, flecked with soft wisps of cloud and capped by brilliant white fields of polar ice.”
The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words encapsulates the importance of early pictures of Earth from space to awakening an environmental movement half a century ago. The importance of those images of a “sapphire blue globe” inspired us to initiate our Ocean Photo Contest, to emphasize our planet’s living ocean. The ocean holds more than 95% of all livable space on Earth, and is the defining factor driving the composition of our atmosphere, the mild climate variations we have, and much more. Earth Day is at its essence a celebration of our ocean planet, the only planet that we know dominated by a watery world that both hosts unique life and makes life possible outside of it.
To participate, send us a picture taken by you, that includes the ocean in part of all of the frame (underwater images count!), along with a caption that describes the story behind the picture and the connection you felt to the ocean the moment you took it to enter to win! We’ll have prizes for the top three winners of our Ocean Photo Contest: A $100 Sand Cloud gift card for the winner, a $50 Sand Cloud gift card for the runner-up, and a Sand Cloud water bottle for third place.
We hope finding an image that captures your connection to the ocean inspires you, and our community who will vote on submitted images ahead of World Ocean Day, June 8th. These pictures can become powerful drivers of awareness and action to protect our ocean, fitting into a tradition where stunning photography catalyzes action at scale. Can anyone forget the 1968 photograph of Earth rising above the moon’s surface taken by the Apollo 8 astronauts?
from On the Tide https://ift.tt/34TADai https://ift.tt/2x2s3cM
The big changes happening all around us right now might be causing you to reflect on what’s important to you? A change of career perhaps? This guest blog from Gili Shark Conservation might help!
It’s usually a long time coming. You don’t just quit your job. You think about how to quit your job for a long time before you finally have the guts to pull the plug. There are 100 questions to answer: “What if I can make it better? What if I’m making the wrong decision?” If you think about it that often and hard, you should have quit your job a long time ago!
Upon reflection, these are the four reasons I quit my job for an epic lifestyle change. Marine conservation and scuba diving life here I come!
I didn’t love it. But I love so many things!
I love so many things in life. So why on earth did I not love my job, which I did all day every day?! I have the propensity to be very positive and get excited by a lot of things. It was a sincere waste that one of those things wasn’t what I was spending most of my waking hours devoted to.
I worked in finance (snore, I hear you say). So I spent my days behind the grasp of at least three 22 inch monitors. Enough to make anyone go cross-eyed. The outcome: I made rich men richer. Arguably, a soulless activity. The work was dull and I was bored. I thought there must be a better way to spend my days! I wanted to spend more time doing what I love, and less time doing what I hate.
The golden handcuffs of good pay kept me there for too long. And city life was ‘cool’. Everyone was wearing the season’s latest pattern in Vogue. And everyone was chilling at the ‘vibey-est’ hipster cafes. But we all lived beyond our means. Worldly possessions somehow made the world seem like a better place. Yet these cosmetics didn’t fill the void in my life. That needs filling with sunshine, saltwater, and a sprinkling of sand. I’m more of a chump for the great outdoors, and Mother Nature!
I made the mistake(?!) of seeing the world
I love to travel so I always spent uni summer holidays and a gap year exploring the world. I made the mistake of seeing how other people live their lives. It turns out this meant I could never settle for ‘normal’ anymore.
I’ve always relished being in the great outdoors. I’ve never missed an opportunity to go swimming in the ocean. But when I finally quit my job, I had time to fall in love with it.
I went scuba diving again. I realized I didn’t care about fine dining and fancy bars, but I’m a sucker for a tan and salty skin. And not wearing shoes. And I love Instagram and Facebook, but even more so, I realize the corners of the earth with no service. You get all this in the world of scuba diving.
Drinking local beer, and being with other people who aren’t afraid of sharks! Learning a local language, and tasting the tropical fruits of the world. You can be on the verge of tears because you’ve seen something so magnificent and there are no words to describe it. Behind the protection of your mask, at the mercy of the currents of the ocean!
My great mistake of seeing what was out there in the world meant that I had to see more! I had to quit my job and pursue scuba diving life and my passion for marine conservation.
