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Battle for turf in the surf
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Battle for turf in the surf
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BATTLE FOR TURF IN THE SURF
by
Amy Tenowich
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(BROADCAST JOURNALISM)
May 2007
Copyright 2007 Amy Tenowich
1
VO NORRIS TAPP
T3 14:22 pan of huge sea lion atop
sailboat
OC NORRIS TAPP at “and most
plentiful”
During the day // they have to haul out.
And that’s when they get up on some
kind of structure to rest. And one of the
easiest things and most plentiful things in
the harbor are boats. (T5 31:00)
VO JOEL MONROE
T1 17:21 of dark sea lion belly-up on
another boat
OC JOEL MONROE at “scrub off the
leavings…”
The oils come off of their fur and stay on
the boats. (T2 6:10) // You can really
damage the clear coat on a boat just from
having to scrub off the leavings from a
sea lion. (T2 6:49)
VO NORRIS TAPP
T4 27:16 of jumping up on bait barge
T4 21:53 of cozy up on bait barge
OC NORRIS TAPP at “instinct…”
They are an interesting animal to watch //
but if something is out of hand // then //
my instinct to have negative thoughts
about it increases. (T6 13:30)
VO NARRATOR
T9A :55 of CU seal on boat wrapped in
netting OR T8A 1:16 CU with flies
CG: Footage Courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
SEA LIONS – THEY’VE BEEN
AROUND FOR ABOUT 12 MILLION
YEARS. AND NOW, AFTER MAN
SHOWED UP SOME 200 THOUSAND
YEARS AGO, THERE ARE
PROBLEMS IN THE HOOD. BUT
THOSE PROBLEMS GO BOTH
WAYS.
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
Previous shot continues
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK at “absolutely
can be.”
T3A 13:46 of net injury on sea lion’s
neck
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
at “and maybe in…”
People are unaware that these animals
can be affected by our actions.
Absolutely can be. And maybe in that
sort of sense, we’ll cut back on some of
the sort of things we’re doing. (T5A
15:33)
VO ASHLEY MIFFITT
T9A :30 of WS seals on dock
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
NATSOT ASHLEY MIFFITT
T3A 19:38 talking and driving at “was
what was meant…”
T9A :30 of same shot as above but zoom
into wound of one with net on neck at
If they die, it’s part of nature. It was
what was meant to happen. But when
you have an animal that comes in with
gill nets wrapped around its neck, or
slash wounds from knives that were
attached to the netting to keep the
animals away, it’s hard. (T3A 19:38)
2
“when you have…”
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
Same shot continues
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK
At “Can we do that?”
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T9A :30 of same shot as above, but end
on seal turning to stare at camera, wound
showing
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
Can we live in unison? Can we do that?
It’s a huge question. (T5A 8:07)
FADE OUT on previous shot, on CU
seal as he stares into camera and FADE
UP on next shot.
VO NARRATOR
T1 30:41 of boat and pull out to full
harbor
T1 :30 of pan homes along the water
T8 29:49 of WS 2 barking sea lions in
harbor
T3 4:36 of CU turning sea lion head on
jetty (at “sea lions.”)
T8 25:46 of sea lion swimming past boat
with horn
T8 32:00 of cluster sea lions diving
down in harbor
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S
NEWPORT HARBOR – A GORGEOUS
AND PRICEY PLACE TO LIVE. BUT
THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS
CHANGING. (NATS loud barking) IN
THE PAST FEW YEARS, WAVES OF
UNWANTED OUTSIDERS HAVE
ROLLED INTO THIS RITZY AREA –
SEA LIONS. AND LIKE WHEN ANY
NEWCOMERS ARRIVE,
CONFLICTING LIFESTYLES MEANS
TENSION WITH THE LOCALS.
BEFORE DIVING INTO THAT, LET’S
HEAD TO THE OPEN SEAS TO SEE
IF REALTIONS THERE ARE
SMOOTHER SAILING.
VO NORRIS TAPP
T7 29:14 of boat in motion with island in
background
NATSOT NORRIS TAPP
It’s about three and a half hours here // to
// where the fish have been concentrating.
(T5 6:52). // Once again on behalf of the
crew, welcome aboard. (T5 9:44)
3
T5 9:44 At “on behalf…”
VO NARRATOR
T6 20:43 of pan dog on couch to Norris
driving boat
NORRIS TAPP HAS WORKED ON
SPORTFISHING BOATS OUT OF
NEWPORT HARBOR FOR 21 YEARS.
CG: NORRIS TAPP
CAPTAIN, “THE FREELANCE”
T7 34:32 of jumping sea lion
OC NORRIS TAPP at “is chumming”
T6 25:12 of MS chumming
T7 6:39 of chum hits sea
T6 38:01 of WS chumming
T7 1:21 of chumming guy’s face
OC NORRIS TAPP at “and they scatter”
T7 3:38 of sea lion to fishermen
The sea lions have grown more
accustomed // to take advantage of the
fishing activity // the method we have
used for fishing is chumming, where
we’ll throw bait into the water to get the
fish into an area // and they’ve learned
that // they can eat that bait // And they
scatter that school of fish that we’ve
spent a great deal of time to get around
the boat. (T5 22:24)
OC STEVE ARONOV
CG: AVID FISHERMAN
T7 19:48 of sea lion at sea
I’ve been a fisherman for over 40 years.
