Telling the Story: Films & Video

Sea Grant documentaries tell the stories which arise out of the ongoing struggle to restore the Chesapeake Bay and the coastal waters of the Mid-Atlantic.

These dramas can be intellectual, examining the scientific investigation of the ecology of these great ecosystems.

And they can be social, capturing the effects of ecosystem decline on the people and places and communities that border these waters and create the distinctive culture of tidewater and cultural regions.

Sea Grant films, under the direction of writer/producer Michael W. Fincham, are focused on building better public understanding of the great problems facing this endangered estuary and the great potential for science-based, citizen-driven restoration.

The results of his work have been award-winning docoumentaries for television broadcast, for Web broadcast and for educational use by environmental organizations and by classroom teachers working in middle schools, high schools, and universities. The many awards for his work, from juries of his peers, and include environmental prizes and a regional Emmy.

Through broadcasts on public television, cable, and commercial stations Sea Grant videos have reached into hundreds of thousands of homes in Maryland and Virginia and the National Capital area, helping educate influential regional audiences about emerging environmental issues and build a case for system-wide restoration.

A brief synopsis of documentaries and educational videos is listed below.

Documentaries

	Who Killed Crassostrea virginica? The Chesapeake was once home to the richest oyster grounds in the world. The native oyster, Crassostrea virginica, built massive reefs and filtered vast reaches of the Bay, removing algae and sediment. Now those reefs are gone. The historic fishery is a mere shadow. What happened? Who killed the Bay's native oysters? [more]
	The Pfiesteria Files. (DVD & VHS, 58 min.) When watermen find wounded fish along a lonely river in Maryland, they kick off a scientific debate and an environmental crisis. A mysterious microbe might — or might not — be causing sick fish and sick people. The results: panic, a crackdown on farmers, and $40 million in lost sales for the seafood and tourism industries. Produced by Michael W. Fincham. [more]
	Alien Ocean. (DVD & VHS, 30 min.) An environmental mystery story that follows the work of scientists specializing in "invasion ecology." Dozens of alien species are infiltrating hundreds of American harbors, bays, and estuaries. Green crabs, zebra mussels, toxic dinoflagellates, and dozens of other aliens are altering the ecology and commercial fisheries of our coastal ecosystems. Produced by Michael W. Fincham, Jack Greer, and Dan Terlizzi. [more]
	Fishing for a Future. (DVD & VHS, 30 min.) Follows a handful of crusading fishermen who work to spread the gospel of catch and release among all those recreational fishermen who go out casting and trolling and chumming for fish in our inshore and offshore coastal waters. Written and produced by Michael W. Fincham. [more]
	Chesapeake: The Twilight Estuary (DVD & VHS, 39 min.) An environmental mystery story to investigate what was killing the seagrasses here in the Chesapeake Bay, the country’s largest and richest estuary. A dozen species were disappearing, and when scientists began to search they came up with some unexpected answers that changed our understanding of the Chesapeake. Produced and written by Michael W. Fincham. Free study guide for film (grades 5-12) available for download. [more]
	Watershed for the Chesapeake. (DVD & VHS, 58 min.) Captures the early days of the campaign to clean up Chesapeake Bay. Here, telling the story in their own words, are some of the early voices – the citizens and scientists, the politicians, farmers, and fishermen who spoke up and went to work to save the Bay. Written and produced by Michael W. Fincham. [more]
	Keeping Score: Releasing Fish for Tomorrow. (DVD & VHS, 20 min.) Keeping score is a big part of sports. But for sport fishing we need a new scorecard, says Lefty Kreh, a writer and fly fisherman extraordinaire. The best way to score is to release fish back into the bay. Lefty demonstrates the tools and techniques for catching and releasing striped bass and bluefish. Produced by Michael W. Fincham. [more]
	Invisible Seas. (VHS, 30 min.) Life — all that flies, swims and walks — began in a sea world out of sight, in an invisible ocean where seldom glimpsed life forms start the cycles that mean life and death for all living things. This film is a vivid overview of, and introduction to marine microbiology, one of the newest of the ocean sciences. Featuring Rita Colwell, produced by Michael W. Fincham.[catalog]

Educational Videos

Exotics in the Chesapeake: Alien Estuary. (DVD & VHS, 12 min.) Green crabs from the Baltic Sea. Zebra mussels and rapa whelks from the Black Sea. Seagrasses from Japan. Clams from Korea. Dozens of alien species are infiltrating hundreds of American harbors, bays, and rivers. Do these invaders pose a threat to the Chesapeake Bay and its complex ecosystem? Produced by Michael W. Fincham, Jack Greer, and Dan Terlizzi. [catalog]

Exotics in the Chesapeake: Alien Rivers - The Threat of Zebra Mussels. (DVD & VHS, 9 min.) Arriving in the Great Lakes in the ballast of a ship, the tiny zebra mussel soon spread down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. This film describes zebra mussels in the U.S. and details the steps that boaters can take to prevent their further spread. Produced by Michael W. Fincham, Jack Greer, and Dan Terlizzi. [catalog]

Farming Fish in Open Ponds. (VHS, 18 min.) Catfish, trout, tilapia, and striped bass – all can be grown in farm ponds for profit. As with agriculture, success in raising fish depends on knowledge and commitment. This film serves as an introduction to the steps in preparing ponds, stocking newly hatched fish, feeding fish, managing water quality, and harvesting and packing market-size fish. Merrill Leffler, writer/producer. [catalog]

Producing Striped Bass in Hatcheries. (VHS, 20 min.) Striped bassgrown in ponds beginlife in hatcheries, where eggs from ripe females are removed for fertilization. This film illustrates the capture of broodstock in the river, the techniques for determining female fish ovulation, for removing mature eggs, and for fertilizing them with sperm from male fish. Merrill Leffler, writer/producer. [catalog]