Documenting global coral reef restoration

Entry for video contest: PADI Sea the Change Conservation Contest

For the last two years, I have been filming coral restoration projects for my doumentary on destruction caused by mass bleaching events, and the efforts to bring hard corals back to effected places. Part of my mission as a filmmaker is to educate people as to the importance of coral reefs, how mass bleaching is linked to global warming, and how to protect corals as best we can. In addition to making a documentary, I also help each of the non-profit organizations that are working towards coral restoration by providing them with video material they can use for their own efforts at education and outreach - without any cost to them. I donate my time, equipment and expertise. It's my way of giving back to help support the effort. I also actively participate in each project I documented. In this video I explain my cause, as well as tell an abridged version of the documentary story by showcasing some of the clips from these videos.

The restoration efforts I have been following with my camera include:
Global Coral Reef Alliance, Gili Trawangan, Indonesia
Coral Restoration Foundation, Florida Keys

and protection efforts:
Ocean Earth in association with Kosrae Village Resorts, Kosrae, Micronesia

I have no funding, no sponsors, and no source of support other than my day job as a TV cameraman. I still have several months of costly post-production ahead before I am finished with the documentary for release. I may only be helping other great ecological minds tell their own story, but I like to think that my efforts will go a long way to educate people who would never otherwise know the importance of corals to humanity, and what we stand to lose when they are gone. Thank you for supporting my entry.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• PADI_Sea_the_Change_Conse
• PADI_-_The_Way_the_World_
• environment
• diving
• underwater
• coral
• reef
• restoration
• scuba
• GCRA
• kosrae
• gili
• trawangan
• conservation
• Global Coral Reef Alliance
• Coral Restoration Foundation
• global warming
• florida
• keys
• nature

[TheSethpian]

I just want to thank all my friends around me and across the world, my co-workers at Turner, my family, the alumni of CHS, the people who support coral restoration efforts and marine restoration programs, the Global Coral Reef Alliance, the Coral Restoration FOundation, OCean Earth, Kosrae Eco Village, Big Bubble Diving, the Gili Eco Trust, Deep Sea Divers Den, and everyone supported and voted in the PADI Sea The Change video contest. Without your help, the message would never get out.

[TheSethpian]

A big thank you to everyone who voted for me the last seven months during the PADI Sea the Change conservation video contest.

[provitapax]

Kudos! Not only is your cinematography beautiful, it is inspiring.

[TheSethpian]

@provitapax thanks for the kind words. I do my best to help people fall in love with the underwater world. Education in both its nature and beauty is the only way to help people care about it.

[TheCobaltMonkey]

There needs to be more human beings like you. This has inspired me to help restore the hard coral reefs and in fact I can see myself doing this in the future. Hopefully you can reach the new generations and inspire them to live a more environmentally friendly life. Unfortunately it seems that the world is being run by very old fashioned people who have the thought process that the way they've always done things is the right way. Best of luck to you.

[provitapax]

Yes, education through novel approaches like watching your videos, in this digital age of kids texting and constantly playing games on blackberries, might be the ONLY way to introduce the real world to youth...