I’m a millennial, so I want to have a positive impact on the world
It’s in my blood. I was born this way! ‘Millenials’ as we are stereotyped, have an innate desire to do some good for the world. This is according to popular culture and a bunch of articles online. I always tried to put a spin on my old job, of how it was somehow doing good in the world. But the line of reasoning was convoluted. And job satisfaction hinges on making a difference, and I didn’t feel like I was. Did I want to be a tiny cog in a massive machine?
I wanted to do something more wholesome than slaving away in demonified world of finance. A job in marine conservation was calling me. I love scuba diving and wanted to use that passion in a beneficial way.
I didn’t want to only do my Divemaster course. I wanted to contribute more to what I love – the animals side of things. Gili Shark Conservation’s Scientific Diver and Shark AWARE courses seemed perfect. That is for sure a way to have a positive impact on the world. The world would definitely be a better place if everyone contributed to conservation.
I was already in love with scuba diving and marine conservation
If you ask yourself the right questions, you might be able to realize what it is you should ‘do’ with your life. When reflecting on what on earth I spend most of my time thinking about and doing, the answers were right in front of me. Here’s how I found out, and how you can too!
If you’re an Instagram user, which I’m guessing you more likely are:
What do you like most on Instagram? If I go into my liked photos, there’s an aggressive amount of: @natgeo, @oceanramsay, @fathomlesslife, @oceana, @grumptyturtledesign, and accounts of that genre.
I have been following conservation focussed accounts for a long time. Like plastic-free lifestyle, beach cleanups, sustainable living. I was already living vicariously through people who had a job in marine conservation or scuba diving. The next step was to do it and live it myself.
What are your Instagram saved folders? Of course, I have the standard ‘mates’, ‘travel’, ‘memes’ and ‘animals’ (I assume everyone has these? No?). I also have ‘ocean’, ‘diving’ and ‘conservation’ folders. And these folders are full to the brim with my inspirations.
2. What accounts do I always DM to my friends? Or what do I wish I could DM to my friends if only they cared?! Again, apart from memes, it’s a lot of cute animals. Think bobtail squids, baby humpback whales, dolphins, seals, and nudibranchs. And of course sharks!
3. What do I do outside of work? And of more importance, what do I wish I did more outside of work?
Hang out with friends, drink and eat! That’s what I used to do. Unless I had managed to plan a weekend in the countryside or a ridiculous holiday. But what did I wish I could do more outside of work? To be outside, be with animals, and to do something beneficial for this planet and its inhabitants. If that involves the ocean blue, even better! Scuba diving and marine conservation are in perfect alignment with that.
4. What news articles are your thumb-stoppers!? What do you always read about for fun? Which videos on Facebook make you stop scrolling? Is it the devil rays jumping out of the water? Is it a giant whale shark gracefully flying across your screen? Is it an advert for a beach cleanup in your local area? Maybe you want to have a job in marine conservation but you haven’t acknowledged it yet! That’s what I realized.
If you think enough about anything, it becomes reality. The things I follow online. The things I was wishing I was doing. They manifested themselves into my new reality. Once I had processed this, I had to work out how to make it happen! I don’t have a background in marine science, so how on earth was I going to make that transition? Turns out there are a bunch of opportunities and open doors you just have to look in the right places! Becoming a citizen scientist is possible for everyone. And so is getting a job in marine conservation! There’s a tonne of resources out there to help you work it out.
The glorious outcome of scuba diving and marine conservation
After much research, I was so excited to join Gili Shark Conservation Project. It offers the perfect way to live that scuba diving life and engage with marine conservation. Now I know that quitting your job won’t squash your dreams, changing nothing will! So be brave and make the change.
We want to hear from like-minded people like you! If you have a job in marine conservation, or if you’ve recently quit your job for a career change, message us. Or do you want to get a job in marine conservation or improve your scuba diving skills? If the answer’s yes, why don’t you consider becoming a scientific diver with our research team? The opportunities that could come of it were too exciting for me to miss!
This lovely guest blog from Melissa at The Reef World Foundation is just what you need at this time. Get inspired, learn something new and be poised and ready for when things change!
The events of the last few weeks have left many of us confined to our homes with more time on our hands than usual. For many, that inevitably leads to bingeing TV shows and movies – but it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t learn a thing or two along the way. There are plenty of shows, series and films out there which address the climate crisis, the threats faced by our oceans and give you some inspiration on how you can try to help. Here, we’ve rounded up a few of our favourites.
