Climate change has turned Gulf of Maine into a sea life "ghost town," documentarian says
BOSTON – The man behind an upcoming documentary on sea life off the coast of Maine said climate change has turned the waters into a "ghost town" as ocean creatures have disappeared.
Tuesday night at the New England Aquarium, guests were treated to a sneak peek at NOVA's new three-part series called Sea Change. This series examines the dramatic changes occurring in the Gulf of Maine, a body of water that has been severely impacted by climate change.
Changes in Maine sea life
Sea Change features imagery obtained by Brian Skerry, an acclaimed photojournalist and film producer who has been diving in the waters off the New England coast for more than four decades.
"When I began this project, Sea Change about the Gulf of Maine, I said I'm going to go back to some of my favorite haunts, the places I knew were like a jewelry store, places like Eastport, Maine where you get a 30-foot tide change and such a rich amount of nutrients," Skerry said. "I went there for multiple trips and it was like a ghost town. The water was much warmer, there was none of the things I was used to seeing. It was just mud and bad visibility. All of those things are gone now."
Skerry said he is hoping people who see the documentary can learn what they can do differently to protect the planet's resources.
"I've seen what I would describe as geological change in my lifetime and that shouldn't happen and there are caused by our inactions," Skerry said. "And I'm hoping people come away with a sense of what's going on."