Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

This project is a transmedia research series that is captured in the stunning format of Ultra-High Definition, or 4k. We explore how life on Planet Ocean, and specifically around the Pacific basin, is inseparably intertwined. Scripps scientists are interviewed about their respective fields of research, and weigh in on their interests, concerns, and the broader scale implications of their work in oceanography. Common anthropogenic stressors take many forms but for this documentary will include (1) Near coastal land development can increase siltation and nutrient loading, which can smother sensitive coral reefs (2) Unsustainable fishing practices are depleting fish stocks in many areas around the Pacific (3) Plastic micro-particles are accumulating in the subtropical oceanic gyres, and overall ocean health is declining (4) Changing ocean chemistry (ocean acidification) is having a direct effect on aqua farms on the Pacific Northwest Coast (5) Whales and fisheries interact, from humpbacks to false killer whales (6) Acoustic soundscapes - from deep ocean ecosystems to shallow reef environments and how sound may be affecting biodiversity (7) Human use of oil-based products is causing increasingly less subtle planetary shifts, adding toxicity to the ecosystem and fueling climate change.