VOA文化艺术2022--Sea Life Stars in Video by Miami Business

Sea Life Stars in Video by Miami Business

Just below large cruise ships near the port of Miami, an underwater camera captures video from another world. That camera is showing marine¹ life in an unusual way.

The camera is in Miami's Government Cut waterway for shipping², and it belongs to Coral Morphologic. It is a business led by a scientist and a musician. They mix science, art and business to bring undersea life into popular culture.

Their company produces beautiful images that show underwater creatures on social media. It also makes videos of coral set to music. And it sells clothing for the beach with ocean designs.

Colin Foord and his business partner J.D. McKay recently discussed their business with the Associated Press.

"We aren't all art. We aren't all science. We aren't all tech. We are an alchemy," Foord said.

Alchemy is a term that means a process that changes or transforms something into something else even more valuable.

One of their most popular projects is the Coral City Camera. It recently passed 2 million views and usually has about 100 viewers online at any given time each day.

Foord said, "We're going to actually be able to document one year of coral growth." He said that has never been done in a live environment on a coral reef. Foord added that is "only possible because we have this technological³ connection right here at the port of Miami that allows us to have power and internet."

The livestream has already revealed that staghorn and other corals can do well in an undersea environment close to a large city.

Foord and McKay's video has shown fluorescence in some of the coral. That is an unexpected behavior for such corals, Foord said.

Foord added that the video has shown 177 species of fish, and other sea life including dolphins and manatees⁴.

McKay, meanwhile, described how he mixes video and music in another project. He uses an aquarium⁵ – a very large container for sea creatures.

McKay explained, "We essentially⁶ create a set with one of these aquariums⁷, and then obviously there's actors — coral or shrimp⁸ or whatever — and then we film it...I soundtrack it with some ambient-like sounds, something very oceanic."

Ambient music is quiet and relaxing with sounds that repeat many times.

Foord described the importance of their work to the environment.

"The port is a priceless place for coral research," he said.

Beyond the science, there are the clothes. Coral Morphologic sells swimwear that takes designs from flower anemones¹⁰ and brain coral. The company says it uses materials that are good for the environment such as a kind of nylon taken from old fishing nets.

"We see the power of tech connecting people with nature. We are lucky as artists, and corals are benefitting," Foord said.

Words in This Story

cruise ship –n. a very large ship used for pleasure or vacation trips

marine –adj. related to the sea or the ocean

coral – n. a hard material formed on the bottom of the sea by the skeletons of small creatures

reef – n. a long line of rocks or coral or a high area of sand near the surface of the water in the ocean

fluorescence – n. the act of producing a very bright light

species – n. biology : a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

anemone⁹ – n. a small, brightly colored sea animal that looks like a flower and sticks to rocks or coral

benefit –v. to receive a good result from an action or situation

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

3 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

4 manatees   

n.海牛（水生哺乳动物，体宽扁，尾圆，有鳃状肢）( manatee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The manatees tamed quickly. 海牛很快地被驯服。 来自互联网
• Gentle and slow moving, manatees are said to be the mythical mermaids of sailors' imaginations. 海牛游动温和而缓慢，被认为是海员遐想中富有神秘色彩的美人鱼。 来自互联网

5 aquarium   

n.水族馆，养鱼池，玻璃缸

参考例句：

• The first time I saw seals was in an aquarium.我第一次看见海豹是在水族馆里。
• I'm going to the aquarium with my parents this Sunday.这个星期天，我要和父母一起到水族馆去。

6 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

7 aquariums   

n.养鱼缸，水族馆( aquarium的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Biotope aquariums represent the natural environments of ornamental fish. 生态鱼缸表现出观赏鱼的自然生活环境。 来自互联网
• There are aquariums in many cities in the world. 世界上好多城市有水族馆。 来自互联网

8 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

9 anemone   

n.海葵

参考例句：

• Do you want this anemone to sting you?你想让这个海葵刺疼你吗？
• The bodies of the hydra and sea anemone can produce buds.水螅和海葵的身体能产生芽。

10 anemones   

n.银莲花( anemone的名词复数 )；海葵

参考例句：

• With its powerful tentacles, it tries to prise the anemones off. 它想用强壮的触角截获海葵。 来自互联网
• Density, scale, thickness are still influencing the anemones shape. 密度、大小、厚度是受最原始的那股海葵的影响。 来自互联网