Synopsis

Marine scientists across the world are hunting for clues to one of the biggest environmental challenges facing our planet today – ocean acidification.   For years we’ve known the ocean absorbs about a quarter of the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere – but as carbon emissions continue to rise, the seawater chemistry is changing. And in increasingly acidic waters, marine animals can’t form the skeletons and shells vital for their survival. Thousands of species are in danger.   Could acid oceans bring down entire ecosystems? With the clock ticking these marine scientists are facing the challenge of their careers. From the icy polar seas to the world's most pristine coral reefs, ACID OCEAN tracks the latest in marine scientific research and meets an Australian scientist who has made a game-changing discovery.   Nestled among Papua New Guinea's stunning coral gardens, coral ecologist Dr Katharina Fabricius has found a unique reef, which opens a window to the future of our oceans. Will she uncover the secrets of the acid ocean?  

Director's statement

It was a film I would have made no matter what because I just felt really strongly about the subject. If I can help an audience to understand more about what ocean acidification is and how it will impact marine life around the world then my job is done.      

Why this choice?

A fascinating trip inside a barely-known forest, on a discovery of the biggest trees in the world.   How can we chop down huge trees, which took hundreds, even thousands of years to grow, to make paper or hardwood floors, in just a few minutes?   This film forces us to question our relationship to this millennial and wild nature and takes us along with the people who have made the commitment to preserve it.