Award-winning environmental documentary Out of Plain Sight to make Cape Cod debut at the Woods Hole Film Festival
Film shares the pivotal role of WHOI-operated underwater vehicles in the discovery of toxic waste dumped off California coast
Link to the trailer and the film's website
Woods Hole, Mass. (July 17, 2025) – In the years after World War II, as many as half a million barrels of toxic waste were quietly dumped into the ocean off the coast of Southern California, with the consequences continuing to haunt marine life and humans today. Out of Plain Sight is a cinematic expansion of Los Angeles Times reporter Rosanna Xia’s real-time investigation into this mystery, sparked by a discovery made possible by deep-sea technology developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The award-winning feature documentary will be shown at the Woods Hole Film Festival (WHFF) on Tuesday, July 29, 8:15 pm, followed by a panel discussion with Xia and others involved in the making of the film, including scientists from WHOI and the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB).
During a scheduled research expedition aboard the research vessel Atlantis in 2011, UCSB Professor David Valentine was using the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason, both workhorses of the U.S. National Science Foundation-funded Facility, to study natural methane seeps on the seafloor off Los Angeles. With some extra time in his dive schedule, Valentine decided to chase a rumor that had been circulating for decades about the insidious dumping of waste in the area. Onboard the research vessel was WHOI’s Dana Yoerger, a senior scientist at WHOI, who was operating Sentry. Yoerger and the team programmed the vehicle to dive 3,000 feet to skim the sea floor. Initial sonar scans returned a pattern of dots, providing targets for Jason and Sentry to investigate more thoroughly.
“Jason and Sentry are complementary tools that enhance a research team’s capabilities for exploring the deep ocean,” explained Yoerger. “The team chose specific survey locations based on input from Dave (Valentine), and we were able to spot barrels on our first attempt. Sentry’s survey was confirmed by Jason, who provided detailed observations of the barrels. Using this technology together helped maximize efficiency and quickly identify our target.”
Approximately 60 barrels were visually identified using Jason on that first expedition, and the research team, which included WHOI senior scientist Chris Reddy, then used Jason to collect samples from nearby sediment. The samples were brought to Reddy’s lab at WHOI. Their analysis confirmed the presence of DDT, the once widely used insecticide that was banned following Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” along with numerous other contaminants. The findings were published in the science journal Environmental Science & Technology in 2019.
“Out of Plain Sight highlights the synergy of science when our country’s best scientists and engineers harness the power of WHOI’s cutting-edge technology, from research vessels and underwater robots to instruments capable of disentangling the complex mixture of chemicals in the dumped waste,” said Reddy. “It was an unforgettable moment seeing the live video feed from Jason as it scanned the field of dumped waste.”
“This film project has been a profound exploration of how the environmental horrors of our past, no matter how hidden, continue to affect our future,” said Xia, who produced the documentary alongside Los Angeles-based filmmakers Austin Straub and Daniel Straub. “It has been so meaningful to show the rigor and dedication of scientists like Professor Valentine and the renowned team at WHOI – and to expand my years of reporting into a film that is both cinematic and journalistically precise.”
ROV Jason and AUV Sentry played key roles in the discovery and exploration of the toxic barrels. (Photo by: Daniel Hentz, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
“This project has been one of the most fulfilling of my career,” said Valentine. “Starting from my time on the Atlantis with Chris, Dana, and the rest of the WHOI team, this has been a shining example of collaborative scientific exploration, from submersible robots to state- of-the-art analytical chemistry to historical sleuthing, this team has brought to light the misguided actions from my grandparents generation that still impact the ocean environment today.”
“I am really excited for this film to play at the Woods Hole Film Festival,” continued Valentine. “There are so many connections here, from Rachel Carson to the unsung heroes of this story - the crew of the Atlantis and the NDSF staff that operate Sentry and Jason - to the WHOI scientific staff that co-authored our first publication. Without the tireless work of all these folks, this story would not have come together.”
Out of Plain Sight will be shown for the first time on Cape Cod on Tuesday, July 29, 8:15 pm in the Redfield Auditorium, in Woods Hole. The documentary is currently on the film festival circuit and has been praised for its riveting portrayal of science and journalism. It has received numerous honors, including the audience awards at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Berkshire International Film Festival, as well as the Best Feature Film Award at the International Wildlife Film Festival. The screening is also a Yawkey Foundation’s Ocean and Climate Outreach summer series event.
Tickets include a post-screening panel and Q&A with Xia, Valentine, and Reddy.
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About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its mission is to understand the ocean and its interactions with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate an understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. WHOI’s pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering—one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in fundamental and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere. WHOI is known for its multidisciplinary approach, superior ship operations, and unparalleled deep-sea robotics capabilities. We play a leading role in ocean observation and operate the most extensive suite of ocean data-gathering platforms in the world. Top scientists, engineers, and students collaborate on more than 800 concurrent projects worldwide—both above and below the waves—pushing the boundaries of knowledge to inform people and policies for a healthier planet. Learn more at whoi.edu.
About The Woods Hole Film Festival
The Woods Hole Film Festival (a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization) is an eight-day showcase of independent film featuring daily screenings, workshops, panel discussions, special events, master classes, parties, awards ceremony, and more. It is held annually from the last Saturday of July through the first Saturday of August and is the oldest independent film festival on Cape Cod and the Islands. This is the festival’s 34th year, and will be held from Saturday, July 26 – Saturday, August 2, 2025. https://woodsholefilmfestival.org/