(T5 17:44) // Most fishermen hate seals,
yes. (T5 19:20) // We call them seals,
but they’re sea lions. (T5 18:41)
OC NORRIS TAPP
They will bite the body of the fish and
leave a head, the part that has a hook in
it. They’re smart enough that they’ve
adapted to that. (T5 26:15)
VO STEVE ARONOV
T7 38:11 of fishermen with Catalina in
background
OC STEVE ARONOV
At “hit the deck…”
We came to Catalina // and none of the
fish actually hit the deck of the boat,
because there were so many seals around
the boat working it. (T5 18:18)
VO NORRIS TAPP
T7 28:23 of scenic Catalina behind
fishermen
OC NORRIS TAPP at “ringing the
dinner bell”
T4 19:30 of male on bait barge with
flipper up
T9 5:42 of pull out of thermoregulating
sea lion in harbor
T1 34:27 of thermoregulationg sea lions
in water and pan to buoy
OC NORRIS TAPP at “charge toward
that…”
When we go to Catalina island we are
ringing the dinner bell when we drop
anchor over there. The sea lions can be
what they call thermoregulating, laying
around, basking in the sun with their
flipper up in the air. (T5 37:50) // We
pass by // and I mean literally, you can
watch those sea lions and when that
anchor goes down, they will stop their
thermoregulating, and they will charge
toward the boat. (T5 37:42)
VO NARRATOR
T3 6:40 of sea lion jumping off jetty into
IT HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN THIS
4
water
T4 24:12 of bait barge lions, one
scratches
WAY. BACK IN THE 1920S, 1,500
CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS WERE
COUNTED IN CALIFORNIA. ONCE
HUNTING WAS BANNED IN THE
1940S, THEIR POPULATION
STARTED TO INCREASE.
OC STEVE ARONOV Way back in the days where it was legal
to shoot them, they’d shoot them. (T5
20:20)
VO NARRATOR
T3 8:04 of sea lion out of water and up
on jetty
T4 22:07 of barge sea lions and pull out
T4 25:33 of CU face on barge
T4 18:31 of MS posing male
THAT CHANGED WHEN THE
MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION
ACT WAS PASSED IN 1972, WHICH
MADE HARASSING OR HARMING
SEA LIONS A FEDERAL OFFENSE.
SINCE THEN, THE NATIONAL
OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION SAYS THE U.S.
POPULATION HAS BEEN
INCREASING BY MORE THAN 5
PERCENT EACH YEAR. SEA LIONS
ARE NO LONGER ENDANGERED
OR THREATENED, AND LIVE
BETWEEN 15 AND 20 YEARS. A
2001 CENSUS SAYS THERE MAY BE
MORE OF THEM NOW THAN EVER
BEFORE – ABOUT 240,000 FROM
BRITISH COLUMIBA TO BAJA.
OC NORRIS TAPP The problem is major now, and growing.
(T6 8:43)
VO NARRATOR
T3 5:30 of MS sea lion on jetty turning
to look at camera
SO MUCH SO THAT THOUGH IT’S
ILLEGAL, SOME FISHERMEN STILL
5
KILL SEA LIONS.
OC STEVEN LANE
CG: AVID FISHERMAN
What they do is put bait on a hook, and
it’s got multi-barbs on it, and throw it out
and a sea lion eats it and chokes to death.
And it’s cruel. And it’s wrong. (T8
14:08)
VO NARRATOR
T3 13:30 of CU sea lion sneezing on
jetty
(NATS sneeze) THE BATTLE
BETWEEN MAN AND SEA LION IS
BREWING BACK IN THE HARBOR
AS WELL.
VO JOEL MONROE
T8 26:14 of sea lion swimming next to
kayak in harbor
OC JOEL MONROE at “probably about
two…”
T4 25:09 CU male face on barge
Why they came in the first place, we
really don’t know. (T2 23:00) // It was
probably about two and a half years ago
that they started showing up in larger
numbers than we’ve had in the past. (T2
1:17)
NATSOT JOEL MONROE
T2 36:47 of CU Betty Boop cup to
Monroe picking up phone
This is Deputy Monroe.
VO NARRATOR
Previous shot continues
JOEL MONROE IS THE MOORING
DEPUTY FOR THE NEWPORT
HARBOR PATROL.
VO JOEL MONROE
T1 33:09 MS buoy rotating
T1 16:40 of dark sea lion lying on boat
What happens with sea lions is they want
to haul out of the water seven hours
every day. (T2 1:22) We just drive our
boats real close and maybe clap our
hands to make a little bit of noise to
make them get off the boats. (T2 16:19)
VO NARRATOR
T1 36:31 CU male on barge
T4 6:48 male scratching on boat
MALE SEA LIONS – AND MOST IN
THE HARBOR ARE MALES SINCE
THE FEMALES STAY AT BREEDING
SITES – RANGE FROM 450 TO 1,000
POUNDS. ONE GIANT HOOD
ORNAMENT IS PLENTY, BUT
MONROE SAYS HE’S SEEN 15 ON A
BOAT AT ONE TIME.
