STUDY GUIDE by Penny Stoyles and Robert Lewis Deep Blue Study Guide

STUDY GUIDE By Penny Stoyles and Robert Lewis Deep Blue Study Guide

Synopsis

“Deep Blue” (Alastair 2 Albatross in the southern seas their life at sea to breed. We 6 An army of blue soldier crabs Fothergill and Andy Byatt, A solitary albatross struggles follow an individual family of the A minute crab jumps into the 2003) is a collection of against the stormy Southern animals where the mother is picture as it emerges from its stunning ocean segments. Ocean. Gradually others join the having fun with her little pups hole in the sand. More and more It looks at the variety of life albatross and the numbers grow and the young ones are crabs appear and suddenly the in the world’s oceans, from and grow. We follow them as obviously enjoying her attention. entire beach is filled with tropical areas to icy waters, they return to their spectacular Ready to conquer the world, hundreds of thousands of them from shallow coastal estuar- breeding colony — where over the young ‘gang’ leaves the scuttling across the sands. A ies to the deepest trenches. half a million birds are crowded security of the herd and goes huge army of blue soldier crabs In doing so, it shows the huge on a remote windswept island off out to the nearby beach. The sprints with incredible speed variety and interactivity that the Falklands surrounded by the fun continues and the threaten- across the shoreline with a exists among ecosystems. extreme forces of nature. ing dorsal fin of a very ‘big fish’ military precision that seems like The film is divided into 22 passes by unnoticed. Suddenly, an invasion from outer space. segments. This guide to the 3 Dolphins and sharks attack out of the tranquil looking water segments will be useful in help- the sardine run emerges the shape of a massive 7 A tropical coral paradise ing students recall key scenes We suddenly find ourselves killer whale. Driving itself up onto Following a coral reef that and images as they discuss the alongside a pod of common the beach, it steals sea lion stretches to the horizon, the issues raised in the film. dolphins heading in from the pups. Dragging the pups out camera dives under a crashing open ocean, advancing to attack to sea, the killer whale parent wave and we find ourselves 1 Entry gigantic shoals of sardines which teaches the younger Orcas how immersed in an enchanting We emerge through white are migrating north along the to hunt, whilst the sea lion pups tropical garden brimming with clouds to see the vast open coast of Natal in South Africa. are still alive. exquisite coloured corals and ocean stretching before us — an Soon the hunt is joined by reef fish. We pass through a infinite expanse of blue water. It’s thousands of bronze whaler 5 The coast — dynamic border macro world of great beauty completely quiet. Suddenly the sharks and gannets diving down between land and sea before a gigantic whale shark silence is broken by the sound of from the skies above. Finally, a We are flying low in a helicopter — the largest fish in the sea a dolphin exhaling. The dolphin’s brydes whale appears and takes along a coastline pounded by — swims right by us. dorsal fin cuts across the screen. an immense mouthful of sardines. mighty waves. This extraordinary Gradually the number of dolphins montage of images is testament 8 Coral reef at night increases and we join them as 4 Killer whales and sea lions to the incredible strength and At sunset the coral reef becomes they playfully surf massive The coast of Patagonia — south- power of the oceans above and a new world, attracting a totally breaking waves. ern sea lions have returned from below sea level. different variety of creatures. This