BBC’S BLUE PLANET & BLUE PLANET II
You won’t be surprised to see us kicking off this roundup with the legend that is David Attenborough. Despite the ocean covering two thirds of the Earth’s surface, we know very little about it. Yet, the spectacular Blue Planet series will give you a fascinating insight into the mysteries of the deep we do know. Prepare to be transported to a range of magical and mysterious underwater ecosystems – and see some events never before seen by human eyes – through the documentary’s magnificent footage
For even more of Sir David, check out Climate Change – The Facts.
MISSION BLUE
“No ocean, no life. No ocean, no us.” Sylvia Earle
From one legend to another, we couldn’t do an ocean-movie roundup without mentioning “Her Deepness” – the inimitable marine biologist, oceanographer, diver and explorer: Sylvia Earle. Mission Blue is a Netflix original documentary which follow’s Sylvia Earle’s journey in trying to raise awareness of the dire threats faced by our oceans. Learn how and why she’s made it her life’s purpose to speak for the ocean, calling for us to protect the ocean in the same way we now protect the land through a global network of marine protected areas.
CHASING CORAL
New Caledonia, March 2016. The Ocean Agency / XL Catlin Seaview Survey
Directed by Jeff Orlowski, this Netflix documentary details a global campaign to research and record the disappearance of coral reefs around the world. It was an ambitious production: with more than 500 hours spent underwater, footage captured in over 30 different countries and over 500 people – including scientists, divers and photographers – coming together to support this film capturing the state of coral reefs and the threats they face.
This documentary, which recorded how some corals glow in vibrant colours in a last desperate effort to survive increasing ocean heat waves – inspired the UN Environment Programme’s Glowing campaign. Glowing aims to make the world take notice of glowing corals and the warning they represent. For more information about the campaign and how you can support it, visit https://www.glowing.org/.
BBC’S SHARK
Love sharks? Want to watch a season with footage of more than 30 different species? Then you’ll love BBC’s Shark series. This wildlife series meets scientists from around the world who are studying the ocean’s apex predators to find out more about their social interactions, courtships, hunting behaviours (they even use analysis of hunting behaviour to predict the most likely time of day for a shark attack) and the things that threaten their survival.
A PLASTIC OCEAN
Today, most people are well aware of the problem plastic poses for our ocean. But back in 2016, when this documentary was made, much less was known about the threat of plastic pollution. What started out as a mission to film blue whales – the world’s largest living animal – changed course when the documentary-maker found plastic waste choking the oceans. The documentary then investigates the scale of the plastic problem and tries to find solutions to save our polluted oceans.
SHARKWATER
“The animal we fear the most is the one we can’t live without.” – Rob Stewart
Humans are killing up to 150 million sharks a year. As a result, shark populations have decreased a staggering 90%. Join filmmaker Rob Stewart in his thrilling quest to find out why people are killing the ocean’s top predator and what he can do to stop it before it’s too late.
QUEEN OF MANTAS
If you love manta rays, and want to find out more about conservation efforts for this enigmatic species, this documentary is for you. Travel to the stunning Mozambican coastline to learn how marine biologist Dr. Andrea Marshall – aka the “Queen of Mantas” – came to the country to study this enigmatic species. Andrea was the first person in the world to complete a PhD on manta rays and now works tirelessly to spearhead conservation efforts for the species. The documentary’s breathtaking underwater footage will transport you to another world, where you’ll learn about these huge, intelligent and graceful animals through incredible close-up encounters.
RACING EXTINCTION
The illegal wildlife trade is believed to be one of the world’s most profitable forms of trafficking, after drugs, guns and humans. In Racing Extinction, a team of undercover documentary-makers go on a daring mission to raise awareness of mankind’s role in the extinction of many species and prevent the world’s sixth major extinction.
FINDING NEMO (& FINDING DORY!)
OK so this popular Disney flick isn’t technically an ocean conservation movie – but its depiction of a bustling coral reefs is beautifully done. AND it’s a great way to teach children (and, perhaps, some adults) never to take marine life, dead or alive.
