Blue Marine Foundation
Bottom Trawling
Background
Bottom trawling is a destructive industrial fishing method. It drags heavy metal nets across the sea floor, capturing marine life indiscriminately and destroying habitats. This practice scoops up everything in its path, including corals, sea grasses, and other vital ecosystems.
Shockingly, bottom trawling occurs in most UK marine protected areas (MPAs). These areas are meant to safeguard wildlife, support local livelihoods, and enhance well-being. Without bans on bottom trawling, the vibrant seafloor turns barren, often taking decades to recover.
To raise awareness, Blue Marine Foundation asked us to create an animation showcasing the scale and severity of this threat.
Approach
Bottom trawling happens out of sight, making it easy to overlook its devastating effects. This animation aims to visually expose the destruction occurring in our oceans. Blue Marine Foundation provided reference images and a list of wildlife impacted along the UK coast to ensure factual accuracy in the visuals.
To bring the UK’s coastal environments to life, we chose an illustrative style. Carefully crafted camera movements and lighting added realism, while visual metaphors enhanced understanding and engagement
