Mission Blue is a feature documentary about the life of world renown oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist, and National Geographic Explorer, Dr. Sylvia Earle. It was first released in 2014 and directed by Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens. In this documentary, the filmmakers follow Dr. Sylvia Earle around the globe in her never-ending fight for the protection of the oceans and their living organisms. This in turn informs and sensitizes the audience as to the direct relationship between the well-being of the oceans and all life on earth.
The movie evolves chronologically from Dr. Earle’s recollection of her early childhood memories in the wilderness of New Jersey followed by Florida, to her first SCUBA dive at the University of Florida, and later on to her key role in oceans discovery and protection. Dr. Earle's vivid narration helps the audience to understand how she first fell in love with the ocean and her everlasting passion for all of its living organisms. From her collection of more than 20000 algae that she donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to her countless dives in the darkest unexplored parts of the oceans, Dr. Earle’s life is anything but common. Mission Blue cleverly contrasts Dr. Earle’s many achievements, like becoming the first woman chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to the many heartbreaking, human-made catastrophes that she witnessed, like the Gulf of Mexico’s oil spills. This contrast between her stellar achievements and the human calamities which keep on devastating the oceans wildlife offers a one-of-a-kind perspective that allows the audience to follow the growing decline in marine life through the eyes of Dr. Earle. From beginning to end the audience has a front-row seat that enables them to vicariously discover the many hidden wonders that the oceans have to offer, all the while also discovering how much of a negative impact human society has had on it.
Many key figures introduced throughout this documentary help the audience concretely understand how the oceans have suffered at the hand of Man. As pointed out in the movie, in 1947, there was only one offshore oil drilling site in the Gulf of Mexico, and as of 2014, there were more than 33000 drilling sites in that same zone. This increase in the exploitation of our oceans' rich soil directly correlates with the increasing number of dead zones around the world. In 1975 only one dead zone was known in all oceans, and as of 2014, the year that Mission Blue was released, this number was already above 500. This reflects the common societal neglect towards life in the oceans that Dr. Earle has been a witness to throughout her lifetime.
Additionally, this documentary highlights the dangers of the ever-growing consumption of fish in all of its forms and the extensive fishing practices associated with it. Indeed, Mission Blue shows how the population of many previously abundant fishes like the Pacific bluefin tuna, and the North Atlantic Cod decreased by 95% from 1950 up until 2014. From the annihilation of menhaden and other fishes for their oil, which is advertised as a health benefit, when in fact these oils are not originally produced by the fish but by the sea flora that they ingest, to the millions of shark fins barbarically cut from still alive fishes each year, Mission Blue helps its audience to unmask the hidden truths behind societal habits and the ocean's depletion.
Finally, in order to save the oceans, Mission Blue and Dr. Earle push for a drastic change in general consumption, fishing, and waste management habits. Also, they advocate the creation of Hope spots which basically act as marine life protection areas. Through these globally protected marine areas the oceans would be able to regenerate, regrow, and prosper for generations to come. Also, since the release of this movie, hundreds of Hope spots have been created all around the globe.
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