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is the night shift and the reef the most elegant swimmers in 13 A polar bear mother hunts 15 Killer whales track down a becomes a very dangerous place. the oceans. Using a specially seals with her cub grey whale calf We slowly discover the “walking designed camera, we are able The sea has now frozen and the In the temperate seas, a gripping bush” – the basket-star, one of the to see these beautiful creatures polar bear mothers venture on to drama is unfolding. A grey whale strangest animals on our planet underwater for the first time. the ice with their cubs to hunt for mother and calf are migrating — a tree-like creature that only ringed seal. One of the cubs is north from their breeding grounds reveals itself at night. This is not 12 Emperor penguins still small and shows his off Mexico to the summer feeding the only creature hunting on the Under the light of the magnificent inexperience as he tries to mimic grounds off Alaska. In a dramatic reef. We watch a war of two coral Aurora Australis, thousands of his mother’s hunting technique. scene they are attacked by a pod colonies attacking each other in male emperor penguins nestle of killer whales determined to what could be a scene from a sci- together for warmth to incubate 14 Polar bears hunting belugas separate the calf from its mother ence-fiction movie, as we witness their eggs as the Antarctic winter The frozen sea ice has trapped — after six hours they finally one colony eating its opponent delivers its worst. They are a group of belugas far from the succeed and the calf is drowned. alive in a biochemical war. The awaiting spring, when the female open water and they have no The mother is bereft but has no adept-at-killing white-tipped reef emperors will return from the choice but to return time and choice but to continue her sharks also gather in large num- ocean with food for the newly again to breathe through a hole migration north alone. bers to hunt down fish among the hatched chicks. At the end of the in the ice. A polar bear discovers coral in a feeding frenzy. season, the ice breaks up and their dilemma and soon takes 16 Wanderers of the open ocean the emperors head back to the this perfect opportunity to hunt In a poetically beautiful array of 9 Riches of the temperate sea open ocean. the whales. images we join the slow We journey through a micro- scopic world of plankton; myriads of tiny but intricate structures pass across the camera. In a spectacular scene, thousands of jellyfish float past the lens. Nature becomes a mysterious underworld forest. Perfectly camouflaged and obscured from our view in beds of seaweed, the leafy sea dragon suddenly reveals itself.

10 The frozen oceans Following the grey whale mother, we journey closer to the poles. All around us the sea is begin- ning to freeze and many animals are heading south to escape the worsening conditions.

11 Polar bears swimming Though mighty and fearsome on land, polar bears are among

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wanderers of the open ocean — on earth — tuna and whales. We through the twilight zone to 21 Massive bait ball the graceful manta rays, sharks, experience what it feels like to witness jellyfish and squid. Then, off the Azores turtles and tiny fish larvae as they be a tiny sardine among an enor- as all sunlight from the surface Dolphins are following hundreds search for food. mous shoal being attacked by finally disappears, we enter the of shearwater birds as they find marlin, tuna and even a massive dark zone, a strange and marvel- what they have been scour- 17 Spinner dolphins out sei whale. After all this action, all lous place — home to some of ing the ocean for — a bait ball in the open ocean that is left is a sprinkle of silver the strangest creatures of our — a massive shoal of tiny fish. Hundreds of spinner dolphins fish scales that gradually sink oceans. Here we see the mon- Knowing predators are close, leap out of the water and spin in down towards the abyss. strous anglerfish with grotesque hundreds and thousands of tiny mid-air. Nobody really knows why features and gaze at a deep sea fish are packed together in a they do it, but maybe they’re just 19 Journey into the abyss light show created by the animals frantic circling shoal. The dol- jumping for joy. We follow the sardine scales themselves. Eventually, our sub- phins suddenly appear and cut as they descend into the deep mersible descends deep into the great swathes through the shoal. 18 Marlin and tuna ocean, and we undertake an epic rift valley of a mid-oceanic ridge. Giant tuna join the hunt and from attack a bait ball journey into the abyss. Travelling There we hover inches away from the surface, the shearwaters dive Out in the big blue are some of inside a highly strengthened the hot vents and marvel at the down tens of metres to attack the most spectacular predators submersible, we first pass extraordinary ecosystem that the tiny fish. For several minutes survives in this harshest of all we watch an extraordinary under- ocean habitats. water scene as hundreds of predators gradually consume the 20 Vertical migration whole bait ball of tiny fish right We return from the abyss follow- down to the very last individual ing the greatest migration of life sardine. And then, after so much on our planet. Each night, under frenetic activity, all is silent and the cover of darkness, millions of we find ourselves alone again in deep sea creatures journey from the open ocean desert. the deep to feed in shallower, richer, sunlit waters. A bizarre and 22 Departure beautiful collection of creatures The scene and film end with the can be seen as the sequence amazing sight of the majestic tail ends with a burst of sunlight on of the gigantic blue whale disap- the waters as dawn breaks. pearing back beneath the surface.