6
VO JOEL MONROE
T4 13:22 MS sea lion on boat
We had two boats sink. (T2 3:24)
VO NARRATOR
T4 14:13 of CU sea lion face
AND EVEN IF THEY DON’T SINK A
BOAT…
VO NORRIS TAPP
Previous shot continues
OC NORRIS TAPP at “is the
excrement”
T1 36:03 of MS barking on barge
One of the major problems is the
excrement. They literally will go on the
land as well as in the water. (T5 32:00)
VO JOEL MONROE
Previous shot continues
OR T4 12:00 MS sea lion on boat
Ugh, they smell. (T2 29:50)
VO NORRIS TAPP
T9 1:37 sea lion eating fish
OC NORRIS TAPP at “you can
imagine…”
It’s pretty bad when their diet consists of
nothing but seafood // you can imagine
what that creates. (T5 34:17)
VO JOEL MONROE
T1 17:52 of netted boat
T4 29:23 of another netted boat
T4 :44 of 2 netted boats
We are educating the boat owners // on
things that they can do to protect their
property, which will keep the sea lions
off their boats. (T2 26:56)
VO NORRIS TAPP
T1 7:50 of WS barking buoy
OC NORRIS TAPP at “their barking.”
Another problem is the noise // It can be
heard for a half mile, their barking. (T2
32:35)
VO JOEL MONROE
T1 9:36 MS buoy
OC JOEL MONROE at “they bark
all…”
They start barking at each other and
basically saying, hey, this is my spot, no
this is my spot. And they bark all night
long. And they do – they bark all night
long. (T2 3:12)
VO NARRATOR
T8 21:21 of sea lion by skiff
T3 13:42 of CU bug flying on sea lion’s
nose
T4 9:30 of sea lion lying on boat
T8 36:48 of sea lion fluking by skiff
THE RESIDENTS BARKED BACK,
LEADING THE NEWPORT BEACH
CITY COUNCIL TO ENACT
ORDINANCES AGAINST FEEDING
SEA LIONS, OR DUMPING BAIT
INTO THE HARBOR WHICH
ATTRACTS THEM. AND THOSE
WHOSE BOATS HAVE BECOME
PINNIPED CRASH PADS CAN BE
FINED UP TO $500 PER DAY IF
7
T8 22:24 of 2 sea lions in harbor
THEY DON’T SEA-LION-PROOF
THEIR PROPERTY. IT’S NOT HARD
TO UNDERSTAND WHY SEA LIONS
LIKE A PLACE WITH NO
PREDATORS AND A GOOD SUPPLY
OF FISH.
VO JOEL MONROE
Previous shot continues
T3 10:32 of sea lion rubbing face on
rock
I wouldn’t call myself a tree-hugger, but
it’s (T2 16:56) // their habitat. They have
a right to be here. We can’t just put a net
across the harbor entrance and expect sea
lions to stay out. (T2 29:25)
VO NARRATOR
T4 20:55 MS to WS of barge lions
EVEN ONE OF THE FISHERMEN
SAYS HE CAN RESPECT THAT.
VO STEVEN LANE
T8 26:50 CU sea lion face off dock, and
underwater
OC STEVEN LANE at “and they’re…”
VO STEVEN LANE
T3 8:04 of sea lion swimming
OC STEVEN LANE at “we are in
their…”
God gives us wildlife, like the // sea
lions, and they’re beautiful. (T8 12:29) //
When we go out here fishing, we’re in
their world. It’s theirs. It don’t belong to
us. It belongs to them. We are in their
world. (T8 5:55)
VO NARRATOR
T3 4:36 of CU sea lion face and pull out
to see her lying on rocks, looks up at
camera
BUT BECAUSE OF PEOPLE, THEIR
WORLD IS CHANGING RAPIDLY.
VO PETER WALLERSTEIN
Previous shot continues
OC PETER WALLERSTEIN at “they’re
really limited…”
I don’t have patience for anybody who
moves to the marina and then complains
about the sea lions. (T2A 13:32) //
Because humans have encroached on
every inch of these beaches // they’re
really limited with places to go haul out
and rest. (T6A 33:03)
VO NARRATOR
T9A 7:32 of WS of Wallerstein with
lifeguard, and he walks with a big net
toward a sea lion on the beach and nets
her
(Long shot)
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
PETER WALLERSTEIN STARTED
THE WHALE RESCUE TEAM 22
YEARS AGO, IN RESPONSE TO
WHALES DROWNING IN FISHING
NETS OFF THE LA COUNTY COAST.
8
SINCE THEN, HE HAS RESCUED
THOUSANDS OF OTHER MARINE
MAMMALS AND BIRDS, AND GOES
ON CALLS DAILY TO HELP
BEACHED AND SICK ANIMALS.
MANY, HE SAYS, ARE THE RESULT
OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES.
