We're excited to present our second Your Videos on QUEST segment featuring an excerpt of the short video by Dan Griffin of GG Films, "Ocean Babies on Acid". For several years now, QUEST has been producing Your Photos on QUEST segments wherein we feature the still images of Bay Area photographers who shoot nature, environment and science photos.
This season, we wanted to expand that idea to include films and videos on similar topics. The thinking is, we here on QUEST are never at a loss for story topics about science here in the Bay Area. There must be a bunch of other media makers telling these kinds of stories so let's get some different perspectives from the community.
QUEST folks have long been fans of the video work that Dan Griffin/ GG Films has been doing with Stanford marine biologist, Stephen Palumbi. Together they create "Microdocs" which they define as "short attention span science video." Their videos are usually 2-3 minutes long and feature one specific aspect of marine ecosystem sustainability. Microdocs topics focus largely on coral reef health, sustainability and diversity- subjects that have required them to travel to such remote tropical locations as American Samoa, The Bahamas, Fiji and Micronesia. Ahh, the price that we pay for our art...
"Ocean Babies on Acid" focuses on an experiment that Stephen Palumbi and UC Davis marine biologist Eric Sanford are doing to study the effects of ocean acidification on sea urchin larvae off the California and Oregon coasts. One of their goals is to find out if the increased acidity caused in part by increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere makes it difficult for marine species to grow their shells. The study is unique in that they're not only studying the external aspects of these creatures but also delving into how ocean acidification may effect the animals on a genetic level.
You can watch the full-length video on the Microdocs site here:
Ocean Babies on Acid