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Curriculum guide

“Deep Blue” is a useful resource for students of: ■ Science ■ Biology ■ Environmental Science ■ Society and Environment (Geography, Resources, Place and Space) ■ Media Studies at upper junior to secondary levels. It contains many scenes of animals killing each other that may cause some students to feel some distress.

Before you watch the documentary Oceans We know more about the surface of the moon than we do about the deep sea floor.

1 Brainstorm all the things you know about the oceans. Identify things that you don’t know about the ocean and list these.

Animals A number of animals are shown in this documentary. Some are well known and others are more obscure. They include: ■ Albatross (Black browed) ■ Beluga whale ■ Blue whale ■ Coral ■ Emperor penguin ■ Hammerhead shark ■ Jellyfish ■ Killer whale ■ Krill ■ Leatherback turtle ■ Leopard seal ■ Polar bear ■ Spinner After you watch dolphin ■ Sunfish ■ Whale shark ■ Name the animal. dolphin ■ Sunfish ■ Whale shark the documentary ■ Yellow fin tuna ■ Describe its habitat, including ■ Yellow fin tuna 4 Which of the animals listed are the physical conditions as well as predators? Which are prey? Are the other living things that share 2 How many of these do you Science any both predators and prey? the habitat. know? List what you already 5 Camouflage is an important ■ What does it eat and what eats know about these animals. Animals and adaptations survival mechanism. List exam- it? Can you construct a food Chose two or three that you A number of animals that live in ples of camouflage that you saw chain incorporating your animal? don’t know or are unsure of and or near the ocean are shown in in “Deep Blue”. ■ List particular adaptations for discuss what you think they may “Deep Blue”. In many cases their survival. Are these adaptations be with your class mates. environment and adaptations to 6 Several of the animals shown structural (a physical feature) or survival in that environment are are dark on the top and light behavioural (what it does)? How Survival needs shown as well as what they eat underneath. (Killer whales, do the adaptations assist with 3 Brainstorm a list of survival and what eats them. emperor penguins and some the animal’s survival? needs for all living things. Think ■ Albatross (Black browed) dolphins). Research and explain Details about the animals about specific adaptations to ■ Beluga whale ■ Blue whale how this is an adaptation to featured in “Deep Blue” are assist with survival. Discuss the ■ Coral ■ Emperor penguin assist with survival. listed under ‘Creature fact files’ difference between behavioural ■ Hammerhead shark ■ Jellyfish at: http://www.deepbluethemovie (‘what they do’) and structural ■ Killer whale ■ Krill 7 Choose a particular animal .com/content/home.html (‘what features they have’) adap- ■ Leatherback turtle ■ Leopard mentioned and write about the tations. seal ■ Polar bear ■ Spinner following:

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Amazing ocean facts 9 Survey other members of the lived. It’s so immense that it couldn’t survive out of water because questionnaire school community by asking its skeleton would collapse under its body weight. There used to be 8 Below is a fact sheet about them to answer the question- more than a quarter of a million of them roaming the oceans, now oceans. Read the fact sheet and naire. Use the survey results to: there are only a few hundred left. use the information to devise a ■ Determine which question was 12. A blue whale’s heart is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. multiple choice questionnaire answered correctly most often. 13. A blue whale eats up to 40 million krill in one day. about oceans. An example of a ■ Determine which question was 14. The sperm whale has the largest brain of any animal. It weighs question could be: answered incorrectly most often. over six kilograms and is the size and shape of a basketball. The largest ocean on Earth is: ■ Calculate the percentage of 15. Whales can’t drink seawater. Experts believe they get all the ■ Atlantic correct answers to each question. water they need by burning fat. ■ Pacific ■ Publish your survey results in 16. In its lifetime, the average grey whale commutes over 640 000 ■ Southern the school newsletter. kilometres — the equivalent of a trip to the moon and back. ■ Indian 17. The largest fish in the ocean is the Whale shark. 18. Swordfish and marlin are the fastest fish in the ocean, reaching speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour in quick bursts. 19. Fish supply the greatest percentage of the world’s protein consumed by humans. 20. The highest tides on Earth are found in the Bay of Fundy, east of New Brunswick, Canada. During spring tides the difference between high and low tide can reach 18 metres. This is almost as tall as a four-story building.