VO PETER WALLERSTEIN
OC PETER WALLERSTEIN at “around
birds’ legs…” (T6A 5:17)
I’ve seen lots of things. // Sea lions shot,
fishing line wrapped around birds’ legs
and hooks in their beaks. (T6A 5:17)
VO NARRATOR
NATS barking
T2A 7:58 of CU seal on ground and tilt
up to see volunteers climbing over little
fence with gear
T2A CU same seal rolling over toward
camera, then rolling away
(NATS barking) AT THE PACIFIC
MARINE MAMMAL CENTER IN
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA,
STAFF MEMBERS SAY MOST OF
THEIR ANIMALS ARE THERE DUE
TO NATURAL CAUSES. BUT
ABOUT 30 PERCENT OF THE
RESCUES ARE DIRECTLY DUE TO
INJURIES FROM HUMAN
INTERACTION.
NATPOP SEAL ROAR
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T2A 15:22 of SEDLICK on top of big
seal, shoving fish in his mouth
(NATPOP SEAL ROAR)
Within my years here I’ve seen some
pretty bad things. (T4A 19:20) // Your
gaffings, gill net injuries, stabbings, that
sort of thing. (T4A 33:58)
VO NARRATOR
T2A 16:30 CU Sedlick’s face
T2A 20:29 CU same seal mouth getting
fish stuffed in it by Sedlick
KIRSTEN SEDLICK IS THE ANIMAL
CARE SUPERVISOR AND
EDUCATION COORDINATOR AT
THE CENTER.
NATSOT KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T2A 16:52 at “can tire out…” of her atop
same seal
Battle of the wits! Who can tire out the
quickest? I don’t know – I’m losing this
right now. (laughs) (T2A 16:48)
VO NARRATOR
T2A 20:53 of Sedlick’s hand reaching
SHE’S BEEN WORKING WITH THE
9
into pile of fish as another sea lion sniffs
through the fence at them
ANIMALS HERE, LIKE THIS SEA
LION NAMED BARRY, FOR 12
YEARS.
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T3A 6:34 of sea lion wheeled in pen
What we’ve got here is a gillnet injury
that was wrapped around his neck here.
(T3A 7:13)
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T2A 21:44 of CU net wound and pull out
to see sea lion eating in his pool
At “skin was actually...”
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK
At “actually his muscle…”
It cut into his skin, and skin was actually
growing over it. It cut through one of his
muscles and one of the areas that I was
cleaning was actually his muscle balled
up. (T5A 12:43)
VO NARRATOR
T2A 2:01 (TC started over) of CU sea
lion restrained and up to see Sedlick
squirting liquid onto wound
THE NEXT PATIENT IS A SEA LION
NAMED CATASTROPHE.
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T2A 2:29 (TC started over) of MS of
wound as she cleans it
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T2A 2:46
At “that are gonna…”
We think this is too suspicious of a
wound, it’s too clean of a cut // so we’re
thinking it’s a knife wound, and a lot of
times // when the fishermen are out there,
they’ll put knives on the ends of their
gaffes to ward off these kinds of animals
that are gonna steal their catch. (T2A
2:31 – TC restarted).
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T2A 2:35 of CU wound being cleaned
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T4A 33:44 at “what can I do…”
Photo of sea lion with gaffe stuck in his
neck
CG: Photo courtesy of Kirsten Sedlick
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK at “in the
end…”
You could see when I was cleaning // it
had to go down a good three inches to go
all the way down to muscle (T5 14:15) //
The first thing through my mind is what
can I do for this animal? Is there any
way to make it comfortable? (T5A 2:53)
And I know that every time we clean that
wound, a gaffe wound, a stabbing, it’s
gonna hurt, but in the end it’s gonna feel
better. (T5A 3:40)
VO NARRATOR
Photo of WS seal wrapped in trash in
wash
CG: Photo courtesy of Peter Wallerstein
BUT EVEN IF WE AREN’T
LITERALLY STABBING SEA LIONS
IN THE BACK, PEOPLE ARE
HURTING THEM
UNINTENTIONALLY. OUR LITTER
CAN ALSO BE DEADLY TO MARINE
10
ANIMALS.
VO PETER WALLERSTEIN
Photo MS of sea lion in the surf with a
plastic bag around its neck
OC PETER WALLERSTEIN at “I’ve
found…”
Photo of MS sea lion on sand with
plastic bag around its neck at “plastic
bags…”
Photo of CU sea lion with plastic bag
coming out of mouth
CG: Photos Courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
I’ve found quite a few animals that have
had // plastic bags wrapped around their
bodies, birds with 6-pack holders
wrapped around their heads. I had one
instance // it was a young sea lion
gasping for air // and I saw something
white coming out of his mouth, so I
reached down and slowly pulled out a
foot-long plastic bag from the animal’s
mouth. (T6A 37:16)
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
Photo of CU Ping
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK at “passed
away…”
Photo of all the trash from Ping’s
stomach laid out and labeled
CG: Photos courtesy of Kirsten Sedlick
One particular case // was Ping. // Ping //
passed away the day after he came in
here. And he had two sandwich baggies,
a trash bag, four balloons, a piece of
plastic, Styrofoam and string inside his
stomach. // I don’t know how to say this,
but we’ve had animals vomit up
condoms, which was crazy and
disgusting at the same time. (T5A 1:08)
KIRSTEN SEDLICK
Photo of sea lion with graffiti on it
Photo courtesy of Kirsten Sedlick
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK at “I have
volunteers ask me…”
I think one of the worst things I’ve seen,
I saw an elephant seal that was graffitied
on // that’s pretty upsetting to see that.
