‘Checking in on Beagle Marine Park’: the making of the video

Last year I joined a research voyage to Beagle Marine Park as part of my master’s professional placement with the Marine and Coastal Hub. There were many first-time experiences for me. It was my first long sea voyage, my first time reporting on science in my second language, and my first brush with Australian marine life. Then another journey began: putting the pieces together for a video.

My video, Checking in on Beagle Marine Park, presents highlights of the two-week monitoring survey conducted by scientists from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania in August 2024. Using an underwater robot, they collected seafloor imagery to assess the health of marine life and ecosystems in this protected area.

Through a screen on the vessel’s back deck, they saw spectacular bright sponge gardens, fishes and invertebrates. Meanwhile, I recorded their routines and thoughts on the early findings, all while enjoying the views of remote islands and open seas.

Once on land, the challenge was to weave together this story, filmed with multiple cameras and without a script. I can say that navigating the technical and narrative hurdles sometimes felt like being at sea again: rocky, but fascinating.

Now, as I’m about to complete my master’s studies I can see all the dots of my interests and new skills coming together, and I’m proud to share my journey. I hope it sparks curiosity in those who see it, as it certainly has in me.

Jessica during a walk on Deal Island.

Filming remotely operated vehicle deployments on the back deck.

Jessica handles the camera for a live stream during the voyage.

Jessica interviews Hannah Santolin of Parks Australia. Image: Laura Holmes

This research is supported with funding by the National Environmental Science Program Marine and Coastal Hub and a grant of sea time from the Southern Coastal Research Vessel Fleet (SCRVF), with funding from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

The SCRVF is a partnership between the South Australian Research and Development Institute and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in Western Australia, with funding from NCRIS and support from the CSIRO Marine National Facility, to provide the marine research community with better access to coastal research vessels in Southern Australia.