10 Find out the answers to the following questions: ■ Why is the sea salty? ■ What makes waves? ■ What gives the sea its colour? ■ Why is the Dead Sea more salty than other oceans? ■ How did the Black Sea get its name?

Amazing facts about the ocean 1. Technically, all the world’s oceans and seas are part of one continuous mass of seawater. Humans have divided it up and named the different parts. There are five oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Southern, Indian and Arctic) and several dozen seas. 2. Seas are usually smaller than oceans and are partially enclosed by land. 3. The oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and contain 97 percent of the Earth’s water. 4. The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean. Its surface area covers approximately one-third of Earth’s surface and it is bigger than all of Earth’s continents put together. 5. The deepest place in the ocean is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. It is six times deeper than the Grand Canyon and deeper than Mt. Everest is tall! 6. At the deepest point in the ocean the pressure is the equivalent of one person trying to support 50 jumbo jets. 7. Earth’s longest mountain range is the Mid-Ocean Ridge, which winds around the globe from the Arctic Ocean to the Atlantic, skirting Africa, Asia and Australia, and crossing the Pacific to the west coast of North America. It is four times longer than the Andes, Rockies, and Himalayas combined. 8. If the ocean’s total salt content were dried, it would cover the continents to a depth of about 1.6 metres (5 feet). 9. The world’s largest living structure is the Great Barrier Reef off the north eastern coast of Australia. It is 2 300 kilometres long, composed of 3 000 individual reefs and 1 000 islands and supports well over 2 000 species of fish. 10. Australia has over 7 000 beaches, more than any other nation. 11. A blue whale is the largest animal on our planet ever to have

6 Sea creatures – classification shaped head? 24 Use reference books or 26 What other animals are closely Many different animals live in the 15 How many tonnes of krill is it the internet to classify sharks related to sharks? seas and oceans. Others rely estimated that there are on Earth? and whales. 27 Whales are different from closely on the seas and oceans Why is this notable? 25 Sharks are different from most other mammals, explain for their food. 16 Why do Spinner dolphins spin? most other fish, explain these these differences. We can classify the 17 How do male Emperor differences. 28 What other animals are animals in the film into penguins feed their young chicks? closely related to whales? different groups. Animals 18 Fish are generally said to be with backbones are more ‘cold blooded’. How are Yellow-fin familiar and can be classified tuna different in this respect? into groups or ‘Classes’ Society and environment including fish, amphibians, Coral reptiles, birds and mammals. Use the Great Barrier Reef Marine A key concept raised by “Deep the wise management of the 11 Apart from amphibians, list at park website to research the Blue” is sustainability. oceans and coasts based on least two animals that belong to Great Barrier Reef. A Declaration by the scientific knowledge. each group. 19 Show its location on a map Intergovernmental Oceanographic So, how wisely are we manag- 12 Research the distinguishing of Australia. Commission of UNESCO to the ing the oceans? The following features of fish, birds, reptiles 20 Find out about the different World Summit on Sustainable activities will provide some ways and mammals. Animals without types of corals that exist. Development said: of investigating this question. backbones include crustaceans, 21 Research the life-cycle The world’s oceans and their echinoderms, molluscs, tube of corals. adjacent seas, and the living and How do humans have an worms and jellyfish. 22 The reef is described as a deli- non-living resources they impact on the world’s oceans? 13 Research one (or more) of cate ecosystem. What are some contain, are a necessary element 1 Brainstorm your answers to these groups of animals. List of the threats to this ecosystem? for the survival of life as we this question. Classify your ideas their distinguishing features and 23 Where else in the world are now know it. The sustainability into two categories: impacts on describe some members of coral reefs located? See: of the air we breathe, the water the environment, and impacts on the group. http://www.reefed.edu.au/ we drink, the food we eat and animals in the ocean. explorer/animals/marine_ the climate in which we live is Amazing sea creatures invertebrates/corals/index.html dependent upon the oceans. Where are the world’s oceans? Use the “Deep Blue” website (or The oceans also provide for Almost three quarters of the other websites) to find answers to Whales and whale sharks the cultural, social and economic surface of the Earth is covered the following: The largest animals in the sea well being of people. It is the by oceans. There are five oceans http://www.deepbluethemovie are the whales and the sharks. oceans that make life on earth in the world: Arctic, Pacific, .com/content/home.html The largest mammal on Earth is uniquely sustainable within the Atlantic, Southern and Indian. 14 What is the reason for the the Blue Whale and the largest solar system. Sustainable devel- They are all connected, but have Hammerhead sharks’ unusually fish on Earth is the Whale Shark. opment is highly dependent on specific boundaries.