(T4A 19:15) // There’s times when I’ve
just been extremely upset and
disappointed and you just want to know
why. // I have volunteers ask me all the
time, “how can someone do this? Why
would someone do this?” And I wish I
had an answer for them, which I don’t.
And I ask myself the same questions.
Why? (T5A 7:23)
NATSOT MICHELE HUNTER AND
KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T3A 14:01 two ladies talking out game
plan for rescue call that just came in
T3A 14:30 CU note in Hunter’s hand
with stranding info on it at slash marks
M: Eric called. Newport. Between the
Balboa and Newport Penninsula.
K: How big?
M: About 200 pounds.
K: Another one? Any wounds?
M: He didn’t say. He said to take the 7
th
11
T3A at 14:15 at “berm right now…”
St. to get to the beach because there’s a
huge berm right now. Look for Tower C.
He’s putting the sign on top of the berm
so you can see where it’s at.
NATSOT ASHLEY MIFFITT
T3A 15:20 of her driving and talking
We have a report of a 200-pound
elephant seal that has been on the beach
since last night. (T3A 15:20)
VO NARRATOR
T3A 22:04 of Ashley walking toward sea
lion on beach who looks up at her on
guard
ASHLEY MIFFITT IS ONE OF THE
TWO VOLUTNEERS SENT TO
CHECK ON THE ANIMAL.
NATSOT ASHLEY MIFFITT AND
OTHER VOLUNTEER
Previous shot continues, on beach with
beached elephant seal
T3A 22:30 CU seal face and pull out to
see Ashley extend her hand toward seal’s
extended flipper, then a growl
A: You’re okay (T3A 22:10)
VO NARRATOR
T3A 24:41 of CU “do not disturb” sign
to pull out and see seal and two
volunteers on beach
T3A 30:40 volunteers walking and
carrying kennel
T3A 25:45 CU seal covering body with
sand
T3A 32:38 Ashley sliding down berm
with kennel
T3A 33:12 Jeanette (volunteer) carrying
herding boards and out of frame
T3A 33:55 of MS volunteers with
herding boards getting seal in crate
T3A 34:45 of CU seal through kennel
grate, going in
THE VOLUNTEERS SAY THIS SEAL
APPEARS TO BE MOLTING,
UNDERWEIGHT AND
DEHYDRATED. SHE HAS A FEW
CUTS AND SCRAPES, BUT THEY
SAY THAT’S TYPICAL FOR SEALS
LIVING IN CROWDED ROOKERIES.
THE TWO WILL TAKE THE SEAL
BACK TO THE CENTER FOR
FURTHER ASSESSMENT.
NATSOT ASHLEY MIFFITT at
T3A 35:06 up to volunteers after the job
is done.
A: Yay! That wasn’t so bad.
NATPOP SEAL SNORT
T4A 8:38 of CU Ashley atop seal,
restraining, and seal face. He snorts and
she reacts
(NATPOP snort)
VO NARRATOR
T4 8:03 pan up back of seal who is
BACK AT THE RESCUE CENTER,
12
straddled by Ashley and Jeanette and up
to Sedlick pouring liquids in tube
T4A 8:32 ECU seal face with tube
THE TEAM GIVES THE NEW
PATIENT LIQUIDS THROUGH A
TUBE. SEDLICK NOTICES
SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE
SEAL’S WOUNDS.
NATSOT KIRSTEN SEDLICK
Or VO if previous shot carries long
enough
T4A 13:35 of Sedlick walking
Looks like he’s got some tar on him.
(T4A 13:35)
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T4A 14:39 of CU tar and pull out to two
seals in pen
NATSOT KIRSTEN SEDLICK at “and
so it can trace…”
T4A 16:43 MS two seals in pen at “but
you know, once…”
NATSOT KIRSTEN SEDLICK at “this
past year…”
T4 18:07 MS two seals barking at each
other in pen at “we don’t know which…”
What we’ll do is take a sample of it //
each oil company has their own
chemical, their own compound, and so it
can trace back from there. It could be
crude oil, which is natural // but you
know, once we take the sample and we
take it into National Marine Fisheries,
we’ll find out from there if it was indeed
crude oil, or if it came from somewhere
else. (T4A 15:15) // This past year
there’s a lot of oil from different
companies. // We don’t know which
companies they are because they don’t
release that information to us. (T4A
17:23)
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
Previous shot continues
We get a lot more tar patients than you
would think. (T4A 16:00)
VO NARRATOR
Photo pup covered in tar
CG: Photo courtesy of Kirsten Sedlick
Photo MS of sea lion on beach, bleeding
from the head at “generally…”
CG: Photo courtesy of Kirsten Sedlick
LIKE THIS SEA LION PUP,
COVERED IN THE GOOEY
SUBSTANCE. BUT AGAIN,
SOMETIMES INJURIES ARE MUCH
MORE MALICIOUS.
