Professor Ross Chapman will answer questions on underwater acoustics.
Sonic Sea is a 60-minute documentary about the impact of industrial and military noise on whales and other marine life. It tells the story of Ken Balcomb, a former US Navy officer who solved a tragic mystery involving a mass stranding of whales in the Bahamas—and changed forever the way we understand our impact on the ocean. In the darkness of the sea, whales depend on sound to mate, find food, migrate, raise their young and defend against predators. But over the last century, human activity has transformed the ocean’s delicate acoustic habitat, challenging the ability of whales and other marine life to prosper, and ultimately to survive. Sonic Sea offers solutions and hope for a quieter ocean, and underscores that the oceanʼs destiny is inextricably bound with our own. Sonic Sea is narrated by Rachel McAdams and features the musician, human rights and environmental activist, Sting, in addition to the renowned ocean experts Dr. Sylvia Earle, Dr. Paul Spong, Dr. Christopher Clark and Jean-Michel Cousteau. The film was produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Imaginary Forces in association the with International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Diamond Docs. Sonic Sea was directed and produced by Michelle Dougherty and Daniel Hinerfeld, written by Mark Monroe (The Cove, Racing Extinction) and scored by the Grammy-winning composer Heitor Pereira (Minions, It’s Complicated).