Oceans Alive: Kingdom of the Coral Reef

Beneath the waters of the Red Sea, biologist Aaron Miroz and marine conservationist and filmmaker John Stoneman study the complex workings of the coral reef community. Here, off the tip of the Sinai Peninsula lies one of the most diverse and prolific coral reefs to be found anywhere on the planet.

Stoneman and his team from the Foundation for Ocean Research study how marine animals live together and how some benefit others in the complex worlds that exist in the coral reef. Using extreme macro photography they are able to film fish being cleaned of parasites by some of their smaller cousins and how even the divers can benefit from this service.

John Stoneman and the members of the Foundation for Ocean Research attempt to record on film all those creatures that can potentially be dangerous to man. Some interesting facts transpire as their studies continue; not the least of which is that in most cases, the so-called dangerous animals of the sea would rather avoid man and when incidents do happen, it is usually when these creatures are forced to defend themselves.

A young diver writes to John Stoneman while she is working on a whale research project in Hawaii. In her letter, the girl explains that she has been so motivated by the work that Stoneman is doing to inform others of the fragile nature of the sea that she would like to devote her life to the same concerns. Moved by the sensitive nature of the letter, Stoneman invites the girl to join him and his crew to assist in their present research. This once in a lifetime opportunity proves to be an exciting learning experience for the neophyte diver and one that she will never forget.

The Foundation crew travels to the Big Island of Hawaii to study how this chain of islands set in the middle of the Pacific, some 2,400 miles from the nearest major landmass first evolved. They also study the diverse marine life that has been attracted to these islands and then later photograph an active volcano, including work that is done beneath the lava flow as it drips into the sea. An experience that is second to none for John Stoneman and his crew.

Stoneman and his crew conduct a detailed study of two types of marine mammals that appear to be at a midway point in their total adaption to the sea: the walking seal, in the form of the sea lion and the crawling seal, as shown by the harp seal. This demanding expedition takes the diving team from the tropical warmth of Mexico to the icy cold of the east coast of Canada, here to dive beneath the ice with these highly specialized animals.