Puffins have returned to the Gulf of Maine—but for how long?

Decades of hard work restored Atlantic puffins and other seabirds to rocky islands in the gulf, but now puffins face threats from climate change.

Shot on assignment with Brian Skerry for National Geographic Magazine.

Check out the full article and video here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/puffins-have-returned-to-the-gulf-of-mainebut-for-how-long?loggedin=true

Northern Right Whales of Cape Cod Bay

While working on a new project on the Gulf of Maine we came across an incredible scene, Northern Right Whales in a Surface Active Group (SAG). This resulted in some extremely rare footage that shows these endangered whales 'hugging'.

Fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales remain in the ocean; catching this little-seen behavior on camera is a welcome sign.

Shot on assignment with Brian Skerry for National Geographic Magazine, supported by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Conservation Law Foundation and the New England Aquarium.

Check out the full article and video here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/rare-footage-shows-endangered-north-atlantic-right-whales-hug

Secrets of the Whales | Official Trailer | Disney+

This Earth Day, take a deep dive with SecretsOfTheWhales​, an Original Series from NatGeo​, executive producer James Cameron, and narrated by Sigourney Weaver. Streaming April 22 on DisneyPlus​.

After 3 years of filming it’s finally out! I was fortunate to work on the Orca, Humpback and Sperm Whale segments of this incredible series alongside National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry. Watch the trailer below and also one of my favorite moments of filming for Secrets of the Whales, capturing a sperm whale calf suckling, a truly unforgettable moment.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: IF YOU UNBUILD, THEY WILL COME - THE FISH THAT IS

MAINE PIONEERED DAM REMOVAL TO RESTORE SALMON RUNS. NOW MILLIONS OF FISH, AMONG THEM ALEWIVES, ARE SWIMMING UPRIVER AGAIN TO INLAND SPAWNING GROUNDS.

We provided supporting video for this new National Geographic long term project led by photographer Brian Skerry. Over the next few months we'll be exploring more of the Gulf of Maine.

More on this story on National Geographic's website here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/08/dam-removal-restores-alewife-run/

Born Wild: The Next Generation

Official Trailer | National Geographic

Aerial cinematography for Born Wild, an Earth Day special for National Geographic

Watch a preview of Born Wild: The Next Generation, hosted by Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, premiering on April 22, 2020 on Nat Geo and Nat Geo WILD. The special offers a revealing look at our planet’s next generation of baby animals and their ecosystems.

CITES: A BREAK FOR MAKOS

Top predators like mako sharks play a key role in maintaining a healthy eco-system, unfortunately for makos, which are the fastest sharks in our oceans, they don’t deal well with targeted fisheries as they reproduce slow and mature late.
Makos are one of the most common sharks caught on the high seas yet have almost no international protection, if we want to preserve this amazing species then this needs to change now. In August, 2019 the world will get together at the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. We will be there to speak for makos and hope they will finally gain more protection globally.
With a shark that can be so valuable for tourism wouldn't it make more sense to focus on eco-tourism where possible and give fishermen a chance to earn a more sustainable living by being part of this and help conserve our blue planet for future generations?

You can help too by adding your name here: https://action.ifaw.org/page/45611/action/1?ms=UONDQ190726072&cid=7012A0000012tzu&fbclid=IwAR31NXXpIeMxevbSL14C0J3g-WVkkCbmbyIi1EJhLC95HrwayltbYhhXiMM

Update: On August 25th, 2019, Makos were successfully added to Appendix II of CITES!

This project was made possible with the support of the Conservation Media Group and contributing partners: Nakawe Project, WCS, Vulcan, IFAW and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: WHAT SPERM WHALES CAN TEACH US ABOUT HUMANITY

Sperm whales are only at the surface for about 15 or 20 minutes at a time, yet photographer Brian Skerry is able to capture beautiful moments of these giant undersea predators.
This short documentary was shot to accompany our National Geographic Magazine story (October issue, 2018) on photographer Brian Skerry's current work with Sperm Whales.

Stay tuned for the release of a series of whale documentaries coming soon....

Online article here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/10/explore-field-notes-brian-skerry-underwater-photographer-sperm-whales-dominica/

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: RISING SEAS ARE SWALLOWING THIS NORTH AMERICAN ISLAND

Shot, Directed and Edited by Steve De Neef for National Geographic.

