Fragile Oceans
Cries for help from our marine life go ignored every day. It's time we started to listen.
Cries for help from our marine life go ignored every day. It's time we started to listen.
Right now, Australia’s oceans are under siege: back-to-back coral bleaching on both the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo, devastating marine heatwaves driving the toxic algal bloom in South Australia, and unique species like the Maugean skate pushed to the edge of extinction.
But this isn’t just a lament. It’s a call.
Australia’s nature laws are being reformed, and this is our opportunity to get them right.
Strong laws are the most powerful tools we have to protect and restore the fragile ocean habitats, wildlife and reefs we love.
Weak laws will bow to vested interests.
Strong laws will give the ocean the safety net it desperately needs. The ocean can recover, but only if we act.
The Maugean skate is a ray found only in Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania, and has been alive since T-Rex roamed the Earth.
Rarely seen, their dappled exterior camouflages them against the dark, silty bottom of Macquarie Harbour where they prefer depths of 5 to 15 metres and feed on bottom-dwelling native crabs.
The main threat to the species is depleted oxygen chewed up by fish feed and fish waste produced by intensive salmon farming.
Australia's weak nature laws allow polluting salmon farming to continue unchecked in Macquarie Harbour, even as the Maugean skate faces exctinction.
Emergency conservation action is needed.
The Giant Kelp Marine Forests of South East Australia are a vital component of our marine ecosystem, providing critical habitats for many species and supporting the health of our oceans.
Found on rocky sea floors at 8 metres deep and below, giant kelp stretch across 8,000 km of Australian coastline.
Giant kelp forests are facing unprecedented threats, and urgent action is needed to protect these vital ecosystems.
Southern right whales can live up to 150 years old. Every year, southern right whales return to the Australian coastline between Western Australia and Victoria to breed and have their young.
But their habitats, migration routes, and feeding grounds are under threat from proposals for destructive seismic blasting and fossil fuel extraction.
We created the Fragile Oceans campaign with multi-award winning film production company, Collider, who use evocative water-based animal imagery moving through urban streetscapes to remind people that the ocean touches every part of life in Australia — from climate to culture, food to identity. The film and soundtrack speaks especially to hopeful and sensitive nature-lovers: those who feel the loss of coral reefs, disappearing species like the Maugean skate, and the damage done by climate inaction.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ generously provided the powerful soundtrack drawn from their 2024 album Wild God, which explores themes of grief, transformation and the human condition. The voiceover, given to us by renowned actor Melanie Zanetti (voice of Bluey’s Mum, Chilli), underscores the urgency but importantly provides hope and urges people to join AMCS and become guardians of our oceans and wildlife.
Credits
Production Company: Collider
Rachael Ford-Davies, Managing Partner & EP, Collider
Andrew van der Westhuyzen, Founder/Creative Director, Collider
Hoss Ghonouie, Head of Studio Production, Collider
Georgia Moraitis, Producer, Collider
Copywriter, ABEL
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds ([PIAS] Recordings (UK) Limited t/a Play It Again Sam)
Melanie Zanetti (Prime Rib Productions)
Sophie Haydon, Executive Producer, Sonar Music
Timothy Bridge, Sound Designer, Sonar Music