 HARBOR BRANCH A/V SPECIALIST WINS PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL AWARD VIDEO ON MARINE BIOLUMINESCENCE RECOGNIZED BY MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION FORT PIERCE, FL., May 25, 2001 - HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution Audio/Visual Specialist Brian Cousin has been awarded the Silver Reel award by the Media Communications Association for his work on an educational documentary on marine bioluminescence. The award, which recognizes organizations and individuals for their work and excellence in professional video communications, was announced during the Association's 33rd Annual Festival of Awards in Media Excellence (AiME) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 14. Cousin's entry, "Marine Bioluminescence: Secret Lights In The Sea", earned the Silver Reel in the External Communications category. Cousin said the documentary was intended as an educational video when he began working on it with Dr. Edie Widder, an internationally recognized expert in marine bioluminescence. Dr. Widder has captured hundreds of images of deep-sea bioluminescence using specialized high-sensitivity cameras. Supporting top side video was shot during a research cruise in the Gulf of Maine in 1999, in an area known as "Oceanographer's Canyon". "One of the challenges with the Marine Bioluminescence video was to take all of the high-sensitivity video which is black and white and colorize it to show the bioluminescence in colors most closely resembling its natural color," Cousin said. The Discovery Channel is looking at the possibility of airing an expanded, 42-minute version of the documentary for an hour-long television program. The current version is 26 minutes long. Cousin, who has been the HARBOR BRANCH A/V Specialist since September 1993, said his job is both challenging and rewarding, as he takes sometimes complex marine science and engineering projects and turns them into video presentations that can be understood by scientists and laypersons alike. According to the Media Communications Association, the AiME awards "stand for creativity as well as advancement in technical application, as these two fields unite to create award-winning, high-impact projects." According to an association release a total of 365 entries were received. The Marine Bioluminescence video was competing with similar entries from all over the world and was judged in regional competition in order to make it to the international competition. All entries are reviewed by a panel which then sends recommendations for the AiME awards to a Blue Ribbon Panel. That panel makes the final determination for the award. For more information on the Media Communications Association, visit their website at www.mca-i.org. For information on the Marine Bioluminescence video, to arrange interviews with Dr. Widder or Brian Cousin, or to request images, call HARBOR BRANCH at 772.465.2400. HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution, Inc. is one of the world's leading nonprofit oceanographic research organizations dedicated to the exploration of the earth's oceans, estuaries and coastal regions for the benefit of mankind. |