War Wrecks of the Coral Seas

Thousands of tons of war wreckage sank into the fabled lagoons of the South Pacific islands during the naval and air battles of World War II. But instead of devastating the region’s underwater ecology, the detritus of human conflict turned into artificial reefs, upon which fantastic mini-ecosystems took shape. NATURE gives viewers a new perspective on wildlife in the South Pacific when its cameras board the WAR WRECKS OF THE CORAL SEAS.

The Solomon Islands and the waters that surround them constitute an enormous battlefield, where 60 years ago U.S. Navy and Marine forces began a monumental assault that eventually would drive Japanese forces northward, back toward their homeland. In addition to its enormous human toll, the fighting left countless ships and aircraft, including fuel and noxious cargo, on the beds of the formerly pristine shallow waters. Surprisingly, however, this intrusion into paradise did not repel wildlife from those waters. Instead, it attracted it.

Production Credits

Television Credits

Narrated by

STANLEY BERNARD

Written and Produced by

CRISPIN SADLER

Photography

MICHAEL PITTS

Film Editor

ANDREW MORT

Dubbing Editor

KEN BARTON

Dubbing Mixer

MARTYN HARRIES

Music

GUY DAGUL

Script Editor

JEREMY EVANS

Scientific & Historical Advisers:

DR ANDREW BAIRD

UNIVERSITY OF THE RYUKYUS, OKINAWA

PROFESSOR RONNIE DAY

UNIVERSITY OF EAST TENNESSEE

KLAUS LINDEMANN

HAILSTORM PUBLICATIONS

BILL BOURKE

JAMES LANSDALE

PETER WOODBURY

Dive Assistant

JOSHUA THOMAS

Location Services — Solomons

NELSON KILE

Researcher

EMMA ROLFE

Production Executive

CHRISTINA HAMILTON

Production Co-Ordinator

ANNA KINGTON

The BBC wishes to thank:

Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau

British High Commission, Solomon Islands

Crew Of The Yacht Wyuna

Solomon Sea Divers

Sir George Lepping & The People Of The Shortlands

The Government Of Chuuk, Federated States Of Micronesia

Crew Of The SS Thorfinn

DDRC, Plymouth

Richard Bull

Helen & Reg Thomas

Anita Manning

Family Of Jean Daugherty

James Dougherty

Series Editor

MICHAEL GUNTON

For NATURE

Series Editor
JANET HESS

Supervising Producer
JANICE YOUNG

Producers
PATTY JACOBSON
JILL CLARKE
SUSANE LEE

Associate Producer
GIANNA SAVOIE

Production Assistant
IRENE TEJARATCHI

Production Secretary
AUSTIN RIPLEY

Manager
EILEEN FRAHER

Production Manager
JULIE SCHAPIRO THORMAN

Online Editor
BARRY GLINER

Sound Mixer
ED CAMPBELL

Series Producer
BILL MURPHY

Executive In Charge
WILLIAM GRANT

Executive Producer
FRED KAUFMAN

A Co-Production Of Thirteen/WNET New York And The BBC

This program was produced by Thirteen/WNET New York,
which is solely responsible for its content.

Web Credits

Producer
DANIEL B. GREENBERG
RONNIE GODEANU

Designers
MICHAEL DIMAURO
LENNY DROZNER
KAREN MATTSON
RADIK SHVARTS

Pagebuilding
BRIAN SANTALONE

Writer
DAVID MALAKOFF

Production Artist
RUIYAN XU

Technical Director
BRIAN LEE

Scientific Consultant
SUSANE LEE

About the Writer
David Malakoff is a journalist covering research discoveries and the politics of science for SCIENCE MAGAZINE in Washington, D.C. His writing has appeared in a wide range of venues, including THE ECONOMIST, THE WASHINGTON POST, and ABCNews.com.

Thirteen Online is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York’s Kravis Multimedia Education Center in New York City. Anthony Chapman, Director of Interactive & Broadband. Bob Adleman, Business Manager. Carmen DiRienzo, Vice President and Managing Director, Corporate Affairs.

To order a copy of WAR WRECKS OF THE CORAL SEAS, please visit the NATURE Shop.
Online content for WAR WRECKS OF THE CORAL SEAS was originally posted May 2003.

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