Gulf Tides 15: The Dead Zone

We recently wrapped up another episode of "Gulf Tides", a web video series for the Gulf Restoration Network.

I've been reporting on, writing about, and filming the Gulf Coast environment for what seems like quite some time now. The stories I tell all seem to lead back to the same idea: that the Gulf Coast region and the Mississippi River Delta are economically important environments that need to be taken seriously and protected from degradation.

The Gulf Restoration Network is a homegrown New Orleans non-profit that focuses on the health of the Gulf of Mexico and the wetlands it borders. I'm very proud to work with the people they have on staff to make sure the public is aware of the dangers that face our region if we do not take action.

This episode features the Dead Zone and its impacts up and down the Mississippi River. I learned a lot about what goes on up river to cause the Dead Zone in the Gulf. This episode was also a great opportunity to polish up my archival footage researching skills as we were not able to just go out and get most of the footage we needed.

Revivng the Louisiana Oyster Industry

As we near the 2 year mark of the BP Oil Spill, I'm starting a new round of stories about the Gulf Coast for the National Wildlife Federation. We've titled the series "Stories from the Coast".

This latest video is a look into the current state of the oyster industry in Louisiana. As it stands now, the industry as a whole is not operating at pre-spill levels and I wanted to dig in and see what might be the causes. I found that there are a number of factors including hurricanes, some effects of the oil, but mostly the effect of freshwater from the Mississippi River.

The freshwater reached the marshes in heavy doses during the oil spill because river diversion were used in an effort to create a water flow that might push back encroaching oil. There was also a high river in the Spring of 2011 that forced officials to open the Bonnet Carre spillway to prevent flooding in New Orleans and the surrounding areas. These influxes of freshwater upset the delicate balance of salinity required to maintain a healthy oyster population.

As I went through the filming process of this story I was treated to a sack of oyster from P&J Oyster Co. I shucked the oysters and used them in my Mom's oyster stuffing recipe. Sometimes this job has some major perks.

What I took away most from this story is the idea of farming oysters that is featured near the end of the video. This concept seemed like a very legitimate way of raising and harvesting oysters. It may be some time before the fishermen start using this method, but as we continue to re-engineer our coast for the good of everyone, it's going to take innovative approaches to helping our fisherman continue to work for themselves and I think that this method will play a major role in helping the oyster fishermen.

The Brown Pelican

During the hot months of the BP oil spill, oiled brown pelicans became iconic images of the disaster. Throughout the spill, I personally saw many more pelicans that weren't affected than I did those that were. Still, the toughest emotional day for me was when I filmed at the pelican rehabilitation center at Fort Jackson in Plaquemines Parish and saw what the birds had endured.

My current video for the National Wildlife Federation is an update of sorts on the status of the brown pelican. Although biologists agree that the population is still strong, the video proposes that the rapid loss of habitat will determine the ultimate fate of the species.

This video is composed of footage that I collected before and after the spill as well as stock footage from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Often times state and federal agencies will have their own media produced in house. Since the media is produced using tax dollars, it falls in the realm of public domain. You can get a hold of this media by visiting the agency's B Roll or Video section on their website or by contacting their media/public relations departments and requesting copies of the footage.

Mistrust & Missed Opportunities

This is the latest episode of Gulf Tides, a web series I am producing about the oil spill for Gulf Restoration Network. The series is a challenge and I try to make each episode like a segment of PBS' Frontline. Covering a subject as huge as the oil spill can be quite daunting, but in this case I've learned to trust the expertise of my client in keeping the stories focused on a particular aspect of the disaster.

I was lucky enough to record the narration from the actor Tim Robbins. Just knowing that there is a big name attached to the series makes me work hard to produce a quality product.

I'm not sure what the future holds for my coverage of the BP oil spill but work like Gulf Tides has been a pleasure to produce. My only hope is that it in some way makes a difference.

Migration to the Marsh

I produced this video for the National Wildlife Federation. It was a great opportunity to express some of the long term concerns that I have as a duck hunter. Although the BP Oil Spill was a stress on our local environment in South Louisiana, we have been in trouble for a long time. Through two great sources, Bob Marshall with the Times Picayune and Dale Humberg, chief biologist with Ducks Unlimited, I was able to tell that part of our story.

