O.R.G. Educational Films

•Jonathan Bird's Blue World

•Adaptations for Survival in the Sea

•The Amazing Coral Reef

•Beneath the Caribbean

•Beneath the North Atlantic

•Beneath the South Pacific

•The Coral Reef: A Living Wonder

•Coral Reefs: Rainforests of the Sea

•Dolphins and How They Live

•Manatees and How They Live

•Seals and How They Live

•Sharks and How They Live

•Sharks: Predators with A Purpose

•Plankton: Ocean Drifters

PLEASE DONATE!
•Make a donation to ORG to support our non-profit mission!

The tropical Pacific, like other tropical ocean regions, contains warm, clear water. The water is clear due to the absence of plankton and suspended particles. Plankton is the base of the food web in all oceans and, because there is little plankton in the tropics, tropical ocean water is nearly sterile in comparison with the fertile waters of the temperate oceans. This is in contrast to the popular misconception that tropical ocean regions are very high in biological productivity. In order for life to flourish in the harsh conditions of the nutrient-poor tropical seas, the creatures of the seas have evolved many methods to capture food.

The most successful solution to the problem is the coral reef community. The reef is a living structure made by coral animals. The reef itself is adapted to survive and grow in the tropical seas. As it grows, it provides a safe haven for fish and invertebrates to hide and make nests. This draws all kinds of life to the reef. The smaller fish draw larger fish and sharks. So the reef forms the basis of a complete ecosystem.

"Beneath The South Pacific" shows the importance of the reef community and introduces viewers to many of the great number of unique and fascinating creatures which live around the reefs and sand flats of the tropical Pacific.