To learn more about the making of the film, Popular Science sat down with Toby Nowlan, one of the film’s directors, and marine ecologist and National Geographic Explorer Enric Sala. Answers have been condensed for clarity. Laura Baisas: What was the most surprising thing you learned about our oceans throughout the course of working on the film?

The new film “Ocean With David Attenborough” is both a breathtaking celebration of marine life and a sobering exposé of the industrial forces pushing the ocean toward collapse

David Attenborough has described the human impact on the deep ocean floor as “unspeakably awful” in a conversation with Prince William to mark the launch of the veteran broadcaster’s latest documentary.