Making OCEAN with David Attenborough – a director’s talk
We were delighted to welcome Keith Scholey, co-director of OCEAN with David Attenborough, to speak at Towner Eastbourne on November 26th.
Watching the film was an emotional rollercoaster. We were all moved by the stunning beauty of marine life, shocked by the devastation of industrial fishing processes captured on film for the first time, and uplifted by evidence of recovery where action has been taken to protect ocean habitats.
Keith explained the impetus for the film was to inform discussions at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, and gave us an update of what happened after the film was released.
- An agreement to protect 30% of international waters by 2030 (the High Seas Treaty) was ratified at the Ocean Conference.
- In the UK, bottom trawling is to be banned in nearly a third of our Marine Protection Areas (MPAs). Yes, we were surprised that such destructive practices weren’t automatically prohibited in MPAs too…..
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Keith’s key message was that by protecting the ocean, we ensure more biodiversity, more fish and greater capacity to address climate change – a win for everyone.
Listen to Keith’s talk and Q&A here.
OCEAN free for educational purposes
National Geographic is making the documentary film available to educators at schools, universities, museums, and libraries, and for educational and charitable conferences and events for non-commercial purposes. Apply via the National Geographic website.
The film is also available to view on Disney+ and Hulu.