Planet Ocean

Can we imagine a film that would change the way people look at the ocean? Can we explain simply, to everyone, the greatest natural mystery of our planet? And lastly, can we help our children believe in a better and more sustainable world tomorrow?

This is the triple challenge of a new cinema adventure signed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and editor- in-chief Michael Pitiot, who brings with him the scientific missions of TARA, a unique pool of researchers, oceanographers and biolo- gists from several countries. Thanks to its astonishing photography, the film takes us on a magnificent and unprecedented journey into the heart of the least known regions of our planet.

The film narrates the most marvelous and also the most terrifying human experiences of our time. Filmed in extreme geographical conditions all over the globe, it describes the modern Odyssey of people who go out to discover their blue planet.

The film is also a plea for humanity to respect the world in which we live. It serves a noble and universal cause that will be defended at the next Earth Summit, in Rio, in 2012.

via PLANET OCEAN.

What's New

Virtual dive in the Great Barrier Reef

Heron Island is a coral cay located near the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern Great Barrier Reef, 72 km north-east of Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, and 539 km north of the state capital Brisbane. The island is situated on the leeward (western) side of Heron Reef, a fringing platform reef of significant biodiversity, supporting around 900 of the 1,500 fish species and 72% of the coral species found on the Great Barrier Reef (Wikipedia).

Google have partnered with The Catlin Seaview Survey, a major scientific study of the world’s reefs, to make these amazing images available to millions of people through the Street View feature of Google Maps. The Catlin Seaview Survey used a specially designed underwater camera, the SVII, to capture these photos. For further views please see the Google Street view Ocean gallery. For more information about the Catlin Seaview Survey please view their website.

Science

The Story of Sharks

This film, through humor, simplicity, and scientific theory, describes our predicament with a drastically declining shark population worldwide, and offers a new perspective on how to view the most feared fish on our planet. Through stop motion, we tell the story of our ocean’s greatest predators by focusing on the vital role they play in our economies, ecosystems, and cultures. It is the story of our decision between an ocean with, or without, them. It is the story of how we only have one logical choice left. It is the story of sharks.

Management

Coastlines and Culture in Brazil: Abrolhos Seascape

Conservation International’s (CI) video about their work in the Abrolhos Seascape. Field Chronicles is a series where each episode showcases successful CI programs. This episode presents CI’s work in expanding marine protected areas in Abrolhos, Brazil, home of the greatest concentration of marine life in the South Atlantic. The focus is on the extreme challenges CI’s marine team faced, and how they overcame them through community involvement and amplification. This episode also is a good example of CI’s new mission in action as promoting green economies is key to the CI team’s strategy. Also featured is the discovery of the largest rhodolith beds in the world- an area the size of El Salvador!

Uncategorized

Conserving coral reefs

Not Strictly Seabed

David and Goliath

As part of the National Geographic Photo Competition, this image entitled David and Goliath was taken diving with a large group of Bigeye travellies at Cabo Pulmo National Park, Mexico. More information about the National Geographic Photo Contest can be found at the link and Octavio Aburto’s Facebook page.