Macronesia.net: Island Life, Up Close

Macronesia.net: Island Life, Up Close

macronesia.net

For those of you not already acquainted with the stunning videos available at Macronesia.net, please consider this a much-needed introduction. Macronesia.net is the creation of Shane Siers–a biologist, avid underwater videographer, photographer, and good friend of yours truly. Shane and I have dove on Guam together countless times, and over the years have ventured to other Indo-Pacific locations together, most recently to Lembeh Strait in Indonesia. But I’m not recommending his site just because we’re friends…I think you’ll agree that the quality of his work stands firmly on its own.

Shane created Macronesia.net to share his images and videos with family, friends, and anyone interested in marine ecology and conservation. But beyond simply sharing, through his work Shane is offering viewers an opportunity to “explore rarely seen worlds through the lens of science.” His videos are focused entirely on the animals, as he aims to provide an immersive experience in which viewers visit another world without human intrusion. He also provides information about many of the featured animals, creating an enriching context that further enhances the viewing experience.

I see firsthand Shane’s dedication and passion for seeking out and documenting interesting, rare, and beautiful marine creatures. This talent, passion, and his considerable skill, are readily apparent in the well-crafted and eye-popping videos. I’m reasonably well-acquainted with much of the marine life Shane highlights in his videos (I was with him on many of those dives!), but his videos always reveal aspects of these animals that I hadn’t quite appreciated–or seen at all–until watching them move across my computer screen in high-definition. Made even more impactful by the elegant graphics and atmospheric soundtracks, these video vignettes–short stories, really–of the weird and wondrous marine species with which we share this water planet, can be quite moving.

From posts highlighting the dazzling display of a flamboyant cuttlefish to the vibrating gills of a Hypselodoris nudibranch, Macronesia.net offers a satisfying blend of entertainment and edification that everyone from taxonomic specialists to the general public will enjoy.