WPBT South Florida PBS's (WPBT2 - WXEL) Emmy award-winning original series, Changing Seas, premieres on Wednesday, June 21 at 9:00pm on WPBT2 and on Thursday, June 22nd at 8:00pm on WXEL, with two brand new episodes back to back. Two additional episodes wll air the following Wednesday, June 28 at 9:00pm on WPBT2 and Thursday, June 29 at 8:00pm on WXEL.
In its 9th season, Changing Seas takes viewers to Panama for a close-up look at cutting-edge offshore aquaculture operations, meets with scientists who are studying the cause and effects of Florida's toxic algae blooms, goest to sea with experts studying the ocean carbon cycle in Bermuda, andtakes audiences on spectacular dives with the majestic mantas in Mexico's Socorro Islands. “We are thrilled to tackle some really pressing issues this season, ranging from future seafood supply to feed a growing population to the impact anthropogenic CO2 is having on ocean ecosystems," says Alexa Elliott, Changing Seas Series Producer
Episode Descriptions
Episode #901 The Future of Seafood
Wednesday, June 21, 2017 - 9:00pm (WPBT2)
Thursday, June 22, 2017 - 8:00pm (WXEL)
It is estimated there will be two billion more people on the planet by mid-century. To feed this booming world population, more fish will need to be farmed than ever before. One way to increase fish production in a sustainable wayis to move aquaculture operations offshore – where there is plenty of available space and strong currents flush out the pens to avoid polluting sensitive ecosystems.
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Episode #902 Toxic Algae: Complex Sources and Solutions
Wednesday, June 21, 2017 - 9:30pm (WPBT2)
Thursday, June 22, 2017 - 8:30pm (WXEL)
Lake Okeechobee was once the blue heart of Florida, pumping fresh water down to the Everglades and beyond. But now that a dike and canal system control its flow, water releases from the lake periodically create putrid mats of blue green algae. Scientists think water pollution is to blame, and if something isn’t done about it there could be irreparable damage to the environment, the local economy and people’s health.
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Episode #903 The Fate of Carbon
Wednesday, June 28, 2017 - 9:00pm (WPBT2)
Thursday, June 29, 2017 - 8:00pm (WXEL)
For millennia, the exchange of CO2 between the oceans and atmosphere has been in balance. Now, with more anthropogenic carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere, the oceans are taking up more CO2 as well. This additional CO2 is negatively impacting sensitive ecosystems through a process called ocean acidification, and scientists worry how changes to the ocean environment will affect the way carbon is cycled through the seas.
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Episode #904 Majestic Mantas
Wednesday, June 28, 2017 - 9:00pm (WPBT2)
Thursday, June 29, 2017 - 8:00pm (WXEL)
The remote Revillagegdo Archipelago off Mexico’s Pacific coast is a hotspot for giant mantas that interact with awe-struck scuba divers. Scientists are studying the local population using photo ID techniques and acoustic tags which track the movements of these mysterious fish. They are also conducting experiments to see if the filter-feeding rays are impacted negatively by microplastics, tiny pieces of toxic trash that float in the ocean.
Funding for this series is made possible by the Batchelor Foundation, Divers Direct/Emocean Sports, the Do Unto Others Trust, The William J. & Isobel G. Clarke Foundation, Lady Suzanna P. Tweed & Carleton Tweed Charitable Foundation, and Skip & Diane Day.
Last year's (Season 8) Changing Seas' episode, "Beneath the Bridge" won "Best in Show" at the recent Reef Renaissance Film Festival in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The episode also received first place in the Documentary Category and the episode "Maug's Caldera: A Natural Laboratory" won third place in the same category.