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The images in “Deep Blue” come from each of these. Where are they? 2 Use the definitions below to mark the boundaries of the oceans on the maps. You will need an atlas to help you identify the various elements of the definitions.

The Arctic Ocean is located entirely in the north polar region. It is the smallest and shallowest of the world’s oceans. Nearly landlocked, it is surrounded by the land masses of Europe, Asia, ■ From the southern tip of Africa Peninsula and along the east 4 Match the animals to a location North America and Greenland. follow the African coast ■ Follow coast of Asia to the Bering Strait. from the list above: ■ Start at the Bering Strait the southern Asian coast to the tip ■ Follow the North American of Malaysia ■ Then go across the The Southern Ocean is the Animal Location coast along the 70°north line southern coast of Borneo and the world’s most recently declared Polar bear of latitude through to the east Indonesian Archipelago to Darwin Ocean. Coral reef coast of Greenland ■ Then up ■ Then down the Australian west ■ It totally encircles Antarctica at Emperor penguin to the south coast of Svalbard ■ coast ■ And across the south the 60°south line of latitude, and Then across to the northern tip of coast to the 147°west meridian is the fourth-largest body of water Norway ■ Then around the Asian ■ And down the west coast of on earth. ■ On Australian maps Outline world maps can be found coastline to the Bering Strait. Tasmania to the 60°south line the Southern Ocean is usually at: www.nationalgeographic.com/ of latitude. marked as extending to the south- xpeditions/atlas/ The Atlantic Ocean is the second- ern coast of Australia. largest ocean, covering about one The Pacific Ocean is the largest How do people have an impact fifth of the earth’s surface. body of water on earth, covering Filming locations on the ocean environment? ■ Start at the point where the about one third of the earth’s 3 “Deep Blue” was filmed in many Here is a description of possible Arctic Ocean border moves away surface. It contains about 25,000 different locations around the ways that human activities can from the North American mainland islands, more than the rest of the world. They include: affect the ocean environment. ■ Follow the east coast of North world’s other oceans combined, Maldives, Falkland Islands, 5 Use the information to complete and South America ■ Move to and most of them south of the Mexico, Ascension Island, a summary table like this one. the east at the 60°south line of equator. The Pacific Ocean also Galapagos Islands, The Azores, latitude ■ Go north at the 20°east contains the earth’s deepest Colombia, Ecuador, Australia, Human activity Damage caused meridian ■ Follow the African point, the Mariana Trench. New Zealand, Panama, Oil spills coast, then the coast of Europe ■ The Pacific Ocean goes from Venezuela, Bermuda, Tobago, Air pollution to join the southern Arctic the Bering Strait down the west Japan, Northwest Territories, Rubbish Ocean boundary. coasts of North and South Yap and Palau, Belize, Antarctic Ships’ anchors America to 60°south line of lati- Peninsula and the Cayman Sewage The Indian Ocean is the third tude ■ Then across to 147°west Islands. Use an atlas to find these Ballast water largest Ocean, slightly smaller meridian ■ And up the east locations. Mark them on a map than the Atlantic in size. coast of Australia ■ To the Malay of the world.

