The artistically photographed, educational film highlights 12 of the 41 aquatic preserves along Florida's 8,500 miles of coastline which were set aside for protection by the state in 1966.

In addition to an hour of moving footage, the film highlights Butchers' artistic still photographs portraying the natural beauty of Florida's aquatic preserves. Throughout the production, the large-format black-and-white still photographs are first displayed, then brought to life by the rich color of motion picture shot in the same location. It's as though Butcher is guiding the cinematographers to cherished spots discovered during his past 20 years of exploring the Florida coast.

The "Living Waters" film focuses on the natural wonders of Florida, demonstrating how each of the 12 preserves featured are helping to conserve the area's natural heritage, the wildlife residing there and the area's cultural heritage for future human generations. It also shows how visitors and local residents enjoy the preserves through activities like canoeing, kayaking, inner tubing, snorkeling and fishing.

Perhaps the production's most compelling aspect is the soundtrack: a combination of composer Sammy Tedder's instrumental music combined with voice-over by narrator Peter Thomas. Other narration is provided by marine conservationists and local citizens. While footage shot in dramatic lighting from a variety of interesting angles moves across the screen, the narrators contribute both scientific information about the location and personal messages explaining its importance to the marine environment, local communities and the eco-tourism industry.

One of the narrators, writer Sue Spencer, lives alongside a river in the St. Johns River Marshes Aquatic Preserve. Discussing how she and her sister are working to conserve their backyard ecosystem, she manages to put the film's message into a capsule. With a soft voice and deeply southern accent, she eloquently states, "The wars are going to be fought about water. We don't know how precious it is and when it gets polluted, it's ruined ... We are so rich in water, particularly in Florida, and we must take care of it."

In addition to the Gulf of Mexico Foundation's contribution, other partners in the Live Oak Production film project were the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Ocean Conservancy and Scandy White Boats.