6 Oct 2026 - At the recent London premiere of BBC’s Blue Planet III, NEPDEP co-lead and deep-sea scientist Dr. Cherisse Du Preez had an opportunity to bring Canadian and First Nations deep-sea science into the international spotlight.

Through interviews on and off the “blue carpet,” Cherisse shared extraordinary discoveries from Canada's deep ocean and a perspective rarely seen in mainstream media: the deep sea not as a dark, alien world to fear, but as a place of remarkable animals, extraordinary adaptations, and life beyond our wildest imagination.

The opportunity was particularly exciting given NEPDEP expeditions and research contributed to the making of the upcoming Deep episode of Blue Planet III, narrated by Sir David Attenbourough (at just a mere 100 years old; and 25 years after he first introduced us to our Blue Planet). NEPDEP’s support of the series offers a rare platform to showcase Canadian and First Nations contributions to deep-sea exploration and bring the wonders of the deep ocean to audiences around the world.