Past, Present & Future
Posted by envirodiver | Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at 5:05am
Over the past five years I have embarked on a unique journey of discovery. The experiences of losing those close, realizing what is missing in life and how to give back while searching for the answers.......
It began with a scientific expedition to the Lizard Island Research Station off the eastern coast of Queensland Australia. The expedition, which was lead by a Neuro-biologist from Yale Medical School, was designed to search for Fluorescent Proteins in the corals and sea life of the Great Barrier Reef. These proteins, if found, would be used as markers in scientific research which could lead to fantastic discoveries in the roots of many diseases and environmental catastrophies affecting both the planet and the numerous species living here.
The primary goals were finding keys to Coral Bleaching and what causes Alzheimers Disease but the potential paths of discovery were so far reaching it boggled the mind.
These yet undiscovered proteins would then be genetically libraried and cloned for future use and shipped back to the US in a Nitrogen Freezer where they would become part of the "Noah's Ark Project", at the Museum of Natural History in New York. three teams of volunteer divers spent 10 days each diving the shallow reefs around Lizard Island searching for specific coral species and invertibrates that might possess these proteins and once found samples were taken to be tested either in the lab or field, depending on the host.
Prior to this this expedition only blue and green fluorescent proteins had been found but the light frequency of these colors had proven to be harmful to human tissues and it was determined that less destructive colors, like orange, red and yellow were necessary for effective use in the human body.
During the month long expedition all three of these colors, plus purple, were found and cloned. The final results of their effectiveness are yet to be determined.
Now you may be asking yourself, "why I am telling you this story" and if you have read this far then you deserve an answer. This expedition changed my life and set me on a course that I have followed to this day. I have come to realize the fragility of our planet and the need to contribute to its continued success. Not everyone, however, can make those contributions financially and other means of giving back must be found. for me, the road to this destination revealed itself in my ability to produce and shoot documentaries. Prior to leaving on the expedition I pitched my idea of shooting the project as TV Program for a genetics series on PBS; The idea was accepted and the rest is history. The show aired in 2001 in the series "Secrets of The Sequence", produced by Ward Kronkite TV and I have never looked back.
In the years since I have produced five programs in two original documentary series I created on pro-environment issues dealing with sustainable fishing and underwater habitat preservation and restoration, "Hooker's Diary" dealing with ways of persuing commercial fishing without depleating the species caught and "Adventures in Inner Space" which documents the world beneath the mirrored surface of our planet's oceans and estuaries.....
In future entries I will be bringing you, the readers, an up to date accounting of my latest project which will be filmed in the Komodo Island Marine Park in Indonesia. This unique Biosphere, designated a World Heritage Site, is home to hundreds of corals, more than one thousand species of fish and only time will tell what else and, oh yes, the legendary Komodo Dragon, the largest Lizard on earth. Komodo exists at the confluence of three oceans and it's survival has been severely threatened by over fishing, years of tourist abuse and a failing economy for the indegenous population. Now, The Nature Conservancy, in cooperation with the Indonesian government, has set forth a 25 year plan to save this unique jewel and re-design the economy. I'll be there and so will you so keep your eyes peeled for future postings and share in the in magic....... Envirodiver
The primary goals were finding keys to Coral Bleaching and what causes Alzheimers Disease but the potential paths of discovery were so far reaching it boggled the mind.
These yet undiscovered proteins would then be genetically libraried and cloned for future use and shipped back to the US in a Nitrogen Freezer where they would become part of the "Noah's Ark Project", at the Museum of Natural History in New York. three teams of volunteer divers spent 10 days each diving the shallow reefs around Lizard Island searching for specific coral species and invertibrates that might possess these proteins and once found samples were taken to be tested either in the lab or field, depending on the host.
Prior to this this expedition only blue and green fluorescent proteins had been found but the light frequency of these colors had proven to be harmful to human tissues and it was determined that less destructive colors, like orange, red and yellow were necessary for effective use in the human body.
During the month long expedition all three of these colors, plus purple, were found and cloned. The final results of their effectiveness are yet to be determined.
Now you may be asking yourself, "why I am telling you this story" and if you have read this far then you deserve an answer. This expedition changed my life and set me on a course that I have followed to this day. I have come to realize the fragility of our planet and the need to contribute to its continued success. Not everyone, however, can make those contributions financially and other means of giving back must be found. for me, the road to this destination revealed itself in my ability to produce and shoot documentaries. Prior to leaving on the expedition I pitched my idea of shooting the project as TV Program for a genetics series on PBS; The idea was accepted and the rest is history. The show aired in 2001 in the series "Secrets of The Sequence", produced by Ward Kronkite TV and I have never looked back.
In the years since I have produced five programs in two original documentary series I created on pro-environment issues dealing with sustainable fishing and underwater habitat preservation and restoration, "Hooker's Diary" dealing with ways of persuing commercial fishing without depleating the species caught and "Adventures in Inner Space" which documents the world beneath the mirrored surface of our planet's oceans and estuaries.....
In future entries I will be bringing you, the readers, an up to date accounting of my latest project which will be filmed in the Komodo Island Marine Park in Indonesia. This unique Biosphere, designated a World Heritage Site, is home to hundreds of corals, more than one thousand species of fish and only time will tell what else and, oh yes, the legendary Komodo Dragon, the largest Lizard on earth. Komodo exists at the confluence of three oceans and it's survival has been severely threatened by over fishing, years of tourist abuse and a failing economy for the indegenous population. Now, The Nature Conservancy, in cooperation with the Indonesian government, has set forth a 25 year plan to save this unique jewel and re-design the economy. I'll be there and so will you so keep your eyes peeled for future postings and share in the in magic....... Envirodiver
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Thanks for reading the blog. I just returned from the trip to shoot the documentary and will now pick up where I left off. I couldn't post it from Indonesia as the trip progressed but have lots to tell..... Thanks and tell your friends to read it as well.......... Rick Morris, envirodiver@yahoo.com
Past, Present & Future
That is great work to make so many documentaries. Re: the Komodo Island Marine Park, it has to be frustrating to see a plan take 25 years or thereabouts to reach completion. I think that's what gets a lot of us bogged down - is the amount of time that it takes to reverse ecological damage done by years of abuse. We managed to turn the great lakes around in about 25 years, but there is still lots to do. Sometimes things seem hopeless even when you try to do something simple like keep an anti-litter campaign going. Most groups focus on picking up the litter, but through education we can hope to break the cycle to the point where people won't litter and there won't be litter to pick up. I wouldn't mind seeing a documentary aired on the effects of litter on the health of streams and rivers. Best to you and your endeavors!