Within the auspices of the PANACEA (Promotion of Marine Protected Areas Through Environmental Education Centres) project, the IOI-MOC at the University of Malta, represented by Dr Alan Deidun, commissioned Monolith Limited and Shaun Arrigo to compile brief underwater documentaries on the two Marine Protected Areas at Dwejra and Rdum Majjiesa.

These 15 minute documentaries, which were launched in the summer, are managing to encapsulate and whet the appetite of the public to appreciate and learn more about the underwater world of the Maltese Islands.

Other promotional and informative material to be spawned eventually from the PANACEA project include a scientific manual on all participating project MPA’s, promotional leaflets and a permanent interactive display within the environmental education centre to be developed at Dwejra.

The two brief underwater documentaries, which are on the two Marine Protected Areas at Rdum Majjiesa in Malta and Dwejra in Gozo, give an insight on some charismatic, flagship Mediterranean marine species, including the dusky grouper, scorpion fish, the moray eel, the flying gurnard, the hermit crab and also on some keystone marine habitats, most notably Neptune grass (Posidonia oceanica) meadows.

The documentaries also regales the viewer with stunning views of large shoals of fish, most notably barracudas, salemas and blue runners, whilst it also give snapshots of normally elusive and difficult to observe marine species, including the yellow tube sponge, the John Dory and weevers, whilst also having a smattering of mesmerising aerial shots which exalt the unique geomorphological setting of the Dwejra and Rdum Majjiesa MPA’s.

They also include underwater footage shot at night, featuring nocturnal species normally encountered under the cover of darkness, such as shrimps and rays

Dr.Deidun said “These documentaries mark an unprecedented local attempt at projecting Malta’s stunning underwater assets to students through unrivalled video quality and audio.”

A copy of the short documentaries will be disseminated to all local schools during the present scholastic year.

The PANACEA project is being financed under the auspices of the Italia-Malta 2007-2013 ERDF programme. The project will be running from 25 April 2011 to 24 April 2013. Its ultimate aim is to promote the sound scientific management of biodiversity assets within Sicilian and Maltese MPA’s by drawing on codes of best practice developed within selected MPA’s and through the institution of environmental educational centres.

These centres can be considered as portals of edutainment, in which visitors (students, divers, tourists, locals) are regaled with a didactic experience through a kaleidoscopic overview of the MPA’s living resources through a number of ad hoc tools, including documentaries, interactive tools, permanent exhibitions and models, ecological laboratories, etc.

The other Maltese partner within the PANACEA project, besides the University of Malta, is the San Lawrenz local council in Gozo.

The six Central Mediterranean MPA’s participating in the project include Dwejra (Gozo), Rdum Majjiesa (Malta), Plemmirio (Syracuse, Sicily), Lampedusa and Linosa (Pelagian Islands, Sicily), Ustica and Isola delle Femmine (Palermo, Sicily).

The video on Dwejra is available here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cE-Y1tbzrc.

The video on Rdum Majjiesa is available here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxaanT5argI.

Permalink: Underwater documentaries on Dwejra and Rdum Majjiesa