Exploring the Ocean Through Virtual Reality Have you ever wondered what it might be like to scuba dive with sharks? While many of us might not get this opportunity firsthand, the up-and-coming technology of virtual reality can allow us to have this experience from the safety of our own homes. Virtual reality is a simulation experience made possible through filming with multiple virtual reality cameras that capture a full 360-degree view. For several years, GHOF Executive Producer George C. Schellenger has been using VR cameras in the field to deliver an upclose and personal experience. He has deployed cameras at the Nassau Grouper Spawning Aggregations (SPAG sites) in Little Cayman, in the Florida Everglades on an airboat, and on the shallow sandbars at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. To “dive”
into these adventures, all you have to do is put on a VR headset, such as the Oculus Go, and you are able to go on a 360-degree voyage with our GHOF team. One potential and exciting application for VR is for education. When students put on a VR headset, they have the opportunity to experience what it’s really like in the wild and find out how scientists and filmmakers are doing their work. This goes a long way to inspire an interest in pursuing a career in marine science and, most importantly, a deeper appreciation for the sea and its ecosystem. Through the Guy Harvey STEAM Education Program, students will have access to these videos and be able to participate in virtual field trips exploring oceans and marine life all around the world.
Everglades Foundation Stretched out over 1.5 million acres in South Florida are the Florida Everglades. When you think of this vast “River of Grass” (so coined by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in her 1947 book), many things might come to mind.You might first think about the gators, bugs, and many other creatures that give it charming swampy appeal.You also could think about the various TV shows set around the wetland, including American Horror Story, Bloodline and, of course, The Glades. But one thing you most likely have not considered about the Everglades is its amazing ability to sequester carbon. Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide found in our atmosphere. The primary Everglades habitats — such as miles of sawgrass marsh, sweeping hardwood hammock and pine forests as well as the mangroves and seagrass beds in Florida Bay — remove carbon from the air through photosynthesis. However, without a healthy ’Glades, this sequestration is stymied. Thankfully, decades of constant work and lobbying by the Everglades Foundation and other organizations has made Everglades restoration a reality, ensuring that fresh water flows south all the way to Florida Bay. It’s imperative to have enough freshwater flow to prevent the Everglades from getting too dry, which would reduce its carbon sequestration magic. The Florida Everglades Foundation was founded in 1993 by two outdoor enthusiasts — the late George Barley and Paul Tudor Jones II.The organization was created to restore and protect the Florida Everglades, but as the years have passed, it has also become a world-renowned research and educational organization, dedicated to unearthing the facts and conducting practical analysis to help local, state and national leaders make well-informed decisions regarding this celebrated national park.Through its Everglades Literacy Program, the EF also works to educate students in Florida and around the world on the ecological and economic importance of the Everglades.
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