The Gem Bethel, ME
Erika Rhile
Marine Ecologist
Song of the Sea— Responding to Stranded Marine Mammals on the Coast of Maine
Program Description
Erika Rhile, Marine Ecologist and Marine Mammal Response Volunteer, discusses her work as a marine mammal response volunteer since 2002, in which she is dispatched to evaluate seals, dolphins and whales who are stranded in the Greater Portland area.
Presented At
The Gem Bethel, ME
Film Synopsis
A boy living in a remote lighthouse discovers that his mute sister is a selkie who must find her voice to free Ireland’s fairies from the spell of a Celtic goddess.
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Song of the Sea tells the story of Ben and his little sister Saoirse—the last seal-child—who embark on a fantastic journey across a fading world of ancient legend and magic in an attempt to return to their home by the sea. To save his sister and keep Ireland’s mythical inhabitants from disappearing forever, Ben must find Saoirse’s lost seal coat and confront both the owl witch Macha and his undisguised resentment of the selkie girl whose birth meant the loss of his mother. From the creators of the Academy Award-nominated The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea is a breathtakingly hand-drawn tale of coping with heartbreak and discovering magic and sibling love.
About the Speaker
Erika Rhile is a marine ecologist who has been conducting research in the Gulf of Maine for over 25 years. Her work with the University of Pennsylvania has led to discoveries of invasive species and further proof of the consequences of climate change on our coast. Erika has been a marine mammal response volunteer since 2002, dispatched to evaluate seals, dolphins and whales who are stranded in the Greater Portland area. Mrs Rhile teaches marine biology and environmental science, and loves getting her students outdoors. Mrs Rhile considers the best parts of her job to be inspiring an awe of the natural environment in a “classroom without walls” and getting to wear cool boots with octopuses on them to work.