One Ocean Episode 4 - The Changing Sea - The Nature of Things 2010-04-01

From the majestic kelp forests of Monterey Bay to a magical night on a coral reef; from the storm-tossed waters of the mighty North Pacific to the crystal blue of the Mediterranean Sea:  episode four of One Ocean explores some of the most stunning underwater locations in the world as it sets sail on a scientific race – a race to predict the fate of the global ocean and its amazing creatures.

Join us on a journey into the future as we explore The Changing Sea .

Creatures on the Move, Expanding Dead Zones

Our spectacular journey begins at midnight, on the high seas of the North Pacific, as scientists race to unravel the mystery of an invading squid – a voracious predator from the tropics that’s suddenly showing up by the thousands off the coast of Vancouver Island. Is this strange invasion an anomaly or is this sleek and powerful predator a messenger of change, a herald of even more frightening pan-oceanic changes to come?

Boarding the research vessel Elahka , the film then heads out to the sea with fishermen and scientists to discover why thousands of creatures have suddenly disappeared in the deep ocean off Oregon. Is there a toxin in the water? Or is a fundamental change occurring in the global ocean – a change that may transform bountiful ecosystems into oxygen-starved killing zones?

Next, we cruise the stunning coral reefs of Florida and the rugged coastal waters of the sub-Arctic, where scientists are hard at work above the water and below the surface. Their goal? To investigate how increasingly corrosive waters may be threatening some of the most important creatures in the ocean and one of its most diverse and beautiful ecosystems.

Strange Days are Dawning

Strange days are dawning in the global sea. Creatures are on the move. Dead zones are expanding. The foundation of life is slowly eroding. And we are the agents of that change.

Over the past 200 years, human beings have poured more than two trillion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And as The Changing Sea vividly illustrates, that carbon dioxide isn’t just changing the climate on land. It’s transforming the ocean in ways that haven’t been seen for millions of years.

So is mass extinction the inevitable fate of the future sea?  In the waters near a still active Mediterranean volcano, this compelling documentary shows us what the future ocean may look like, if we don’t take action now.

An ode to the power and beauty of the ocean, a warning of all that may be lost if we continue with business as usual, The Changing Sea asks us all one compelling question – are we willing to form a new partnership with the ocean and it’s astonishing creatures? If not, then our future and the future of thousands of other species may hang in the balance.

The series One Ocean is produced by CBC’s the nature of things and Merit Motion Pictures in association with National Geographic Channels International. The Changing Sea is written and directed by Erna Buffie, and produced by Sandra Moore and Merit Jensen Carr. The Executive Producer is Merit Jensen Carr.