Lennox Island is a small but culturally rich coastal community in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that is seeing the negative impact of climate change and sea-level rise. Home to Mi'kmaq (pronounced MIG-maw) First Nations people, the island faces flooding and land erosion that threaten both homes and the roads that connect the residents to the mainland. Also at risk are several archaeological sites that hold vital artifacts from the Mi'kmaq's aboriginal ancestors. The longtime residents of Lennox Island are doing their best to mitigate the effects of climate change but fear that eventually they'll lose their houses to the rising waters.
Click here to read more: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/12/151214-lennox-island-canada-climate-change-erosion/

HUMANITY SITE UNSEEN: IRISH ARTIST BRIAN MAGUIRE IN SOUTH SUDAN

Full coverage of this story here: https://concernworldwide.exposure.co/humanity-site-unseen

Irish artist Brian Maguire travelled with Concern Worldwide to a Protection of Civilian camp in Bentiu. The site is home to 120,000 people who have been displaced by war in South Sudan. His ‘HUMANITY Site Unseen’ exhibition is inspired by the people he met there. His works bear witness to a crisis so vast, it's sufferers have been rendered anonymous by scale.

Shot, directed and edited by Steve De Neef  for Concern Worldwide in South Sudan and Paris.

Sea of Hope: America's Underwater Treasures - National Geographic

SEA OF HOPE follows iconic ocean explorer and conservationist Dr. Sylvia Earle, renowned underwater photographer Brian Skerry, author and captain Max Kennedy, and their unlikely crew of teenage aquanauts on a year-long quest to secure their future. Deploying science and photography, they hope to inspire the creation of blue parks across an unseen and imperiled American wilderness.

Role: Underwater and Aerial Cameraman

HAKAI MAGAZINE: THE COOK, THE HUNTER, THE WHALES & THEIR WATCHERS

In the bay off Reykjavik, Iceland, commercial whaling meets commercial whale watching. Whaling vessels—sometimes with dead whales strapped to their sides—and tourist-laden whale-watching ships travel the same waters, occasionally at the same time.
The fin whale meat is exported to Japan, while the minke whale meat supplies the domestic seafood market. But how popular is a traditional dish of minke carpaccio or grilled minke with horseradish and mushrooms? Not very. At least with the locals. Some polls say fewer than five percent of Icelanders eat whale meat. So who is eating it?

Produced and shot by Steve De Neef for Hakai Magazine.

HAKAI MAGAZINE: SOLIDARITY AND THE ART OF SUSTAINABLE LOBSTER FISHING

In Punta Allen, Mexico, a lobster fishing cooperative supports the community and the environment.
Perched aside the sparkling Caribbean Sea, Ascension Bay in Punta Allen, Mexico, is the site of one of the most successful small-scale fisheries in the world. Punta Allen owes its existence to 49 spiny lobster fishermen who established the village in 1969, mainly to focus on a sustainable fishery. The co-op grew. Today, out of a population of about 550 in Punta Allen, 150 fishermen work the bay under a set of rules that ensure they never over harvest. Informally, they are generous with each other when times are tough.

Produced, Directed and Shot by Steve De Neef for Hakai Magazine

HAKAI MAGAZINE: AUDITING THE BLUE BLOOD BANK - HORSE SHOE CRABS

Produced and shot by Steve De Neef with the help of Hakai Magazine and the University of New Hampshire.

Horseshoe crabs have been saving our species—are we endangering theirs?
Humans aren’t the only species that donate their blood for the greater good. The blue blood of horseshoe crabs is used by the biomedical industry to test for toxins in things such as implants, vaccines, and medical implements.
When you give blood, you donate about 10 percent of your blood volume, but horseshoe crabs are drained (without the voluntary donation part) of about 30 percent of theirs. The crab bleeding industry says that bloodletting is not lethal, and that the crabs survive just fine once released, but there’s no doubt that populations are dropping on the Atlantic coast.
In this video, Win Watson and Meghan Owings of the University of New Hampshire explain their research as they try to determine how the current catch, bleed, and release fishery affects the overall health of horseshoe crabs and whether it’s bleeding this “blue blood bank” dry.

GROUND FISH RESEARCH IN THE GULF OF MAINE

Produced and shot by Steve De Neef for the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.

For several years, Marine Fisheries, the New England Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center, Rutgers, and UMass Dartmouth have partnered with the recreational fishery industry to study release mortality in the Gulf of Maine.

Connie Britton & Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Discuss Feminism & More

The Influencers | TIME

Produced by Blue Chalk Media, Cameraman Jason Greene, Steve De Neef and Mary Boland.

Actor Connie Britton and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are both devoted feminists, but the other things they have in common might surprise you.

BADJAO SPEAR FISHERMEN - PHILIPPINES - EARTH DIARY

A segment we filmed for Earth Diary about the Badjao fishermen from Bohol, Philippines.