Flight of the Frigate Bird - An Omen of Rising Seas

Dauphin Island is a beautiful barrier island off the coast of Alabama. Known as the sunset capital of the state, visitors journey from across the country to experience the laid back atmosphere, world-class birding, and to enjoy the white sands and miles of beach.

As large storms and rising seas threaten the future of the island, this documentary takes a look at how generations of Islanders have adapted to the ever changing landscape of barrier island life. From experience, they knew to protect the dunes, forests, and marshes because those were their greatest protection from hurricanes and storm-surge. They avoided building right on the beach because it was too vulnerable to storms and erosion.

As development boomed after a bridge was built in the 1950s, many of the tenants of the islanders were ignored. Now the community is faced with daunting decisions about how to best adapt to an eroding shoreline, rising seas, and larger storms.

Narrated by Shelby Lynne
Executive Producer: Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
Directed and Written by Roberta Swann
Produced by Ben Brenner of Cobia Digital
Consultant Producer: Lynn Rabren
Story Editors: Tom Herder, Lynn Rabren, Colette Boehm, Ben Brenner
Director of Photography, Editing, Visual Effects, Original Score: Ben Brenner
Additional Video Production: David De Sousa
Content Research and Coordination: Kelley Barfoot, Jackie Wilson, Tiffany England

Thank you to Film Participants
Jeff Collier Mayor of Dauphin Island since 1998
John Englander Leading Sea Level Rise Expert - www.johnenglander.net
Orrin Pilkey, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Coastal Geology, Duke University
Davin Wallace, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Division of Marine Science, USM
Ervin G. Otvos, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Coastal Sciences, USM

Dauphin Island Natives
Lillie Previto Nadeau, Tony Delcambre, Clinton Collier, Brenda Collier, Cora Collier Kermit Collier, Jr.
Carroll Delcambre, Darrell Mallon, Ann Collins, Chasity Ladnier Hall, Wilton Barber Eula Ree Mallon Gibbs, Lionel Peters J.W. Barber

Original Song: Alabama - Written and Performed by Shelby Lynne - Courtesy of Everso Records

Funding Provided by
Funding for this project provided by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Lands Division, Coastal Section, in part, by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office for Coastal Management, Award # 15NOS4190166 and from the U.S. EPA, Climate Ready Estuaries Program, Award# 00D09513 - 2015