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Blackwater Estuary

An amateur film, in colour and beautifully crafted, of the environment around the Blackwater Estuary near West Mersea, Essex, circa 1972.

Amateur film 1972 14 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for East Anglian Film Archive

Overview

Footage captured on board the boat Tellina by Geoffrey Fox, a research scientist working with the Department of Oceanography, whose job it was to survey the waters of the Blackwater Estuary, in light of concerns about pollution of the oyster fisheries. Oysters have been harvested from the estuary for more than a thousand years. Mr Fox’s job was to collect data to determine if there was a problem with effluent discharged into the waters from the nearby Bradwell Power Station.

The Blackwater Estuary is the estuary of the River Blackwater between Maldon and West Mersea in Essex. Mr Fox's film is a personal record, not an official record for his employer. He enjoyed documenting his work excursions as well as making home movies.