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Threats to the Inc., 100 5th Ave., New York, constructed, with a huge metal 4 There are many other more health of the oceans N.Y. 10011). roller attached to the leading sustainable ways of catching fish ■ Oil spills account for only http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ edge. This rolling beam smashes than bottom trawling. Why do about five percent of the oil ocean_planet/html/education_ and flattens obstructions, flushing you think some people choose to entering the oceans. threats.html creatures into the approaching use that method? ■ Each year industrial, household filaments. The effect of dragging a cleaning, gardening, and automo- 1 Suggest practical ways in huge iron bar across the savannah Can we fish sustainably? tive products pollute water. which you can have an influence is to break off every outcrop, International experts agree that ■ The most frequently found in reducing some of these threats uproot every tree, bush and a large proportion of the world’s items in beach clean-ups are to the ocean environment. flowering plant, stirring columns of fish are being overfished. pieces of plastic. The next four birds into the air. Left behind is a Problems exist with: items are plastic foam, plastic How does fishing affect the strangely bedraggled landscape ■ Fishing methods — whereby utensils, pieces of glass and ocean environment? resembling a harrowed field. The future breeding stock (young cigarette butts. One of the human impacts on industrial hunter-gatherers now fish) are caught ■ Lost or discarded fishing nets the ocean environment not stop to examine the tangled mess ■ By-catch — where one species keep on fishing. Called “ghost included in the above document of writhing or dead creatures is targeted, but other species nets,” this gear entangles fish, is fishing. behind them. There are no are caught indiscriminately, as marine mammals, and sea birds, Fishing provides an important markets for about a third of the well as sometimes endangered preventing them from feeding or source of food for the world. animals they have caught because animals or birds causing them to drown. As many However, some fishing they don’t taste too good, or ■ Lack of government controls — as 20,000 northern fur seals may methods cause damage to the because they are simply too small so there is no effective check on die each year from becoming environment, and therefore or too squashed. This pile of how many fish are being caught entangled in netting. threaten the sustainability of this corpses is dumped on the plain to ■ Lack of research — with the ■ Air pollution is responsible for key world food source. be consumed by carrion. result that nobody knows what almost one-third of the toxic Look at the following inform- This efficient but highly long-term effect the taking contaminants and nutrients that ation and answer the questions unselective way of killing animals of unregulated quantities will enter coastal areas and oceans. that follow. is known as trawling. It is have on the sustainability ■ When nitrogen and phosphorus Imagine … if a band of practised the world over every of different species from sources such as fertilizer, hunters strung a mile of net day … Yet because what fisher- ■ Disruption of the ecosystem sewage and detergents enter between two immense all- men do is obscured by distance — whereby taking one fish from coastal waters, oxygen depletion terrain vehicles and dragged it and the veil of water that covers an ecosystem can lead to a col- occurs. One gram of nitrogen at speed across the plains of the Earth, and because fish are lapse of other species. can make enough organic Africa … [It] would scoop up cold-blooded rather than cuddly, material to require 15 grams of everything in its way: predators, most people still view what In the foreseeable future the oxygen to decompose. A single such as lions and cheetahs, happens at sea differently from fish stocks will collapse and gram of phosphorus will deplete lumbering endangered what happens on land. will no longer be available as one hundred grams of oxygen. herbivores, such as rhinos and Charles Clover, “The End of a food source. ■ Animals and plants being elephants, herds of impala and the Line. How Overfishing Is There are two solutions to this: transported to new areas wildebeest, family groups of Changing The World And What develop sustainable fishing through ship ballast water are warthog and wild dog. Pregnant We Eat”. (Ebury Press, London, practices; and aquaculture, or a problem around the world. females would be swept up 2004 pages 1-2). ‘fish farming’. Poisonous algae, cholera, and and carried along, with only 2 Why is bottom trawling such Here is a case study that will countless plants and animals the smallest juveniles able to a damaging method of fishing? help you explore this issue of have invaded harbour waters and wriggle through the mesh. 3 Why is there apparently so sustainable fishing. disrupted ecological balance. Picture how the net is little opposition to it? ■ There are 109 countries with coral reefs. Reefs in 90 of them are being damaged by cruise ship anchors and sewage, by tourists breaking off chunks of coral, and by commercial har- vesting for sale to tourists. One study of a cruise ship anchor dropped in a coral reef for one day found an area about half the size of a football field completely destroyed, and half again as much covered by rubble that died later. It was estimated that coral recovery would take fifty years. ■ Within thirty years a billion more people will be living along the coasts than are alive today.

