Silent Sentinels

In 1988, the same year officially designated as the “International Year of Oceans,” the world's coral reefs--tragically and ironically--suffered an unprecedented mass bleaching and dying off. Silent Sentinels, a multi-award winning documentary, poignantly portrays the plight of the coral reefs, whose symbiotic relationship with a particular type of algae gives corals their beautiful jewel-like colors. Warming ocean waters kill the algae, however, which, in turn, results in a loss of color or bleaching effect and, eventually, death. Stunning underwater photography--of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Scott Reef in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives, the Red Sea, the Florida coast and the Caribbean--graphically shows the devastation happening in the earth's oceans as a result of rising carbon dioxide and temperature levels, while informed commentary explores the dire consequences of unhealthy ocean waters. An outstanding title that would be terrific as part of an environmental science curriculum for junior high through introductory college level courses, as well as for recreational adult viewers, this is highly recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (L. Stevens)