skip to main |
skip to sidebar
The BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit will be taking place in Monterey, CA from August 24th through the 29th - and, flat out, it is an event not to be missed for the dedicated ocean conservationist to the mildly curious.
Only in its second year, the festival has grown tremendously in scope and recognition because of the wide range of films, conservation events, and just plain fun and fascinating events for 
people to participate in. There are single and multi-day passes and industry delegate passes, so you can build your schedule accordingly - watch some of the very best ocean films from international filmmakers, take in premiere photo exhibits and discussion panels on a wide range of ocean exploration and conservation subjects, or you can even get out in the field or get wet with some of the top experts in their field.
This year, the festival's 2010 Dr. Sylvia Earle Award will be presented to Dr. Carl Safina, director of the Blue Ocean Institute, who is one of our most dedicated and eloquent environmentalists and who will be giving a special presentation on the status and future implications of the Gulf Oil Spill. There will be other great speakers, like Jean Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle, and many other recognized heavyweights in the field, along with a variety of important seminars and panel discussions. I am pleased and honored to once again be participating in and moderating a Shark Conservation Discussion Panel and I will be joined by Peter Knights (WildAid), Laleh Mohajerani (Adoptashark), Stefanie Brendl (Hawaiian Shark Encounters), and Dr. Greg Stone (Conservation International).
Also, for all you beginning or emerging underwater video filmmakers, I will be conducting an Introductory Underwater Video Workshop that includes 2 dives in Monterey Bay's famous kelp beds along with a classroom workshop.
The films that will be shown range from major productions like Disneynature's Oceans, National Geographic and BBC productions to short films and online-dedicated videos (I have one in this category that will be screened and two that received honorable mentions) - over 60 films total.
The festival events will be taking place in venues throughout the city, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the festival's major sponsors. So you can really plan quite a time for yourself.
The BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit. Come for a day, come for a week. It's going to be one heck of an event.
I just returned from Monterey, California, where a press conference was held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium to announce the relocation of the BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Ocean Summit to the Monterey Peninsula.
I had the pleasure of attending and participating in the inaugural festival that was held last June in Savannah, Georgia, and what I found most exciting with this event compared to others of its kind was that it was more than a film festival, more than an industry event for filmmakers. It was a celebration of the ocean and an opportunity for the general public to learn from those who are dedicated to preserving it, from filmmakers to leading scientists to recognized conservationists.
Savannah, with its "Old South" charm was a great place to hold the first BLUE Ocean Film Festival but, I'm sure for the festival's organizers, the opportunity to put on an event in such a picturesque ocean community with the support of one of the world's leading aquariums and other important ocean-based organizations, well, it's just to good of an offer to pass up.
“Films play a key role in connecting people everywhere with the beauty and wonder of the oceans,” said Julie Packard, Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. “Done well, they can compel people to care more, then do more to protect the oceans. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s expertise is in exhibiting living creatures, but some stories are best told through film. We’re very pleased to support BLUE as the festival’s presenting sponsor. It’s an event we feel is both important and needed.”
For 2010, the festival will be run from August 24th through the 29th with over 50 films to be presented, discussion groups and seminars for both filmmakers and concerned citizens alike, and educational events for kids and grownups of all ages.
At the press conference, Fabien Cousteau, grandson of famed oceanographer and filmmaker Jacque Yves Cousteau, recounted one of his grandfather's favorite sayings, "'People protect what they love. But how can they protect what they don't understand?'"
It is to address that very challenge that events like the BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Ocean Summit exist.
I had a chance to sit in on discussions with CEO Debbie Kinder and her husband, Charles, along with Charlotte Vick, communications director for Dr. Sylvia Earle's Deep Search Foundation, and I can tell you there are some great things planned for this event. Mark your calendar: it's summer time in Monterey with the Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf, and some gorgeous scenic ocean views.
And, of course, the BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Ocean Summit. I'll see you there!
Read complete press release.
Besides being asked about mercury levels in seafood, which I touched on in a recent posting, I also get asked about which seafood to buy in restaurants or markets based on population of the species, healthy aquafarmed, etc. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has for many years provided terrific Seafood Watch pocket guides. These guides, which cover national and regional areas, can be printed and carried in your wallet or purse and are updated annually. 
It's a great way to have a quick reference to insure that your are making sensible choices in healthy seafood. I always carry a couple of guides in my wallet.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has also released a new Sushi Guide and you can view all of the guides on your mobile device browser. Add http://www.seafoodwatch.org to your mobile device's browser list and you'll have the guides right there at the touch of a button.
The concept of "sustainable seafood" works only when we choice seafood that is aquafarmed or whose reproductive capability has not been negatively impacted by overfishing. The Seafood Watch Guides are a great way for all of us to make sensible choices regarding seafood.
When it comes to marine conservation, we have many challenges facing us on a worldwide level. And I would wholeheartedly recommend you support those organizations that are taking the "big picture" approach - groups like Oceana, Seaweb, WildAid, and many, many others.
But , just like the oceans are made up of countless micro-systems - all interacting to produce small and large consequences, there are many organizations that focus on regional issues, perhaps more close to home. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Center for the Future of the Oceans is one example, focusing on issues that impact the California coastline from Marine Protected Areas to Sustainable Seafood initiatives.
Sometimes, when you wade into all of the issues facing our seas today, it can seem a bit intimidating. But by all means, wade in! Start small, start with what you can do - from cutting back on the air conditioning one day a week, using a car wash that recycles water rather than pouring soapy water into the storm drains (which go right out to the sea), or giving some extra thought when you are at the seafood market counter or restaurant. Every little bit helps.
Remember, move a grain of sand and you have changed the entire beach.
While I often place a lot of attention on large pelagic sharks like great whites, there are some other amazing pelagic fish cruising the high seas. Ever seen a swordfish or sailfish up close and personal? These are spectacular, high speed predators that have been known to work in packs to round up schools of potential prey and can reach speeds of up to 68 miles (120km) per hour!
There are groups that organize photo expeditions to see these great beasts. One that is getting a lot of attention of late is Big Animals Photography Expeditions, run by photographer Amos Nauchom.
Unfortunately, billfish populations - particularly swordfish - have been badly decimated by years of commercial fishing. Only a few decades ago , whopping 1000-pounders were common. Today, the average catch is under 100 pounds each. This means sexually immature fish are being caught which adds to their decline by reducing potential breeding capability. The ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna), a consortium of 22 countries, has initiated regulations regarding commercial swordfish catches. But these animals are still very much at that tipping point of possible extinction.
Although I grew up on a weekly serving of swordfish at home, today I shy away from swordfish in restaurants and supermarkets. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program recommends avoiding swordfish that was not caught under U.S. regulated methods. We are losing these animals to indiscriminate longline fishing throughout the world.
The BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit will be taking place in Monterey, CA from August 24th through the 29th - and, flat out, it is an event not to be missed for the dedicated ocean conservationist to the mildly curious.
people to participate in. There are single and multi-day passes and industry delegate passes, so you can build your schedule accordingly - watch some of the very best ocean films from international filmmakers, take in premiere photo exhibits and discussion panels on a wide range of ocean exploration and conservation subjects, or you can even get out in the field or get wet with some of the top experts in their field.
Also, for all you beginning or emerging underwater video filmmakers, I will be conducting an Introductory Underwater Video Workshop that includes 2 dives in Monterey Bay's famous kelp beds along with a classroom workshop.
