My buddy and I have spent the last six months working exclusively on this documentary, commissioned by the Università Politecnica delle Marche as part of MAPA - MArine Adriatic PArk Project - Interreg Italy Croatia.

The goal is to raise public awareness about the richness of sandy environments, which have always been dismissed as barren deserts. Yet, the majority of professional fishing worldwide takes place right in these habitats. Specifically, there’s a long-standing effort to promote a Marine Protected Area in front of Mount Conero, in the Adriatic Sea.

I hope the university publishes the full video soon so I can share it with you. For now, here’s the trailer.

PS: I know I don’t need to explain this to you guys—you’re all muck diving addicts anyway! 😁

What a great project! You’re doing important service. Wishing for the best outcome for this protected area.

A fascinating project, and the quality of the footage and the way it is used is really something else.
Looking forward to seeing the full finished work 🤩

Davide,

Very nice! Hope to be able to watch the whole film soon!

David Attenborough did a video/film about the trawling fishing industry's impact on the sandy ecosystem. https://youtu.be/IzG9AwlypaY?si=eFWvrHp6TeBALWCf

Your video does a better job of highlighting the beauty of what all is there before a trawler does its damage.

Evan

Edited January 7Jan 7 by ACHiPo

Thats great!

When the full version will be released?

On 1/7/2026 at 3:55 AM, ACHiPo said:

Davide,

Very nice! Hope to be able to watch the whole film soon!

David Attenborough did a video/film about the trawling fishing industry's impact on the sandy ecosystem. https://youtu.be/IzG9AwlypaY?si=eFWvrHp6TeBALWCf

Your video does a better job of highlighting the beauty of what all is there before a trawler does its damage.

Evan

Thanks for the nice words.

The story behind the footage of bottom trawling in action is long and, in some ways, controversial. I’ve seen those BBC shots, and I’m thrilled that icons with the communicative and economic power of David Attenborough and the BBC have produced and published them.

Footage like this has always existed among professionals, but it has always been kept well-hidden in the archives of companies and research institutes. Nobody wants to show them because they speak for themselves. Even a child can understand them, and the damage to a company's image is immediate.

Consider that for years, various environmental organizations (Oceana, WWF...) have used very old, poor-quality, and almost incomprehensible images for their campaigns against bottom trawling.
Ten years ago, in one of my videos, I tackled the subject of indiscriminate fishing and asked them for permission to use that footage. They told me the clips had been passed down for years and they didn't even know who the original owner was. So, I decided to find others. First, I tried to shoot them myself. The technique is well-known and used specifically by those who study and improve fishing gear: usually GoPros mounted on the trawl doors and at the end of the net. My attempts with fishermen were, obviously, unsuccessful. You take a risk just by asking to film!
It was the same story with universities. Later, I found some beautiful footage on YouTube shot in Northern Europe by a university professor working on modernizing fishing techniques. No story, permission denied! Then I found footage from another foreign university that never replied to my requests. After months of unanswered emails, I decided to use them anyway, given that on YouTube, unless otherwise specified, Fair Use guidelines apply. They aren't as beautiful as the BBC's, but they’re enough for my scope.

The onboard footage, however, is real, and that too is like a punch to the gut when you realize that, on average, 30% of the catch from bottom trawling is thrown back into the sea, and very few species survive. As Professor Carlo Cerrano says in my video: 'It's like harvesting a vineyard with a bulldozer.

Bottom trawling images start at about 60" and there are English subtitles.

https://youtu.be/lWX7xY4HHw8?si=8dx9w4ZxNthlzo7b&t=58

20 hours ago, homodelphinius said:

Thats great!

When the full version will be released?

Thanks

I hope in the next few weeks. The work was funded by this European Project so it will published on the University YT channel I guess.

Maybe have a look at submitting it for festivals like the ocean film festival in Australia!

Looks like it's too late for this year (as it's in March) but maybe you could submit it for next year?

https://filmfreeway.com/OceanFilmFestivalWorldTour

Absolutely stunning. I have no words. What a great job !!👏

The university has finally published the full documentary on their YouTube channel titled "Inhabited Deserts - a journey through grains of sand", released today, April 8, 2026.

The script isn't that of a true documentary, but rather a more scientific format, as specifically requested by the client.

The documentary lasts about 25 minutes and focuses on the biodiversity of sandy seabeds, which are often underestimated and considered desert-like, but are actually rich in life and fundamental for the recycling of organic matter.

Here are some interesting points covered in the video:

• Hidden Biodiversity: It explores the world of meiofauna (microscopic organisms living between the grains) and "architects" like Lanice conchilega and Sabellaria, which build incredible structures by cementing sand together.

• The Role of Crustaceans: Much space is given to hermit crabs and crabs, described as tireless scavengers that ensure the seabed remains clean.

• Survival Strategies: It shows how bivalves, irregular sea urchins, and starfish have perfectly adapted to digging and living beneath the surface.

• Nurseries and Conservation: The video highlights how these seabeds are vital nursery areas for many species (such as cuttlefish) and issues a plea regarding the fragility of these balances in the face of human impact.

You can watch it here and by fiddling with the YouTube settings, you can get English subtitles

I could only get it to give me subtitles in Italian, there was no choice of English and no other language seemed to work either.

33 minutes ago, SwiftFF5 said:

I could only get it to give me subtitles in Italian, there was no choice of English and no other language seemed to work either.

The university forgot to upload the English subtitles. So in the meantime you have to set up the auto-translate:

1. Click the CC icon located at the bottom right corner of the video player. A red line will appear below the icon when subtitles are active.

2. Click the gear icon right next to the CC button to open the settings menu.

3. Click on Subtitles/CC.

4. Check if English is available in the list. If it is, click it to activate manual subtitles.

5. If English is not on the list, click on Auto-translate and scroll down to select English.