“The issue goes beyond wood. Or food. Or water. Or air. The issue now is life... We face a common future. The world’s oceans are our collective concern. And the Sulu Sulawesi Seas are their heart.” Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, 2001.

The Sulu and Sulawesi Seas lie in the coral triangle, the epicentre of fish and coral biodiversity in the world. The region covers over 1,000,000km2, and includes 5,000m deep basins, shallow coastal areas, islands, estuaries and the watersheds that feed them. The coastlines of three different countries – the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia - define the boundaries of this remarkable area.

The 35 million people that live in the region are divided into over 50 ethnic groups – 25 from the Philippines, 19 from Malaysia and 6 from Indonesia. All were, until recently, united in their common interdependence with the natural world around them. The incredible natural diversity of this area is reflected in the cultural diversity of the people that survive here, living in harmony with the environment around them.

The Sulu Sulawesi Seas are of huge economic importance - the fisheries produce over 2.3 million tonnes annually, with further income coming from shipping, aquaculture and tourism. And yet, with the recent boom in population levels and the opening up of global markets, both the cultural diversity and biodiversity of the Sulu Sulawesi region is under severe threat. Without extensive conservation efforts, the unique animals and plants, the different people and their languages will all disappear.

In 2003, the WWF released the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME) Conservation Plan , a unique and far-reaching scheme designed to halt environmental degredation in the region, as well as conserve the incredible biodiversity in a sustainable manner. The plan calls for the three countries that border the area to work together in an attempt to tackle the many problems. Fisheries management schemes will be put in place, individual species such as dugong will be protected throughout and a network of Marine Protected Areas will be set up covering the most critical areas. It is hoped that with this vast support network in place, the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion will survive in its current glory for future generations.

SCUBAZOO was contracted by the WWF to produce a short film detailing both the incredible diversity of the SSME and the conservation work that is now taking place. The film was produced entirely in-house, from the initial storyboarding right through to the final edit.

Jose Ingles, director of the SSME project had this to say about the film:

"...Scubazoo is very professional, easy to deal with and wonderful people to work with - Mabuhay!"

The film was first shown in early 2004 at the 7th Conference of the Parties, Convention on Biological Diversity in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines - the protection of this incredible part of the world can now finally begin.