As humanity barrels ahead, promoting commerce at the expense of the environment, dolphins and porpoises suffer the consequences of human behavior. Dolphins and porpoises, meanwhile, can indicate whether a marine environment is healthy, and whether the fish are fit for consumption.
The intent of the film is mainly educational, focusing on the threats that dolphins and porpoises face and the importance of monitoring their population. The documentary begins with some information about the different species of odontocetes in the world that are endangered, explaining that what these species have in common is proximity to humans. While the species of dolphins and porpoises living near the U.S. shoreline are not endangered, we really don’t know much about how their populations are doing. This film is designed to raise some awareness on this topic.
The project includes interviews with scientists from the Taras Oceanographic Foundation in West Palm Beach, FL; the Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute in Melbourne Beach. FL; the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network in Charleston, SC; the University of North Florida Dolphin Research program in Jacksonville, FL; the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, FL; the National Marine Fisheries Services in Woods Hole, MA; Whale and Dolphin Conservation in Plymouth, MA; the International Fund for Animal Welfare in Orleans, MA; and the Environmental Institute of the State of Santa Catarina in Florianopolis, Brazil.
To view a trailer of the documentary, click here.