Jonathan Bird

Jonathan Bird
Bird in 2007
BornMarch 1969 (age 57)
EducationElectrical engineering
OccupationsCinematographer, photographer, director, television host
SpouseChristine Bird
ChildrenElise Bird, Liam Bird
AwardsInternational Scuba Diving Hall of Fame
Websitewww.jonathanbird.net

Jonathan Bird (born March 1969) is an American underwater cinematographer, photographer, director and television host known for his work in marine filmmaking. He is the creator, host and producer of the Emmy Award–winning public television series Jonathan Bird's Blue World.

Bird has produced underwater films for broadcast and educational distribution, with his work appearing on networks including PBS, National Geographic Channel and Discovery Channel.

His cinematography has earned nine Emmy Awards and two CINE Golden Eagle Awards.

In addition to television production, Bird has directed large-format documentary films for IMAX and giant-screen theaters, including Astronaut: Ocean to Orbit (2015), Ancient Caves (2020), Secrets of the Sea (2022), and Call of the Dolphins (2025).

Underwater photography

Bird learned to scuba dive while in college at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

He worked as an electrical engineer before leaving his position in 1993 to pursue underwater photography full-time.

His first book, Beneath the North Atlantic, was published in 1997.

Cinematography

Bird co-founded Oceanic Research Group, Inc. in 1991.

The organization became a non-profit in 1993 and produced educational marine science films for schools.

His first television film, Sharks: The Real Story, aired on PBS in 1995.

In 2005, he completed Sharks: Deep Trouble for National Geographic.[citation needed]

His film Ancient Caves (2020) received Giant Screen Cinema Association awards including Best Film, Best Cinematography and Best Film for Lifelong Learning.

Jonathan Bird’s Blue World

Premiering in 2008, the series was distributed to public television through NETA.

The series has received multiple Emmy Awards, including recognition for Outstanding Magazine/Feature Segment and Children/Youth Programming.

Beginning in 2012, episodes were released on YouTube, where the channel has attracted over one million subscribers. It is also distributed on the educational platform Epic!.

Selected filmography

Scientific contributions

Bird has contributed to marine science literature. In 1997, he was a co-author of an early paper documenting in situ observations of a live oarfish, Regalecus glesne, published in Copeia. The paper is considered a foundational in situ observation of the Oarfish.

Bird also co-authored research on sea lamprey parasitism of sharks and teleost fishes, published in Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A in 2004.

Bird's underwater photography and video footage have also been incorporated into peer-reviewed marine science research, including studies of Atlantic wolffish behavior and Hawaiian monk seal vocalizations.

Awards and honors

Personal life

Bird lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two children. He is the grandson of Kenneth T. Bird, a pioneer in telemedicine.[citation needed]

References

  1. ↑ "Profile". Worcester Polytechnic Institute. October 15, 2010.
  2. ↑ "The Wonders Down Under". UNH Magazine.
  3. 1 2 3 "Jonathan Bird". X-Ray Magazine.
  4. 1 2 3 "Jonathan Bird CV".
  5. 1 2 3 "33rd Boston/New England Emmy Awards Winner List" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
  6. 1 2 3 "35th Boston/New England Emmy Awards Winner List" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
  7. 1 2 "2002 CINE Golden Eagle Awards Winner Directory" (PDF). CINE.
  8. 1 2 "1997 CINE Golden Eagle Awards Winner Directory" (PDF). CINE. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 13, 2012 – via Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ "Astronaut: Ocean to Orbit". MacGillivray Freeman Films.
  10. 1 2 "2020 Awards". Giant Screen Cinema Association.
  11. ↑ "2023 Awards". Giant Screen Cinema Association.
  12. ↑ "Revealing the Ocean's Mysteries".
  13. ↑ "The Wonders Down Under". UNH Magazine.
  14. ↑ "Beneath the North Atlantic".
  15. ↑ "Oceanic Research Group Mission".
  16. ↑ "ORG Films".
  17. ↑ "Jonathan Bird Films".
  18. ↑ "NETA Program".
  19. ↑ BlueWorldTV.
  20. ↑ "Jonathan Bird's Blue World: Great White Shark Adventure". Epic!.
  21. ↑ Bird, J.; Rosenthal, H. D.; Rosenblatt, R. H.; Love, M. S. (1997). "In Situ Observations of the Oarfish, Regalecus glesne (Pisces: Regalecidae)". Copeia. 1997 (4): 880–882. JSTOR 1447310.
  22. ↑ Benfield, M. C.; Cook, S.; Sharuga, S.; Valentine, M. M. (2013). "Five in situ observations of live oarfish Regalecus glesne (Regalecidae) by remotely operated vehicles in the oceanic waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico". Journal of Fish Biology. 83 (1): 28–38. doi:10.1111/jfb.12144. PMID 23808690.
  23. ↑ Wilkie, M. P.; Turnbull, S. D.; Bird, J.; Wang, Y. S.; Claude, J. F.; Youson, J. H. (2004). "Lamprey parasitism of sharks and teleosts: high capacity urea excretion in an extant vertebrate relic". Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology. 138 (4): 485–492. doi:10.1016/j.cbpb.2004.06.001. PMID 15369838.
  24. ↑ Bemis, Katherine E.; Bemis, William E. (2015). "Functional and Developmental Morphology of Tooth Replacement in the Atlantic Wolffish". Copeia. 103 (4): 886–901. doi:10.1643/OT-14-141. JSTOR 24642305.
  25. ↑ Parnell, Kirby (2024). "Underwater soundscapes within critical habitats of the Hawaiian monk seal" (PDF). Endangered Species Research. 54: 311–327. doi:10.3354/esr01336.
  26. ↑ Parnell, Kirby. "Hawaiian Monk Seal Karaoke Gone Wrong". Marine Mammal Research Program. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  27. ↑ "ISDHOF Bio".
  28. ↑ "Academy of Underwater Arts & Sciences announces 2026 NOGI Award recipients". DiveNet.
  29. ↑ "Jonathan Bird" (PDF). Worcester Polytechnic Institute.