Researcher makes key contribution to David Attenborough’s film about the ocean

Dr Bryce Stewart helped with filming scenes and advised on the script for a film that premiered in early May
Dr Bryce Stewart

Researcher makes key contribution to David Attenborough’s film about the ocean

Dr Bryce Stewart helped with filming scenes and advised on the script for a film that premiered in early May
Marine Biological Association
A University of Plymouth researcher played a vital role in helping to create key sequences for the new film Ocean with David Attenborough, and ensuring its scientific accuracy.
Associate Professor Dr Bryce Stewart, also a Senior Research Fellow at the Marine Biological Association, worked with filmmakers from the production companies Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios to film sequences of scallop dredging.
They showcased a carefully controlled study designed to better understand and help mitigate the effects of dredging – one of the UK’s most valuable fisheries – on the seabed and marine life.
Dr Stewart’s contributions also included advising on the film’s script and fact-checking the scientific content, ensuring the accuracy of its portrayal of critical marine issues.
As part of his involvement, Dr Stewart and colleagues at the MBA worked closely with the production team to ensure the film presented an authentic and scientifically sound depiction of marine life, highlighting vital environmental challenges and the need for conservation efforts.

It was a huge honour to work on the film Ocean with David Attenborough, and I had the privilege of helping film some of the scenes and advising on the script.

The film is stunningly beautiful while being highly confronting at times. However, it ends with a message of hope – that is, if you properly protect marine ecosystems and manage human activities sustainably, then the ocean can bounce back at an astonishing rate. Achieving that balance and recovery is the focus of my research at Plymouth.

Bryce StewartDr Bryce Stewart
Associate Professor

The film was originally released in cinemas worldwide, and will be available for streaming globally on National Geographic and Disney+ from June 8, in celebration of World Ocean Day.
More information about the film, and the cinemas where it is being shown, can be found at www.oceanfilm.net.
Ocean with David Attenborough Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios
 

Read more information linked to this article

Pseudo-nitzschia are a common component of the phytoplankton community along Europe’s Atlantic coast and the North Sea, and a number of species produce the toxins responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning
Study provides detailed assessment of shifts in toxin-producing phytoplankton abundance

The University led a study showing how the abundance and distribution of two groups of phytoplankton have changed over the last six decades

14 May 2026

Students choose Plymouth for courses related to the sea. Find out why:

Coastal Communities coastal definition, the Hoe, seafront, waves, Plymouth sound