The Save Our Seas Foundation has released its award-winning short documentary, “Older Than Trees,” which was created in collaboration with Sea Change Project and directed by Pippa Ehrlich, co-director of the Oscar- and BAFTA-winning “My Octopus Teacher.”

The film tells the story of James Lea, a field biologist who grew up dreaming of sharks, enigmatic creatures of the deep. In his first few years as a field biologist, he fell in love with silky sharks in the Red Sea, where he interacted with them and learned their individual personalities. In just a few years, he watched as almost every animal he had known was lost to overfishing. Feeling heartbroken and helpless, Lea resolved to use his expertise as a scientist to protect sharks in places where they still have a chance to thrive.

Watch the film here.