During a seven-day coral reef restoration trip in San Salvador, Bahamas, we joined efforts to build coral benches, prepare coral fragments, and document the reefs we were working to protect. Through underwater footage and interviews with a local fisheries officer and boat captain, Beneath the Surface explores how coral reefs sustain both marine life and island communities—and why their restoration matters.
The beauty of the reefs and our conversations with local community members helped Ray Zhao and me glimpse the fascinating world beneath the surface. They also gave us a stronger sense that we needed to do something to protect it, leading us to create this documentary.