Fishing without Fossil Fuels

This is the latest video for "Stories from the Coast", and ongoing series I am producing for the National Wildlife Federation. In the video I featured my good friend Blake Gill. Blake works for Massey's Outfitters in New Orleans, and he and I have been taking on the sport of kayak fishing for quite some time now.

It was a unique experience shooting video from a kayak (especially when I set up a tripod) but I think my previous experience with the boats went a long way. If someone is going to be filming from a kayak for their first time, I would recommend spending some time getting to know the boat before you let the camera roll.

Oiled Water, Oiled Waste

This episode of Gulf Tides tackles the recent openings of commercial fishing in the BP disaster zone as well as the disposal of waste from the cleanup efforts. I am very happy to be producing this series of mini-documentaries for the Gulf Restoration Network. My good friend Gino with NOLA Image Works and I put a lot of time into making sure these videos are fun to watch. We hope that we can keep the public interest going in the aftermath of the BP Oil Spill.

Coastal and Clean Up Concerns

This is the latest episode of Gulf Tides, a web series I am producing for the Gulf Restoration Network:

Still on Fish

I recently went on a fishing trip with John Iverson, a local fishing guide. John guides for a local Fly Fishing shop called Uptown Angler.

I spent a bright Wednesday morning fishing with John and talking about what his life is like after the BP Oil Spill.

Heavy sacks of uncertainty

Last Wednesday 7-21-10, I filmed in Lake Méchant where the Voisin family of Houma harvests their crop of oysters for their very successful Motivatit Seafood company. Motivatit employs a lot of local people as well as many Central American immigrants who depend on a steady source of income. I found the company to be a stellar example of old fashioned American work ethic and proper resource management.

Dr. Doug Inlkey of the National Wildlife Federation was on hand to learn all that he could about the BP Oil Spill's effects on the Gulf Coast Oyster industry. It was a pleasure to work with Doug and I appreciated his usual passion and pride in helping our situation.

Moving through the media muck

Two days ago the BP Oil Spill marked three months into the minds of gulf coast residents. I regretfully admit to be one of those people.

I've been following the oil spill story through many media sources. I've even produced a few stories of my own. Working with the people, seeing the environment, and noticing the changes has given me a special insight into the disaster -- one that I've felt comfortable sharing with others. I've tried to stay in touch with the story even on my days off by observing what others are saying. I've tried to be diverse in my intake by picking sources from around the country. The links below reflect the media sources I've been using on a daily basis:

The Conservationist, Field and Stream Magazine - Contributors include New Orleans' own Bob Marshall as well as acclaimed outdoor writer Hal Herring. An excellent source for anyone interested in the outdoors.

LACoastpost.com - Dr. Len Bahr was an Coastal Policy adviser for former Louisiana Governor Mike Foster. LACoastpost.com is his pet project that is quickly blossoming into a heavily frequented and very controversial blog.

Gulf Restoration Network - The Youtube channel for the local non-profit's video efforts. Of particular interest is the Gulf Tides Series of Mini-Documentaries of which I am lucky to be working on.

WWL.com - The New Orleans based talk radio station's website. You can live stream their broadcasts. When these guys get heated up, there's no cooling them down.

New York Times Video - You may have to browse through to find spill related stories, but I can promise the filmmakers for this page are some very talented folks. I also recommend browsing through their main page.

Margaret Coble - My neighbor "Mags" is a voracious poster of poignant online material regarding the spill. Friend her on Facebook and I promise you will not miss a beat in the digital realm.

Bob Marshall - Bob is a mentor of mine and I always appreciate his point of view. His stories for the Times Picayune about Louisiana's Coast have been read and respected all around the world.

Tough Times, Tar Balls, and Tourists

Gulf Tides is a web series that I've started shooting for. The show is edited by my good friend Gino at NOLA Image Works and the series is produced by the Gulf Restoration Network.

Please take some time to view the previous episodes 1-4 as well and let me know what you think.

Louisiana Lightning Storm

On Friday 7-16 I headed down to Buras to film a fishing trip with Sal Cusimano. In spite of waking up at 3am to get there on time, we canceled the trip because of bad weather. Travelling home on Highway 23, I found myself surrounded by a lightning storm. The ominous clouds and the bright lightning made for a perfect backdrop so I pulled over and started filming.

