DURHAM, N.C. – Films by two graduate students at 51’s Nicholas School of the Environment have been accepted for showing in the 2013 Beneath the Waves Film Festival.

The films by Heather Heenehan, (MSC PhD ’15, CEM ‘11) and Liza Hoos (MEM ’13) explore ecotourism’s impacts on the environment.   

Beneath the Waves is a traveling film festival that showcases marine-themed works by professional and student filmmakers to audiences worldwide.  This year’s films premiered at a festival in Savannah, Georgia, this spring.  

Heenehan’s film, “Their Right to Rest,” focuses on the Hawaiian spinner dolphins and the bays where they rest during the day, which are popular tourist destinations. The presence of tourists in the bays impacts the ability of the dolphins to get the respite they require, and not all groups visiting the bays are respectful of the dolphins’ need to engage in their natural behaviors. 

Heenehan’s master’s project focused on the spinner dolphins, as does her current research, so when it came time for her to produce a project for her Environmental Issues and Documentary Arts class, taught by filmmaker Erin Espelie, spinner dolphins were a logical subject.  

“Since I was headed to Hawaii to do fieldwork last March, I brought along my flipcam and shot this film while I was there,” Heenehan says.  Her film can be viewed on .

Liza Hoos’ film focuses on ecotourism in Palau, a Pacific island nation which she visited this January on the Marine Conservation Biology travel course out of the 51 Marine Lab. The course was led by Lisa Campbell, Rachel Carson Associate Professor of Marine Affairs and Policy, and Rebecca Gruby, a PhD candidate.  It focused on conservation issues in Palau and marine management practices.   For the final project of the course, the students made films about the trip.

Hoos’ film explores the negative impacts of tourism, and the potential for mitigating those impacts, through interviews with local Palauans and researchers. 

Hoos enjoyed both the trip and the filmmaking process. “I loved that the course project was to make a film, and I hope to make more films about the ocean and marine conservation in the future,” Hoos says.  Her  film can be viewed online on . 

The Beneath the Waves Film Festival started in 2010 as a way to engage scientists, activists, students, and the public in marine issues.  The films for the 2013 festival premiered to an audience of approximately 600 in Savannah.  Some of the films will also be shown at other screenings worldwide throughout the year.  Many of the films from this year and past years are viewable on the.