A hard piece of coral transforms into a flexible
creature, its finger-covered tendrils extended toward the ocean currents. Alien
surfaces morph and flex in shimmering iridescence. Worm-like "mouths"
gape and grab at anything in their proximity.
This is the world seen through the eyes of Daniel
Stoupin, a Ph.D. student researching marine biology at the University of
Queensland in Australia. He spent nine months working with 150,000 photos to
make a video just over three minutes long.
Titled "Slow Life," the video focuses
on a series of corals, sponges and other marine creatures. Their daily
functions are photographed over a period of several hours, then sped up into a
time-lapse sequence.
"Their speeds happen to be out of sync with
our narrow perception," Stoupin explains in an essay accompanying the
video. "Our brains are wired to comprehend and follow fast and dynamic
events better, especially those very few that happen at speeds comparable to
ours. In a world of blazingly fast predators and escaping prey events where it
takes minutes, hours, or days to notice any changes are harder to grasp."
"These animals build coral reefs and play
crucial roles in the biosphere, yet we know almost nothing about their daily
lives," he adds in a separate essay.
Stoupin says he hopes the painstakingly produced
video will raise awareness of the devastating impact humans have had on marine
life. He focuses particularly on those who remove parts of the reef for the
"outrageously expensive hobby" of maintaining private aquariums.
"I’m not asking to throw away your passions and hobbies, but please think
carefully about what you really love, protect, and invest in," he writes.
"The Great Barrier Reef is in grave danger and you have the power and
finances to change its fate instead of scavenging what's left of it."
High-resolution, large-format prints from the
video can be purchased on Stoupin's website.
A 27-year study of the health of the Great
Barrier Reef which concluded in 2012 revealed an ecosystem in steep decline,
with 50 percent of the reef having died in that time. Two of the major factors
negatively impacting the reef are warming sea temperatures due to climate
change, and nutrient-rich agricultural runoff, which feeds the growth of
coral-eating starfish.
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