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T5A 4:40
Photo MS of sea lion on beach, bleeding
from the head at “generally…”
Photo of CU same sea lion’s head
CG: Photo courtesy of Kirsten Sedlick
A lot of times, when we have seen bullet
wounds, it’s nothing we can deal with
because generally whoever is shooting
them is shooting them to kill them. So
it’s not just gonna be in the body. It’s
gonna be in the head. (T5A 4:40)
NATSOT ASHLEY MIFFITT
T3A 20:00 of her talking and driving
It’s hard to deal with, but at the same
time you have to remind yourself that
13
there are certain people that this is their
livelihood, and they’re just trying to
protect it. (T3A 20:00)
VO NARRATOR
T9A 20:34 MS contorted sea lion on
sand, flapping, seizing, and getting hit by
surf
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
BUT THERE’S SOMETHING LESS
VISIBLE HAPPENING IN THE
WATER THAT’S HARMING MARINE
MAMMALS.
VO PETER WALLERSTEIN
T9A 17:54 of MS and zoom of sea lion
by concrete pilings on beach, yawns and
head-bobs
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
Their eyes are bulging out of their heads.
// They come up and sit on their
foreflippers, and their head starts
bobbing back and forth. (T6A 9:30)
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T9A 18:40 scratching head (need to go
to OC between this and next shot if use
this)
T9A 19:14 same sea lion twitching
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
Constant scratching of the head // you’ll
see some twitching, and different ranges
of seizures (T5A 20:25)
VO NARRATOR
Previous shot continues
T9A 19:52 of two seals on beach, one
seizing, and zoom in
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
THESE ANIMALS ARE SUFFERING
FROM SOMETHING CALLED
DOMOIC ACID POISONING.
DAVID CARON
Previous shot continues
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
OC DAVID CARON at “of larger
animals…”
Domoic acid is a neurotoxin that is
produced by a specific type of
phytoplankton in the water // that by
chance has a reaction in the hippocampus
of larger animals, larger brains. (T8A
1:40)
VO NARRATOR
T8A 34:12 of MS door with “I brake for
algae” and other such signs, and pan to
Caron at desk
T8A 36:41 of pan protozoa books to
Caron
DAVID CARON IS A PROFESSOR OF
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA. DR. CARON
SPECIALIZES IN PHYTOPLANKTON
– THE BASE OF MARINE FOOD
14
CHAINS. THAT INCLUDES
PSEUDO-NITZSCHIA -- THE ALGAE
THAT PRODUCES DOMOIC ACID.
VO DAVID CARON
T9A 18:18 of MS sea lion in front of
concrete on beach, head bobbing and
scoots to rest head on cement
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
It mimics a compound that is a
neurotransmitter in the brain. // it actually
makes a connection // between synapses,
and // binds and continues to fire that
synapse until it burns itself out. (T8A
13:55)
NATSOT ASTRID SCHNETZER
T7A 1:18 of her face, then to her hands
prepping filters, and up to her face at the
end
What I’m doing right now is I’m
preparing to filter down some waters that
we take on a weekly, monthly basis from
the L.A. Harbor, San Pedro channel area.
These samples are going to be analyzed
for toxin, algae toxin, in this case domoic
acid. (T7A 1:18)
VO NARRATOR
T7A 26:04 of CU her placing filter in
bag with tweezer and up to her MS
working
ASTRID SCHNETZER IS AN
ASSISTANT RESEARCH
PROFESSOR AT USC, IN CARON’S
LAB. THEY’VE BEEN SAMPLING
THE LOS ANGELES COASTLINE
SINCE 2002.
NATSOT ASTRID SCHNETZER
T7A 9:58 of her face as she works and
talks
We’ve found that the toxicity that we’ve
detected in the waters are actually higher
than anything that has been published
before. (T7A 9:58)
VO NARRATOR
Photos of P. nitzschia under microscope
Photos courtesy of Astrid Schnetzer
SINCE PSEUDO-NITZSCHIA WAS
ONLY IDENTIFIED LOCALLY IN
2003, RESEARCHERS ARE STILL
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
EXACTLY CAUSES THESE
SPRINGTIME BLOOMS.
OC DAVID CARON
There is what we call an upwelling event
of deeper nutrient-rich waters are brought
to the surface of the ocean, and the
phytoplankton, if there’s sufficient light,
will use those nutrients. (T8A at 4:59)
15
VO NARRATOR
Footage of sewage and pollution going
into the ocean
BUT THERE MAY BE ANOTHER
CULPRIT FEEDING THE BLOOMS.