These facts come from the Smithsonian Institution’s “Ocean Planet” exhibition and from the book “Ocean Planet: Writings and Images of the Sea”, by Peter Benchley and Judith Gradwohl (published by Harry N. Abrams

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Case Study: New Zealand hoki The industry has to abide by a Code of Practice that sets out clearly The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) offers a Certificate of all elements that are required to maintain a sustainable industry. Sustainable Management to industries that are able to show that Boats are forbidden from dumping waste from the processing sys- their fishing of a particular species is being sustainably managed tem overboard. — that is, that the fish stocks are being maintained in such a way that A minimum size mesh for trawl nets has been set to allow juvenile they will continue to exist indefinitely. The certificate is a guarantee fish to escape. not only that the species will survive, but also that you can eat the fish in good conscience! Research Imagine that you have been asked by the MSC to investigate the Nearly two million dollars is set aside each year for research into the way New Zealand manages one species of fish, the hoki. hoki. This information is fed back into the quota determination system. 1 What do you think would be the criteria you should apply to The Hoki Fishery Management Company has been set up to work ensure that the fish is being managed sustainably. For example, will to maintain and improve all aspects of the industry. you consider the method used? Or the education of crews about by-catch? List your criteria. By-catch 2 Now look at the following evidence about the way the industry Two big by-catch problems are seals and birds. The seals go into the exists in New Zealand, and decide if the criteria for sustainability are nets following the fish, and birds dive and take bait when long lines being met in each case. are set, meaning that they take the hooks and are dragged under the water and drowned. What is the hoki? Various attempts are being made to minimise these problems. The hoki is a fish found off the coast of New Zealand. Boats must limit their time of fishing to those times when the seals The area where the hoki is found is within New Zealand’s 200 are least active. Seine nets must have ‘trapdoors’ to allow the seals nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone, so all non-approved boats to escape. Long lines should be laid at night, or use a ‘tori’ line — a can be kept out by force if necessary. set of streamers above the lines to scare the birds away.

Fishing methods There are two main methods used: mid-water trawling, and bottom trawling. Some long lines are also used.

Quotas Individual fishing boats or companies are given set quotas of fish that they can take. These are calculated each year to make sure that there will always be a biologically viable fish population not able to be caught. This means that it is in the interest of the fishers only to take the best fish, as this is what gives them the best return. This means that they will fish with the greatest possible care, taking only the most mature fish, and leaving the younger stock to breed for the next season and beyond.

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Training Hoki fishing grounds There is a requirement that all crews are educated about all aspects Hoki spawning grounds of the sustainable management of the fish.

Value The quotas have fallen in successive years from 250 000 tonnes, The value of hoki to New Zealand has grown from $182 million in 1991, to 200 000 tonnes, to 140 000 tonnes in the latest set. This is to $311 million in 2000. It is commonly used in McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish. because the fish have not bred in the numbers that had been 3 Would you award a certificate to the New Zealand hoki fish industry? expected originally. This may be due to particular climatic condi- Why or why not? tions, and it is expected that breeding will increase again soon. In fact the industry has been awarded a certificate, one of only eight to have been awarded so far. Controls 4 Do you think the New Zealand hoki industry provides a model for The New Zealand Government regulates the size of fishing boats other fish species, or are there special elements of the hoki that involved in the industry. could not be reproduced with other fish species?

