Videos

Science, What's New

Maerl Documentary – A short trailer

Finally I can bring to you the trailer for the maerl documentary! This trailer gives you a small taster of the final hour long documentary film. As a PhD student studying maerl I encountered many researchers with diverse and in-depth knowledge about maerl beds in Ireland and worldwide and felt quite compelled to make this documentary. It includes interviews about marine botany, zoology, ecology, geology and marine geophysics, as well as the threat of anthropogenic impacts on maerl, climate change and possible solutions. Having been busy editing to sew together nine interviews, breathtaking scenery and diving footage. I am now consulting with my team and friends for suggestions of how to improve the near-final cut. Please tell your friends about this film and we hope it will help the next generation of scientists, educators and policy makers to conserve, protect and manage this vulnerable benthic habitat.

2020 Update! Full documentary can be viewed at: https://vimeo.com/130680635

Science

Tasmania’s Disappearing Kelp Forests

Giant kelp forests off of south-eastern Tasmania. Forest locations were Fortescue Bay and Munro Bight. As of January 2013, the forest at Fortescue no longer exists. Reasons attributed to the decline of this kelp forest and numerous others along the east coast of Tasmania include: warming waters, increasing occurrence of invasive species and a disruption of the natural food chain due to overfishing. This video is a tribute to the beauty of these forests in the hope that the attention they are finally getting from the government is not too late to prevent their extinction.

 

Management

Let’s talk about sand

Denis Delestrac made his debut in non-fiction filmmaking in 2001. His latest feature documentary, “Sand Wars” is an epic eco-thriller that takes the audience around the globe to unveil a new gold rush and a disturbing fact: we are running out of sand!

In his talk he explains us where sand comes from and where it ends up. Our perception is that the resource sand will always be available for us but thanks to his investigations we realize that this is not true and that sooner or later we will be running out of sand – and consequently won´t have beaches anymore. See the trailer for Sand Wars on the trailer at the website.

Science

Coastal Monitoring: Terrestrial Laser Scanning of Sand Dunes

The GEOCOAST project is aimed at development of the online educational resource about Ireland’s coastal and marine environments with particular focus on coastal geology and geomorphology. It is envisaged that this project should contribute towards dissemination and outreach of scientific knowledge to the public through the use of modern day technology including online mapping and videos. GEOCOAST produced a dedicated YouTube Channel: GEOCOAST, based at University College Cork. Also check out their website at the following link.

What's New

‘Exploring our Oceans’ MOOC

University of Southampton will be running a MOOC – Massive Open Online Course about ocean science. It is called “Exploring our Oceans.” Further details can be found at the course page on the FutureLearn website.

The first astronauts to leave the Earth’s orbit saw our “blue planet” for the first time. But what lies in the half of our world covered by water more than two miles deep? How are our everyday lives connected to the ocean depths, and what challenges and opportunities does this previously hidden realm hold for our future? In this course you will join scientists exploring the ocean from the deepest undersea vents to the chilly waters of the Poles, going deeper, longer, and more often than ever before – and find how what we now know about the ocean depths is as amazing as the unknown that remains. By taking this course, you will see how the deep ocean is no longer out of reach, and join a global debate about the future of our “blue planet”.

via FutureLearn

Here’s more from Jon Copley:

Uncategorized

Art Inspiring Action to Protect our Oceans

Using art is an essential tool in halting the destruction of threatened species. People only protect what they love—and recognizing this, we can bring the beauty and vulnerability of marine life to mainstream audiences across the globe, fueling a new wave of curiosity and appreciation for the oceans, and inspire the global community to take immediate steps to conserve them.