NATSOT ASTRID SCHNETZER
T7A 26:36 MS her working and talking
in her lab
Continued same shot, follows her hand
down to a bag with filters
Continued same shot back up to her face
There is some indication that the rise of
toxic or harmful algae blooms might be
related to river discharge, which is
certainly human-impacted due to all the
things that go into the rivers and coastal
areas. (T7A 26:36) // If it’s something
that specifically triggers Pseudo-
nitzschia, we will hopefully find out.
(T7A 28:16)
OC DAVID CARON
The trick is to try and tease out what is
natural and what is anthropogenically
generated. // Not an easy tease! (laughs)
(T8A 8:00)
VO NARRATOR
T9A 20:24 of CU flapping sea lion in
surf
T9A 2:52 of sick-looking sea lion on
sand
T9A 30:42 sea lion flops behind
“Caution” sign
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
MARINE MAMMALS AND BIRDS
GET DOMOIC ACID POISONING
FROM EATING FISH AND
SHELLFISH THAT HAVE
CONSUMED THE TOXIC ALGAE.
BUT THEY AREN’T THE ONLY
ONES WHO CAN BE AFFECTED.
OC DAVID CARON It is most certainly a threat to people.
(T8A 14:24)
VO NARRATOR
Shots of newspaper headlines from this
event
IN 1987, THREE PEOPLE DIED AND
MORE THAN 100 GOT SICK AFTER
EATING CONTAMINATED
SHELLFISH FROM PRINCE
EDWARD ISLAND IN CANADA.
THIS CASE OF AMNESIAC
SHELLFISH POISONING – WHAT
IT’S CALLED WHEN DOMOIC ACID
AFFECTS HUMANS – WAS THE
FIRST TIME THE TOXIN WAS
16
IDENTIFIED.
DAVID CARON
Footage from “The Birds” of birds on the
attack
It’s probably been around for a long time
and simply has gone undetected or
unrecognized. (T8A 4:05)
VO DAVID CARON
Footage from “The Birds” of birds on the
attack continues
OC DAVID CARON
at “causing the birds…”
The anecdotal history of this is that
supposedly Alfred Hitchcock was
vacationing // farther up the coast from
L.A., and there was an incident of sea
birds that were acting very aberrantly,
flying into cars and acting crazy. And
that supposedly is where he got the idea
for the movie “The Birds.” That incident
they believe now, almost certainly was
domoic acid that was in the food chain,
causing the birds to act erratically. (T8A
3:08)
VO PETER WALLERSTEIN
T9A 4:06 MS sea lion with stillborn
behind “caution” sign
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
OC PETER WALLERSTEIN
Since 2002 the numbers have increased
dramatically // as far as the incidents of
strandings // specifically pregnant sea
lions suffering from domoic acid
poisoning. (T6A 1:20)
VO NARRATOR
T9A 20:12 of two seals on beach and
zoom into one who is seizing and hit by
wave
T9A 15:58 of MS sea lion on beach head
bobbing with surf behind
T9A 20:52 CU contorted sea lion seizing
in sand
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
IT IS GENERALLY PREGNANT
FEMALES WHO ARE AFFECTED,
SINCE THEY ARE EATING MORE OF
THE TOXIC FISH. DURING SPRING
DOMOIC BLOOMS, MALES ARE
TYPICALLY SECURING OFF-COAST
BREEDING AREAS, AND EATING
LESS OR FASTING.
VO PETER WALLERSTEIN
T9A 6:53 of CU sea lion mom looking
down on her stillborn
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
OC PETER WALLERSTEIN at “it’s a
horrible…”
We have big pregnant sea lions rushing
onto the beach having seizures, dumping
their pups prematurely. (T6A 5:50) //
It’s a horrible, horrible thing to see.
(T6A 10:10)
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T9A 6:29 of MS same mom and stillborn
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK at “around that
If they do give birth, we give them all the
opportunity in the world to care for their
young. Around that time they are so
17
time…given birth”
T9A 10:41 Wallerstein putting netted
mother into crate
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK at “she was
just…constantly”
T9A 13:52 Wallerstein getting towel
from car and out of frame
T9A 14:06 of Wallerstein kneeling in
front of stillborn and placing it in the
towel, wrapping it up
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK at “it’s really
tough…to keep them.”
T9A previous shot of Wallerstein
continues as he takes the bundle to the
car
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
disoriented, a lot of times they don’t even
know they’ve given birth // we had one
female take her pup and throw it across
the pen because she was just not with it
at all. And we had another one just try to
chew on it constantly. We have had a
couple of females be fairly maternal to
their pups but their pups were just so
underdeveloped as it was it was just an
early birth. It was too early. // It’s one
of the hardest things to watch. You have
to keep the pup in there with the mom
long enough, and then we have to slowly
start taking over. (T5A 21:20) // It’s
really tough on us, because it’s just out of
our hands at that point. The only thing
we can do to keep them, is we can just
hydrate them and hope their seizures
won’t increase, but then brain damage is
brain damage. (T5A 6:51) // We can
give them sedatives. (T5A 20:40) // It’s
difficult. It’s really difficult for us here.
