Changing Seas
Changing Seas is a public television series produced by WPBT2 in Miami, Florida. Narrated by well-known voice talent Peter Thomas, this series takes viewers on an exciting adventure to the heart of our liquid planet. The oceans cover roughly 70 percent of the earth's surface and they contain 97 percent of the world's water supply. Nevertheless, only five percent of their vast expanse has been explored - leaving in secret a deep, liquid wilderness yet to be discovered. Regardless, the oceans have long played an important role in people's lives. Currently, more than half of all Americans live within 50 miles of the coast, and that number is rising. It is estimated that by 2025 more than 75 percent of Americans will live along the country's shorelines. Coastal and marine waters support 28 million jobs and draw 189 million tourists a year. While the population's dependence on the oceans as a natural resource and a source for recreation continues to increase, the health of these large bodies of water is rapidly declining. Over-fishing, global climate change, pollution: these are only a few of the threats that the oceans are facing today. At the same time, the seas hold great promise for ongoing medical research, as an untapped source of alternate energy, and other benefits that scientists are just now beginning to discover. Changing Seas goes to sea with explorers and scientists as they uncover new information that could lead to scientific breakthroughs. This documentary series lets viewers experience first-hand how oceanographers and other experts study earth's last frontier, and it sheds light on how human activities are threatening ocean resources.
- 2009-2026
- 18 seasons
- WPBT2
- Documentary, Action & Adventure
Changing Seas is a public television series produced by WPBT2 in Miami, Florida. Narrated by well-known voice talent Peter Thomas, this series takes viewers on an exciting adventure to the heart of our liquid planet. The oceans cover roughly 70 percent of the earth's surface and they contain 97 percent of the world's water supply. Nevertheless, only five percent of their vast expanse has been explored - leaving in secret a deep, liquid wilderness yet to be discovered. Regardless, the oceans have long played an important role in people's lives. Currently, more than half of all Americans live within 50 miles of the coast, and that number is rising. It is estimated that by 2025 more than 75 percent of Americans will live along the country's shorelines. Coastal and marine waters support 28 million jobs and draw 189 million tourists a year. While the population's dependence on the oceans as a natural resource and a source for recreation continues to increase, the health of these large bodies of water is rapidly declining. Over-fishing, global climate change, pollution: these are only a few of the threats that the oceans are facing today. At the same time, the seas hold great promise for ongoing medical research, as an untapped source of alternate energy, and other benefits that scientists are just now beginning to discover. Changing Seas goes to sea with explorers and scientists as they uncover new information that could lead to scientific breakthroughs. This documentary series lets viewers experience first-hand how oceanographers and other experts study earth's last frontier, and it sheds light on how human activities are threatening ocean resources.
Season 2 Episode Guide
4 Episodes 2010
Episode 1
No Fish Left Uncounted
Tue, Jun 1, 2010
How do you count two fish, three fish or even a school of fish? In Dry Tortugas National Park, located 70 miles from Key West, Florida, a group of scientists have joined forces to conduct a massive fish census. In this unprecedented collaboration, experts from four different agencies unite to count and analyze fish data from select sites. Changing Seas follows highly-skilled science divers as they determine the size of fish populations in hopes of better understanding how fishing pressures and environmental changes affect populations of marine resources within the park.
Episode 2
Sentinels of the Seas
Tue, Jun 8, 2010
Bottlenose dolphins are a beloved Florida icon. But recent studies show disturbing signs of immune system dysfunction and disease plaguing this charismatic mammal. These problems might be linked to legacy contaminants and other pollutants which bio-accumulate up the ocean food chain. For decades, toxic chemicals have made their way into the oceans, leaving fish and marine mammals vulnerable. As sentinels of ecosystem health, dolphins potentially hold clues to environmental hazards that could impact humans. Changing Seas visits the world's longest running dolphin research program and other marine mammal centers for a better understanding of the silent threats lurking beneath the waves.
Episode 3
Seagrasses and Mangroves
Tue, Jun 15, 2010
They are an ancient species of flowering plants that grow submerged in all of the world's oceans. Seagrasses link offshore coral reefs with coastal mangrove forests. Today, these "prairies of the sea," along with mangroves, are on the decline globally. Scientists fear the diminishing vegetation could result in an ecosystem collapse from the bottom of the food chain all the way to the top. Changing Seas joins experts in the field as they work to restore Florida's important mangroves and seagrasses. Known as "hotspots of biodiversity," seagrasses and mangroves attract and support a variety of marine life. However, worldwide damage and removal of these plants continue at a rapid pace. Changing Seas travels along Florida's coastline to get a better understanding of the significant roles mangroves and seagrasses play within the state. Can biologists prevent a negative ripple-effect throughout the marine food web before it's too late? How will rising sea levels impact these plants as well at the communities that depend on them?
Episode 4
Sinking the Vandenberg
Tue, Jun 22, 2010
In the turquoise blue waters of the Florida Keys, a new attraction is drawing scuba divers from around the world: The USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg. The Vandenberg is the world's second largest intentionally sunk shipwreck. Prior to being sunk, this mighty ship transported troops to the battlefields of World War II, carried European refugees to distant shores, and later helped win the Cold War. Left abandoned for years as part of a ghost fleet, the Vandenberg has at last found her final resting place - seven miles off Key West, in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. In her last mission as an artificial reef, this massive ship is already attracting a variety of fish and other marine life. Now, natural resources managers are trying to determine what impact this artificial reef has on fish populations and the health of the surrounding natural reefs.
