Ocean Autopsy

Synopsis

Winner of the Gold Deauville Green Award, Ocean Autopsy takes viewers on a journey to carry out an ‘autopsy’ on the ocean itself,  leading oceanographer Dr. Helen Czerski, along with zoologist Dr. George McGavin, reveal the startling changes it’s undergoing.

Two-thirds of our planet is covered in water split into five distinct oceans, but in reality, they are part of one huge global water system. This system has been instrumental in shaping our destiny for millions of years. But now, in the 21st century, it’s humankind that is shaping the destiny of our oceans. The ocean bed, currents, marine life, even the water itself is transformed by what humans are putting into our oceans.

Throughout the film, Helen and George look at the water’s toxicity due to industrial chemicals and investigate a plague of microplastics saturating the water. They discover how this human-wrought change is in turn impacting our own health, and perform an autopsy on a porpoise to witness the devastating impact these changes are having on marine life at the top of the food chain.

But all is not lost. Along the way, Helen and George follow some surprising signs of hope, including re-wilded salt marshes, flooded to counter rising seas, and biodiversity hot spots at the base of wind farms.