On Thursday July 24th, the marine forecast did not look good for being out on the water. A busy production schedule could not afford delays, so we decided to head to a nearby island shoreline across the inlet from our boat launch at Fort De Soto. Dr. Ernst Peebles, USF/CMS faculty teaching Biological Oceanography, came to demonstrate and discuss plankton collection. USF/CMS student James Locascio came along to assist.

We also filmed a fish survey performed by Kerry Flaherty and her crew from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). The FWRI team started by setting up a purse seine net around a sea grass area in shallow water, then drawing it close before bringing onboard to record a count of the juvenile fish.

On Wednesday July 23rd, an EISF team joined another R/V Fish Hawk cruise, this time lead by Dr. David Mann with graduate student Peter Simard. An Eckerd College survey team was invited along to photograph and record any sightings of dolphins during the voyage for their ongoing cetacean photo-identification project.

The cruise objective was to deploy passive acoustic sensor systems, devised by Mann and Simard, as well as retrieval of acoustic data loggers that had been recording underwater sound data from existing sensor locations. These sensors are part of a large acoustic array system spread across the West Florida Shelf, developed with the goal of researching the role of oceanographic processes on cetacean distributions.

The second day of production started very early for some of the crew, needing to board the R/V Suncoaster for a midnight departure from the USF/CMS dock. Bunking four to a room, they tried to get some shut-eye on the transit out of Tampa Bay in order to get offshore and arrive on station to service buoys starting at dawn. Their morning started with a quick breakfast and then attended a meeting on the operational procedures. One of the cameramen commented that it sure was a “manly boat” after hearing the potential hazards to avoid during a safety briefing.

The EISF production team returns to Florida for more in-depth investigation into the researchers studying the Gulf of Mexico's red tide. EISF goes into the field with scientists and engineers from the University of Southern Florida (USF) - College of Marine Science  (CMS) and Center for Ocean Technology (COT), Mote Marine Laboratory, along with Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, documenting their collaborative efforts to develop and employ state-of-the-art oceanographic technology to unlock secrets of the red tide's harmful algal bloom.

Dan Powell, EISF's Director of Marine Operations, reports on the Behind-the-Scenes production of this High Definition Documentary Project; voyaging offshore on research cruises, diving into sea grass habitats, and flying over the Tampa Bay area in a helicopter for aerial footage.

After working overtime performing ocean engineering on Navy projects for the last few months, I was so ready for a break. Timing was ripe when Susan Sember, EISF President, called me up and offered tasking to work on an high definition documentary production covering oceanographers researching the red tide, along with another HD documentary production later in the week, on critical sea grass studies. I jumped at the chance to travel back to Florida; it had been years since I took a boat cruise along tropical shorelines or been immersed in the warm Gulf waters.

It’s always an amazing experience when I show people high definition footage, particularly, when it is their first time seeing this high resolution, immersive format. The wonderment, the awe, the total engagement with the content is so rewarding. Further, the spontaneous and even unsolicited brainstorming that transpires when the viewers recognize the unmatched scientific, education and outreach applications of this very special media is additionally satisfying. These same outcomes occurred with our recent mobile high definition screening at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. During a marathon week of 18 hour production days, my team and I were also involved in several high definition screenings in Sarasota and Bradenton Beach, Florida. With the assistance of Brian Greene and his “one of a kind” mobile HD production coach, we took the world of high definition, literally, right to the doors of our selected audiences.

It was a grim sight: a juvenile loggerhead sea turtle splayed in a big black tub; curiously still.

So paralyzed by the potent neurotoxins of Karenia brevis, it was unable to lift its head to breathe while swimming. Instead, it lay motionless on a thick pad of foam, kept moist by a fine mist of water, at the MOTE Marine Laboratory’s Rehabilitation Center.

Loggerheads are benthic, or  bottom feeders. They eat shellfish, crabs, and fish – animals laden with high concentrations of Karenia brevis during red tide blooms like the present one. Over 100 sick sea turtles had been brought in last year and now 2006 numbers were rivaling that count: just another example of the effects of this Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB).

Another 15 minutes.

We arrived painfully early at our rendezvous point at Fort Desoto, Florida after a 45-minute drive – having allowed two hours. The sun was barely poking out of the horizon, and all I could think of at that dawning hour on Tampa Bay, was how I could have stayed in bed another 15 minutes.

Scouting the island for coffee (non-existent at this hour) we stopped instead to capture on HD film the golden sun as it rose from behind the Skyway Bridge. A multitude of seabirds danced their stealth ballet at waters edge, seemingly oblivious to the cars buzzing in the distance. It was a spectacular juxtaposition of natural and man-made elements, and reminded me of the permanence of the footprint mankind has placed on the earth.

Join the EISF production team in Florida as they explore the local red tide – a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) caused by the micro-organism Karenia brevis.

Residents and tourists, scientists and entrepreneurs, doctors and politicians are among the people EISF encounters on this quest to unearth the impact and causes of this naturally occurring, but unwelcome, phenomenon.

Writer/Production Coordinator Betsy Crowfoot reports on the production of the High Definition Documentary Project; spotlighting the fascinating and inspiring work being done to preserve Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast.

It’s the final day of the lionfish research cruise.

The last dive starts early in the morning in darkness, making it difficult to find last year's survey site. The scientists and our underwater cinematographer, Norb, discover, however, a new site that has, according to Norb, “a ton of lionfish.” Norb captures some engaging shots of the lionfish hunting in groups of three and four. The team’s persistence…and patience has paid off.

“Patience is one of the best attributes a wildlife or underwater cinematographer can have,” says Susan Sember, EISF President. “Cinematographers wait for the right light; they wait for the selected species to appear; they wait for the desired animal behavior to occur; they wait for inclimate weather to pass; they wait for the hours to pass when they can make their next dive; and they wait for the often delayed planes and lost baggage to show up.”