Where waters meet on the breathing shore: Documentary film as a tool for estuarine ecology education

Estuarine ecosystems are among the most ecologically and economically important ecosystems on Earth, yet they lack public understanding and attention, including among university students. This thesis aims to evaluate the educational impact of Where Waters Meet on the Breathing Shore, a 26-minute science-in-action documentary film centered on the Mullica River – Great Bay Estuary in New Jersey. Using a pre-post survey design with students at Rutgers University, a total of 43 participants completed matched pre- and post-film surveys across three screening settings: Students for Environmental Actions, Honors College event, and the Indonesian Students Association. Knowledge scores were assessed using a 25-item survey instrument, scored out of 100 total possible points, and gain scores were calculated for each participant. Shapiro-Wilk normality test indicated that both pre-film (W = 0.92, p = 0.006) and post-film scores (W = 0.72, p < 0.001) deviated from normality. A one-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired samples was therefore employed as the primary inferential test, revealing an improvement in participants’ knowledge after the film screening (V = 946, p < 0.001) with a mean gain of 46.42% points and a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.84). Positive gains were observed across all three film screening settings, consistent with the study’s hypothesis that the film would produce learning gains regardless of screening setting. These findings extend the evidence base for the science-in-action video storytelling model developed by Dena Seidel at Rutgers University and support the broader argument that a short documentary film is an effective and scalable tool for ecological education and science communication for higher education contexts. Limitations including the absence of a control group and a reduced sample size are discussed alongside directions for future research.