We live on a blue planet. Nearly three-quarters of its surface is covered by ocean. Ninety-seven percent of all water is found here – the medium of life for countless marine ecosystems. Because of its vastness, the ocean is often perceived to be invulnerable to human activities. If harm is acknowledged, it is usually thought to be temporary and reversible — something from which the ocean will quickly recover. But growing evidence of long-term damage to marine ecosystems has severely challenged widespread complacency about the resilience of the ocean.
Blue Planet United is helping to educate people about the value of healthy ocean systems and their vital importance for life on Earth. We are assisting in a global campaign to promote “ocean literacy” through our Palau expedition travel course and by producing a series of short videos about marine life for use in classrooms and livingrooms. These educational films are designed to take viewers into the underwater world, to see the wonders of coral reefs, marine lakes, kelp forests, and many of the creatures found there.
There is only one ocean (with multiple basins). It is increasingly affected by sediment runoff, overfishing, climate disruption, hazardous wastes and other toxic chemicals, offshore mining and oil drilling, atmospheric contamination, dredging, tourism impacts on reefs and coastlines, and a host of other threats related to urban, agricultural, and industrial development. Learning about these threats and what YOU can do about them is an important goal of our ocean literacy project, but equally important is enjoying the tremendous natural beauty and ecological wealth that these splendid undersea ecosystems have to offer.
The Palau Expedition
A one-half hour documentary about a unique adventure travel expedition to Palau to study coral reefs and the sustainability of island communities. The purpose of the film is to promote discovery-based experiential learning, organized around an interdisciplinary set of environmental, social, and economic field studies. It includes nearly a dozen segments featuring the views and reflections of participating students and our Palauan hosts. Filmed entirely in the Republic of Palau. Release Date: October 2009
Hidden Reef – The Series
Our Hidden Reef series is currently in production with the first release A Celebration of Coral planned for late 2010.
The Blue Corner is a spectacular underwater wilderness located in the Republic of Palau — an island paradise renowned for its thriving coral reefs and large concentration of reef sharks.
Divers and snorklers come to Palau seeking adventure at more than 75 named sites for underwater exploration. The most famous of these sites, the Blue Corner, protrudes far into the Philippine Sea, like a giant finger of coral, flanked by vertical walls that drop more than 1,000 feet into the abyss. In these gin-clear waters, divers come face-to-face with sharks, rays, sea turtles, and colorful reef fish.
The Coral Corollary
Five hundred miles east of the Philippines, lies Peleliu, an island paradise that was nearly destroyed in 1944, during one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. More than sixty years later, the restored island faces a new threat, this time endangering its spectacular coral reef communities. The Coral Corollary weaves a complex tale about the power of Nature to transform us. Using Peleliu as a microcosm, the film examines the state of innocence, war, beauty, death, and hope in a world wavering between economic obsession and environmental ruin. Planned Release Date: 2010-2011.
