The melding of computer-generated imagery and good old-fashioned scientific research by two Marin residents has helped forge a vivid new production examining coral reefs that opens Friday at the California Academy of Sciences.
“Expedition Reef” showcases the corals and their importance to the ocean’s ecosystem and the perils they face. While the reefs cover less than 1 percent of the ocean, they are home to more than 25 percent of marine species, academy scientists say.
“Most films and documentaries are about the interesting critters on the coral,” said Tom Kennedy of San Rafael, director of the production who leads the academy’s Visualization Studio. “We want people to connect with coral. We wanted to make coral the star of this production.”
The 24-minute presentation is shown inside the domed Morrison Planetarium theater, where the viewer is enveloped in the sea and by coral. The experience is so immersive, warnings are noted about motion sickness beforehand.
“It’s kind of a thrill ride,” said Kennedy, who worked at Industrial Light & Magic. “From the minute the show starts, you are moving through an environment. That’s what the dome does really well. It lets a group of people experience a journey. We take you on a journey up close and personal. We take you inside corals. We take you down to the polyp level.”
Little of what the viewer sees is real — in fact except for the appearance of humans, it’s all digital.
But the presentation is authentic and was helped along with contributions from Rebecca Albright, a coral biologist, who lives in San Rafael.
“I was heavily involved because they did so much coral biology and physiology for the production,” Albright said as she stood near the new “Hidden Reef” aquarium gallery, which also debuts Friday.
She worked with the video team to make sure all the details were correct.
“Collaborating on a reef-themed planetarium show has been a fun and exciting challenge,” she said. “The incredible level of detail in each scene is backed by cutting-edge research.”
Coral reefs provide critical habitat to vast marine communities, from the tiny coral polyps that make up the reef’s foundation to the sharks and colorful fish that live among them, said academy scientists. Reefs are also integral to the world economy, generating income through ecotourism and fishing.
Academy scientists say nearly 75 percent of coral reefs around the world are threatened by overfishing, habitat destruction, water pollution, climate change and ocean acidification. About 25 percent of the reefs are gone and another 30 percent could collapse in the next three decades.
But Albright noted because they are remote, people don’t always connect to the reefs. The academy production is an attempt to change that.
“People don’t see coral reefs, so they feel a little distanced from them. It’s a bit of out of sight, out of mind,” she said, as the voices of schoolchildren echoed behind her in the vast academy building. “I hope this creates a connection and lets people know how important they are.”
While the visual production relies on the computer magic, the presentation is not without human touch. Lea Salonga — who sang in the animated “Aladdin” and “Mulan” movies — provides the narration. A live presenter inside the Planetarium also notes actions visitors can take to help protect reefs through sustainable choices.
“Creating that emotional connection is important,” Albright said. “People will see their actions matter in protection. This does a really great job of creating that narrative, and showing the beauty of coral reefs.”