Unorthodox is the key

I'm very proud of Louisiana native Drew Landry for showing guts in front of President Obama's Oil Spill Committee.

Hommage à la Louisiane

Last week in Venice, LA I asked a diverse group of people what they loved about living in Louisiana. I then asked them what they feared most about the oil spill. This is what they told me. Music by The Lost Bayou Ramblers.

BP Oil Spill endangers the traditional life for local tribe

I produced this video for National Wildlife Federation. We featured the Atakapa Ishak Native American tribe of Grand Bayou Village in Plaquemines Parish.

A Way of Life in Danger: The People of St. Bernard

Here is a video that I produced for National Wildlife Federation about people in St. Bernard who have ties to the coastal wetlands.

On the ground update 6-19-10

Today I filmed in the Barataria Basin with Aaron Viles from the Gulf Restoration Network and the Atakapa Ishak Indians from Grand Bayou Village.

The trip was lead by Rosina and Maurice Phillipe who are descended from a long line of Atakapas. During French colonization their Atakapa ancestors taught settlers how to survive in the coastal marshes. Through this interaction, the Atakapas learned the French language and passed it down to folks like Rosina and Maurice.

Today, the Atakapas of Grand Bayou live a very traditional way of life in raised houses only accessible by boat. They make a living fishing and trapping and for the most part sustain themselves on local resources. For all of the recent media attention they've been getting, the Phillipes were still very willing to tour us around and talk about their culture.

We took a straight shot man-made canal out to Barataria Bay where Maurice pointed out acres of his oyster grounds that were now hit by the oil. Miles and miles of the marsh grass were caked with oil. This site weighed heavy on all of us, especially Maurice.

On the way back in, we took natural bayous that bended and curved through the marsh. Maurice navigated them with ease -- the kind that one gets after a lifetime spent on the water.

When we were near the village again, Maurice pointed out the location of the Atakapa burial grounds. These sacred sites were no more than 3-4 miles from where we last spotted oil.

It was a great experience to be out with the Atakapas and I look forward to seeing their resilience in reacting to this disaster.

My NWF Video with Dave Mizejewski

I did this video for the National Wildlife Federation. It features Dave Mizejewski who is a naturalist with NWF. Dave and I share many of the same views on how humans and animals are connected in the ecosystem. It was a pleasure to work with him and to produce this video for NWF.

On the ground update 6-14-10

7 miles is all we had to ride from Myrtle Grove Marina to find oil coating the marshes. I was shocked. My previous trips to the oiled wetlands have been out of Venice and down the Mississippi River -- some 30-40 miles from civilization. Now, we're at 7.

Usually when I visit the Myrtle Grove Marina, I'm picking up market shrimp for fishing trips to Magnolia, an area about 13 miles down Highway 23. Magnolia is known amongst kayak fisherman as one of the most accessible and productive spots in South Louisiana and it's not uncommon to fill a kayak with a limit of redfish in a day spent there. It's an easy paddle from the highway and very little motor boat traffic offers a safe experience. Now the oil is 7 miles away from Magnolia. I can't tell from the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries fishing closure maps whether Maganolia is still open or not. I would love to take a day off and go fishing there, but I'm asking myself if I would really want to eat fish that could have been exposed to the toxic goo.

Not far from the 7 mile spot where we first saw oil was the mobile command center for cleanup operations. Men in hard hats and life vests worked on barges piled high with hard boom, absorbent boom, and bags of plastic pom poms. All different types of boats pulled in and out as fishermen left for cleanup assignments. Oiled white boom lined the banks of the adjacent marshes.

For someone who has never spent time in the wetlands, this may not have been a tough sight to see, but for me it was devastating. The marsh is where I go to escape the hustle and bustle of my everyday life. The peaceful serenity of a wide open prairie and slow moving bayous offers me a release that can't be found anywhere else. The fish and waterfowl that I take from this environment lets me sustain myself in a way that my ancestors did. Now, the marsh has been transformed into a noisy, oily mess and we've yet to figure out a way to stop the leak.