Debuts on Disney+ OceanXplorersthe National Geographic docuseries narrated and produced by director James Cameron. The protagonists of the “most ambitious ocean adventure ever filmed” are the OceanX project and the OceanXplorer ship. Here is the story behind the episodes.
OceanX and OceanXplorer, the story
“Our vision is to create a deeply engaged global community of explorers, scientists, and storytellers dedicated to educating, inspiring, and protecting the oceans in order to drive positive change.” This is how OceanX, the major nonprofit initiative of the Dalio Philanthropies Foundation, “that brings science to life through captivating storytelling,” introduces itself on the official website. And again: “Our expeditions bring together incredible scientists and revolutionary marine technologies to unlock the secrets hidden in our oceans.”
The missions involve technicians, scientists, filmmakers. “Once a mission is executed, the collected data is handed over to the local scientific community and government authorities. The collected data is then published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and uploaded to public data repositories,” the non-profit says. The research, it continues, “is largely defined by local scientists at the mission site. We involve environmental ministries, resource managers, and other government organizations involved in the exploration and management of a country’s marine resources. We also involve academic scientists from local universities and research institutes to develop an expedition plan.”
And then there is the OceanXplorer, “the floating research institute”. A ship equipped to investigate the geological, oceanographic and biological qualities of the ecosystem from the surface to the seabed. A vessel capable of reaching the most remote corners of the planet. “The ship’s advanced instruments can collect all types of scientific data and a centralized onboard system provides data analysis and visualization potential, all without the need to send data or samples to external laboratories for processing. Thanks to its simultaneous launch capabilities, OceanXplorer can deploy a unique array of marine research assets to reveal the secret lives of some of the ocean’s most mysterious creatures”, they say on the OceanX website.
The ship is also equipped with submarines, helicopters, unmanned vehicles, sensors, laboratories and data processing platforms.
OceanXplorers, the release date
The docuseries debuts on Disney+ on August 19, 2024.
