[imagesource:  Tom Foster / Sea Change Project]

In My Octopus Teacher, Craig Foster wonders aloud what would happen if he just swam, every day.

In a nutshell, the documentary in which he stars (in second billing, behind the octopus) would go on to become an international sensation, winning numerous awards including a BAFTA, and making the final five nominees for Best Documentary Feature at the bloody Oscars.

Not at all shabby, and a testament to the story-telling ability of directors Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed, and the team they worked alongside.

Whilst Foster and the cephalopod take the headlines, the unsung hero is really the Cape kelp forest, which provides the backdrop for the relationship to unfold.

The BBC’s Andrew Harding recently checked in with the work being done by the Sea Change Project, “a community of scientists, storytellers, journalists and filmmakers, dedicated to exploring and documenting The Great African Seaforest”:

The Sea Change Trust, a South African nonprofit, was formed by Foster and Ross Frylinck in 2012.

Via the Sea Change Project’s website, here’s why protecting this incredible ecosystem is so important:

It is the only forest of giant bamboo kelp on our planet. It is a magical, abundant and bio-diverse ecosystem.

It protects thousands of species and in terms of endemics, it is vastly richer than the Great Barrier Reef; in terms of wildlife drama, the relationships between predators and prey, are as spectacular as the Serengeti.

Image: Sea Change Project

All kelp forests are extremely vulnerable sensitive ecosystems that can only grow in shallow inshore waters – areas that are most at risk to human pressure.

The seaforest is under pressure due to pollution, over-fishing, poaching, climate change and the future threat of off-shore mining.

You can learn more about the Sea Change Project here.

Next up for the My Octopus Teacher team, is Sunday, April 25, and a shot at Oscars glory.

You can bet that if they win, there will be tears, and a great deal of attention directed towards preserving our vital kelp forest ecosystem.

[sources:bbc&seachangeproject]