The 3-part landmark series, Australia’s Ocean Odyssey: A journey down the East Australian Current, takes viewers all the way from the Great Barrier Reef down to Antarctica, revealing how ocean currents create life on our planet, and what we can all do to protect our planet’s blue heart.
Hidden in our oceans and unknown to most humans are great rivers of seawater called ocean currents. These are the arteries and veins of planet Earth – a vital planetary life support system that has helped regulate the Earth’s climate, atmosphere, weather and biological diversity for millions of years.
This is the story of one particularly fascinating flow – The East Australian Current – an oceanic river that stretches the length of Australia’s east coast. It flows around 3000 kilometres, all the way from the Great Barrier Reef to Tasmania, bringing warm tropical waters to cold southern seas, and in doing so it transforms the lives of every living thing in the region.
The East Australian Current is responsible for the fish we eat, the rain that feeds our crops, even the air we breathe. It was made famous by the antics of a determined clownfish in the Pixar film ‘Finding Nemo’, but the true story of the East Australian Current is even more magical.
Australia’s Ocean Odyssey takes the spectator on a journey with a migrating pod of humpback whales as they travel the full length of this marine river. From the colourful tropical corals of the Great Barrier Reef, through the tranquil kelp gardens of the New South Wales coast, right down to the cold Southern Ocean, we’ll explore the incredible diversity of Australia’s submarine ecosystems.
Meet the myriad creatures that rely on the current for their survival as we immerse ourselves in the microscopic world of plankton, glide over anemone gardens, swim with playful fur seals, and explore deep coral reefs that thrive beyond the reach of sunlight. Along the way, we’ll witness the power of ocean currents to shape and transform whole ecosystems, and we’ll explore how the ocean and her currents make our lives possible.
But as the Earth’s climate changes, the ocean and her currents are changing too, sending ripples through our life support system that will be felt for generations to come. The East Australian Current is carrying more warm water further south than ever before. As we journey with the flow of the current, we meet the scientists who are working to protect and restore the changing ecosystems in its path.
From the Great Barrier Reef to Antarctica, Australia’s Ocean Odyssey reveals how ocean currents create life on our planet, and what we can all do to protect our planet’s blue heart.
Production details
Narrated by Marta Dusseldorp, Australia’s Ocean Odyssey is a Wild Pacific Media and Gin Clear Film Production. Writer/Director/Cinematographer: Nick Robinson (Kakadu, Life on the Reef), Underwater Cinematographer: Jon Shaw ACS, Producers: Peta Ayers, Nick Robinson, Jon Shaw and Electra Manikakis.
Executive Producers: Electra Manikakis and Nick Robinson. ABC Commissioning Editor: Stephen Oliver, ABC Head of Entertainment & Factual: Josie Mason-Campbell. Developed with the assistance of Screen Australia. Financed with the assistance of Head Gear Films, Metrol Technology, Kreo Films. Financed in association with Screen NSW. Produced in association with ARTE France. Financed with the assistance of Definition Films. Developed and Produced in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
