Grenadines Seabirds
Short Block: Changing Environments
Synopsis:
Seabirds are the only creatures worldwide to have conquered air, land and sea. They are found from the most extreme polar latitudes to the middle of the deep blue seas. While some can dive to more than 200 meters, others can stay aloft in the air for more than a month at a time. With waterproof feathers and the ability to drink saltwater, they are made to withstand the elements, and often referred to as the all terrain vehicles of the animal kingdom.
Yet seabirds are disappearing rapidly worldwide, especially in tropical areas. Until recently, very little was known about seabird presence in the remote Grenadines archipelago, which hosts globally important populations, some numbering in the tens of thousands. In these islands and at sea, the fisherfolk here observe seabirds and use them daily to find fish, understand weather patterns and to navigate. This film documents seabird presence in the remote Grenadines islands and touches on the unique relationship between fisherfolk and seabirds.
Details:
Grenada | 9:18 Mins | Documentary Short
Meet The Makers
Directed by: Juliana Coffey
Director’s Bio
Juliana Coffey is a marine biologist, divemaster and ocean explorer from Newfoundland, Canada. Chasing seabirds now for over 20 years, she has traveled around the world to more than 40 countries, and often works on fishing boats, research vessels, sailboats and cruise ships from the Southern to the Arctic Ocean, living on board or in remote field camps for several months at a time.
Despite having studied seabirds worldwide, Juliana is especially interested in the remote Grenadines islands, of which little is known, that host globally important seabird populations. She works with the fisherfolk of this archipelago to document unwritten ecological knowledge about the seabirds, such as how they use seabirds to find fish, understand weather patterns and to navigate at sea. Juliana combines various disciplines and outreach strategies to promote appreciation and awareness of the massive global declines of seabirds, who otherwise receive little attention and have no voices of their own to tell us of the hardships they encounter.