Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.
February 21 through March 21, 2018

Join us for weekly screenings of thought-provoking, environmental documentary films followed by a faculty-led discussion.

All shows are free and open to the public!
Co-sponsored with the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment and
the University of Delaware Library, Museums, and Press.

Please note: Due to weather-related closings at UD, Chasing Coral has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 4, at 7:00 p.m. in 101 Brown Lab; Tidewater has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 11, at 7:00 p.m., at Main Street Movies 5.

In our fifth annual environmental film series, we’ll focus on the challenges facing our oceans and coasts. 

Click on the links below to visit official film websites and view trailers. Running times are listed in parentheses.

February 21
A Plastic Ocean (2016, 102 minutes)
Discussion leader: Jonathan Cohen, Associate Professor, School of Marine Science and Policy
In the center of the Pacific Ocean, researchers find more plastic than plankton. This film documents the newest science that demonstrates how plastics, once they enter the oceans, break up into small particulates that enter the food chain where they attract toxins like a magnet. These toxins are stored in the fatty tissues of marine animals and eventually consumed by us.

February 28
The End of the Line (2009, 82 minutes)
Discussion leader: Lee Anderson, Professor Emeritus, School of Marine Science and Policy
Advances in fishing technology mean whole species of wild fish are under threat of population collapse. This film not only points out who is most to blame but advocates for sustainable consumption, for marine protected areas, and for a new ethic of responsible fishing.

March 14
Sonic Sea  (2016, 60 minutes) and Acid Test (2009, 22 minutes)
Discussion leader: Wei-Jun Cai, Mary A.S. Lighthipe Professor of Earth, Ocean, and Environment
A double feature of two shorter films produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council that depict the sources and consequences of two invisible forms of marine pollution: noise and the falling pH of ocean waters resulting from the absorption of excess carbon dioxide.

April 4 
Chasing Coral (2017, 93 minutes)
Discussion leader: Danielle Dixson, Assistant Professor, School of Marine Science and Policy
Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers, and scientists set out on a thrilling and arduous ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world. Note the change in location to 101 Brown Lab for this screening.

April 11
Tidewater (2017, 42 minutes)
Hampton Roads, Virginia, is home to our highest concentration of military assets in the country, where one in six residents is associated with the military. Their homes, schools, hospitals, and families are increasingly struggling to keep up with the effects of rising waters. The military and the surrounding municipalities are working towards solutions.

This special screening of Tidewater will be hosted by The College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at the Main Street Movies 5 cinema at 230 E. Main Street in Newark (in the Newark Shopping Center). A panel discussion will take place following the film featuring oceanography professor Chris Sommerfield, Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service specialist Danielle Swallow, and Lewes-based photographer Judy Rolfe who was an assistant producer on the film. Reservations are required for this screening since seating is limited — reserve your seats at this link.

All screenings except Tidewater will be held at Trabant Theatre. There will be a five-minute introduction and approximately 20–30 minutes of discussion following each film. Doors will open approximately 20 minutes before each screening. Please note that no food or drink is allowed in Trabant Theater.

#LightsCameraEarthUD