(T5A 6:42) Just a flood of emotions
comes through you. (GOOD) (T5A
6:22)
DAVID CARON
T9A 15:50 sea lion head-bobbing on
beach
T9A 17:42 of MS sea lion by concrete
head-bobbing
CG: Footage courtesy of Peter
Wallerstein
The animals really do go through
horrible seizures // probably many of
them are so disoriented that they drown
in the water // that’s something where if
we can help, I think we should. (T8A
37:35)
VO ASTRID SCHNETZER
T3 6:10 of sea lion walking on jetty
Sea lions are a very good example of
how very small microscopic life that’s
the basis of the food chain can // disrupt
the whole coastal ecosystem. (T7A
17:11)
DAVID CARON
Footage of pollution going into the ocean
There is often an attitude that everything
that happens in the ocean is beyond our
control (T8A 17:23) // the planet is not
endless // We are having a very dramatic
impact on the ocean. (T8A 31:30) //
There is a lot of evidence to suggest that
on a global scale // harmful blooms are
on the rise (T8A 9:21) // at the same
18
time, I think there’s hope // Water of all
our resources, water is the most
renewable. (T8A 17:23)
VO NARRATOR
T3 9:00 of CU sea lion posing on rock
and pull out
SCHNETZER SAYS EVERYONE CAN
HELP KEEP THE OCEAN CLEANER
FOR THOSE WHO LIVE THERE.
VO ASTRID SCHNETZER
Sea lion shots TBD
Especially in LA, whatever you dump is
gonna probably end up in the ocean.
(T7A 18:38) // So I’m being very
cautious how much I water the lawn,
how much I fertilize anything, how much
detergent goes down the drain. (T7A
19:02)
VO NARRATOR
T2A 1:43 of MS sea lion popping up on
side of pool and looking at camera
T2A 14:40 of MS two pups in pool
T2A 14:51 of ECU one of their faces
KIRSTEN SEDLICK THINKS THAT
MAYBE MEETING SOME NEW
AQUATIC FRIENDS COULD INSPIRE
US TO THINK MORE ABOUT OUR
ACTIONS.
VO KIRSTEN SEDLICK
T2A 30:14 CU pup and zoom out to two
on blanket
OC KIRSTEN SEDLICK
We encourage people to come down and
take a look // and hopefully we’ll be able
to find some sort of balance between
ourselves and these animals. (T5A
27:03)
NATPOP barking
VO PETER WALLERSTEIN
T2A 9:49 of two pups frolicking on
blanket
OC at “is what makes…”
(NATPOP barking)
It’s one animal at a time, and that’s how I
do it. (T6A 29:47) // and having the
ability to do it is what makes me click.
(T6A 35:56)
NATS BARKING
T1 33:09 seals barking on buoy
VO NARRATOR
Shots of Norris on boat TBD
(BARKING)
BACK IN NEWPORT BEACH, EVEN
NORRIS TAPP CAN ADMIT THAT
THE CREATURES WHO ARE A
NUISANCE TO HIM ALSO HAVE
SOME PRETTY AMAZING
QUALITITES.
T1 at 33:37 of CU buoy faces
T1 at 20:00 of sea lions surfacing and
Their intelligence in being able to adapt
to situations // their agility under the
19
breathing NATS
T1 33:45 CU male face tilted back
T8 20:50 of fluking sea lion, goes
underwater and is gone (Or FIND THAT
SHOT OF CU FACE BY DOCK, THEN
UNDERWATER)
water (NATS) // you have to respect the
animal and look at it with some degree of
awe. (T2 13:30) // Even though they’re
an annoyance and detrimental to your
fishing, to watch them is just incredible.
(T5 29:10).
FADE OUT
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
Sea lions have been around for about 12 million years, but lately, they are moving into human territory in Newport Harbor. Boat owners, residents and fishermen are sick of having to duke it out for turf in this posh part of town. -- But perhaps sea lions are showing up for good reasons -- the harbor is safe, and the food supply good. And while people complain about their loud barking, unsavory hygienics, and their ability to steal a fisherman's catch, humans are harming them at an alarming rate.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Tenowich, Amy
(author)
Core Title
Battle for turf in the surf
School
Annenberg School for Communication
Degree
Master of Arts
Degree Program
Journalism (Broadcast Journalism)
Publication Date
05/01/2007
Defense Date
04/26/2007
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
Harbor,Marine mammals,OAI-PMH Harvest,Sea lions
Place Name
California
(states),
harbors: Newport Harbor
(geographic subject),
Newport Beach
(city or populated place),
Orange
(counties),
USA
(countries)
Language
English
Advisor
Saltzman, Joseph (
committee chair
), Berger, Robert A. (
committee member
), Birman, Daniel (
committee member
)
Creator Email
amytenow@aol.com
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m379
Unique identifier
UC1331944
Identifier
etd-Tenowich-20070501 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-402688 (legacy record id),usctheses-m379 (legacy record id)
Legacy Identifier
etd-Tenowich-20070501.pdf
Dmrecord
402688
Document Type
Project
Rights
Tenowich, Amy
Type
texts
Source
University of Southern California
(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
Repository Name
Libraries, University of Southern California
Repository Location
Los Angeles, California
Repository Email
cisadmin@lib.usc.edu