Campus News

UGA-led consortium and conservation agencies host ocean-themed film contest

A team of UGA-based marine researchers investigating the impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico are teaming up with local and statewide conservation agencies to present the 2017 Ripple Effect Film Project.

The research consortium Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf includes 29 researchers from 15 institutions and is led by ­Samantha Joye, Athletic Association Professor in Arts and Sciences in UGA’s marine sciences department. In addition to cutting-edge scientific research on the Gulf of Mexico, a primary goal of the consortium is to engage with the public about the group’s scientific activities and the importance of healthy ocean systems.

The Ripple Effect Film Project is accepting short films and public service announcement ­submissions through Jan. 31 that focus on the 2017 theme “ocean connections.” Submissions are open to filmmakers of all ages and abilities from around Georgia. Finalists’ films will be showcased March 25 at the Morton Theatre in Athens.

This year submissions are not restricted to Athens-Clarke County residents or water conservation and stormwater protection topics but are open to films from around the state on topics that connect human behavior to the health of the world’s oceans.

More information about ECOGIG and Ripple Effect Film Project is at www.ecogig.org and www.rippleeffectfilmproject.org. Film entries may be ­submitted through https://filmfreeway.com/festival/RippleEffectFilmProject.