10 Deep Blue Study Guide

The ethics of eating fish Fish is increasingly being promoted as a healthy food for people to eat. But if some popular species are under threat of being unsustainable, should we eat it? You may have a can of tuna that is labelled as being ‘dolphin friendly’. 1 What does this mean? Would it influence you as a purchaser? Discuss your ideas. ‘Behind the scenes’ at the 7 List examples of where a Charles Clover writes in his book “Deep Blue” website at: change in tempo warns you of “The End Of The Line. How http://www.deepbluethemovie. forthcoming danger or signifies Overfishing Is Changing The com/content/home.html another type of mood change. World And What We Eat”, that 5 Look at the way the film has 8 List scenes where music has such a catch may well be ‘dol- been edited. Consider the length enhanced your emotions (sad, phin friendly’, because dolphins of the shots, the number of them joyous, frightened, playful etc). do not run with many types of in a sequence, the angle of the tuna; but he asks whether it is shots. Compare the editing proc- Narration also friendly to other by-catch, ess for a ‘poetic’ scene with a 9 There is very little narration and to the environment in which ‘feeding frenzy’ one. in the film. Do you think it was caught? And does it mix 4 Look back at the quote at the this is an effective device? plentifully-available types of tuna start of this section. What are the Soundtrack Explain your views. with others that are endangered? main issues about sustainability The original music in “Deep 10 Charles Clover, in his book, 2 What information would you of the oceans? Blue” has been written by “The End Of The Line. How need to make an informed judge- George Fenton. Music plays Overfishing Is Changing The ment about that can of tuna? an important role as there is a World And What We Eat”, Clover also considers the ethics Media studies minimum amount of dialogue claims that the filmmakers lost an of celebrity television chefs serv- in the film. The images and opportunity to influence public ing increasingly rare types of fish How did they film that? music are combined to knowledge and opinion about in their restaurants, again without “Deep Blue” presents unique produce emotions. the oceans by not addressing any information to consumers images of the world’s oceans. 6 Listen for examples of how the issue of fishing sustainability, about the status of the fish, and The director, Alastair Fothergill music has been used to follow and the damage being done to the way it was caught. He calls says: “We take you to a world the movement of the animals in the ocean environment. Prepare a on consumers to ‘vote with their that you have never seen before, the film. dialogue between Clover and the voices’ by challenging the res- to what I believe is the last filmmaker, in which they debate taurant to provide the information frontier of the planet”. this point of view. needed to make a judgement 1 As a class, recall the most dif- about whether the fish is one that ficult or spectacular images in the has been caught sustainably, and film (using the Synopsis will help). to ask such questions out loud. 2 Discuss and research how the This study guide was produced by ATOM. For more information about He also contrasts the attitude following might have been filmed: ATOM study guides, The Education Shop, The Speakers’ Bureau or of such restaurants with that of ■ Close-ups of waves breaking Screen Hub (the daily online film and television newsletter) visit our web McDonald’s, where their Filet- ■ Speeding along the shoreline site: www.metromagazine.com.au or email: [email protected] O-Fish is made from sustainably ■ Blue swimmer crab swarms harvested New Zealand hoki. He ■ Close-ups of killer whales and calls on ‘the stick thin patrons polar bears “Deep Blue” of exclusive restaurants selling ■ Transparent comb jellies is released in Australia endangered species to walk out ■ Spinner dolphins and New Zealand by and get … round to McDonald’s’. ■ Deep sea creatures (Charles Clover, “The End Of 3 List moments where slow Notice: An educational institution The Line. How Overfishing Is motion has been used in the film. may make copies of all or part of Changing The World And What What effect is created by slow Hopscotch Film Distributors this Study Guide, provided that We Eat”, Ebury Press, London, motion in these situations? Suite 102, 4-14 Buckingham St it only makes and uses copies as 2004 page 247.) 4 In other parts of “Deep Blue” Surry Hills NSW 2010 reasonably required for its own 3 Do you think this is an appro- the film was sped up. Why do Phone: 02 9319 0233 educational, non-commercial, priate action? Do you think it you think this was done? Fax: 02 9690 1433 classroom purposes and does would be influential? For further information go to [email protected] not sell or lend such copies.

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