Senior Research Fellow Dr Bryce Stewart and the Marine Biological Association’s (MBA) research vessel ‘Sepia’ played a vital role in helping to create key sequences in the film and ensuring its scientific accuracy.
the ocean and stabilise the climate, debuting in 2025. (Photo by Conor McDonnell)
Dr Bryce Stewart, Senior Research Fellow for Fisheries and Conservation at the Marine Biological Association (MBA) and Associate Professor at the University of Plymouth, and our research vessel, the RV MBA Sepia, made a key contribution to the upcoming film Ocean with David Attenborough, narrated by Honorary Member of the MBA, the legendary Sir David Attenborough. The highly anticipated documentary, attended by the MBA’s Royal Patron, HM King Charles III, had its world premiere at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 6 May 2025 – just two days before Sir David’s 99th birthday
Dr Stewart and the Research Vessel MBA Sepia’s skipper and crew, Sean McTierney and James Whicheloe, worked with filmmakers from the production companies Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios to film the sequences of scallop dredging. This was part of a carefully controlled study designed to better understand and help mitigate the effects of dredging on the seabed and marine life. Scallop dredging provides one of the UK’s most valuable fisheries, but this method of fishing also causes considerable harm to sensitive seabed habitats.
Dr Stewart’s expert contributions also included advising on the film’s script and fact-checking the scientific content, ensuring the accuracy of its portrayal of critical marine issues. As part of his involvement, Dr Stewart and his team from the MBA worked closely with the production team to ensure the film presented an authentic and scientifically sound depiction of marine life, highlighting vital environmental challenges and the need for conservation efforts.
The film, released in cinemas worldwide today, 8th May 2025, including in Plymouth, will be available for streaming globally on National Geographic and Disney+ from 8 June in celebration of World Ocean Day.
The film features a selection of key people at the coalface of marine conservation around the world. One of those people is Don MacNeish, the co-founder of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) on the Isle of Arran, Scotland. Dr Stewart has worked closely with COAST for over 20 years to help the local community create Scotland’s first (and still only) No Take Zone and the South Arran Marine Protected Area. Since 2010, Dr Stewart has led a team of researchers to monitor the incredible recovery of marine life inside these protected areas. The remarkable ability of marine life to regenerate when properly managed and protected is a key message from the new film, providing hope for the future.
The MBA’s long-standing commitment to improving fisheries management is part of a larger mission to promote sustainable marine practices. Through collaborations with fisheries and marine policymakers, the MBA plays a central role in advocating for better management of UK fisheries and influencing government policies to improve marine conservation.
The MBA’s involvement in Ocean with David Attenborough underscores the importance of accurate scientific input in environmental filmmaking. Dr Stewart was one of the expert scientific advisors for the film and undertook a comprehensive review of the script to ensure its factual accuracy, particularly in relation to the depiction of scallop dredging. This collaboration helped to refine the content, ensuring the film’s representation of marine science was based on reliable, up-to-date data.
As a leading scientific institution, the MBA’s research and advocacy are vital to understanding and addressing the challenges facing our oceans, from biodiversity loss to the impacts of climate change.
The MBA’s research vessel, RV MBA Sepia, is one of the key tools in the Association’s work. This cutting-edge vessel enhances the MBA’s ability to conduct in-depth marine research, allowing scientists to gather crucial data on marine ecosystems and deliver important insights for conservation efforts.
“The MBA is critical in driving change in marine science and conservation,” says Dr Stewart. “The evidence and insights provided by the MBA, alongside our efforts to improve fisheries management and marine conservation, help to inform better practices and influence policies that protect our oceans.”
About Ocean with David Attenborough
Ocean with David Attenborough takes viewers on a breathtaking journey, showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean. Produced by Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios, stunning, immersive cinematography showcases the wonder of life under the seas and exposes the realities and challenges facing our ocean as never-before-seen, from destructive fishing techniques to mass coral reef bleaching. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.
Now showing in cinemas globally, featuring theatrically exclusive content. The film will be available globally on National Geographic, Disney+ and Hulu from June 8.
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