ROBERT REDFORD AND PAUL ALLEN PRESENT ANIMAL PLANET'S NEW SERIES "OCEAN WARRIORS" TO PREMIERE AS A DEC. TELEVISION EVENT BEGINNING DEC. 4 AT 9PM ET/PT

(New York, NY) - From Executive Producers Robert Redford and Paul Allen, Animal Planet premieres OCEAN WARRIORS, a gripping new series that propels viewers to the edge of a vast frontier and a battle critical to Earth's survival. Impossible to control or police, the oceans that cover three fifths of the globe and border 146 countries are home to a new breed of outlaw mercenaries who threaten not just marine life but the entire planet. A six-part series, OCEAN WARRIORS features unlikely heroes with a passion for justice as they track down these criminals in high-adrenaline missions, and premieres Sunday, Dec. 4 with back to back episodes at 9PM and 10PM ET/PT, continuing on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18.

Each fast-paced episode of OCEAN WARRIORS puts the offenders in the sights of dedicated activists, scientists and investigators who put their lives on the line every day to stop those who are wreaking havoc on our oceans, from Tanzania to Thailand to Antarctica and beyond. Series episodes will include Enforcement, Who's the Bad Guy, Engage the Enemy, Truth and Lies, Life and Death and Perseverance.

The young men and women of the Sea Shepherds chase a notorious, battle-hardened poaching ship through the dense ice of the Antarctic Sea despite the very real threat of violence and hazardous waters. In Tanzania, a conservation biologist strives to save the coral reefs from blast fishing, whose explosive impact could wipe out the marine life that sustains 18 million people. In the Pacific, Greenpeace patrols the waters for illegal shark fishing, exploring deep within a commercial vessel to discover a prolific and illegal bounty. An environmental journalist goes to Thailand, where illegal poachers are devastating a $7 billion national fishing industry as they pillage the ancestral fishing grounds. And, tragically, our vigilantes discover a vast human trafficking network of fishing slaves that extends from Africa to Indonesia. This new generation of enforcers are mobilized around the globe and ready to deal with those who run rampant across our oceans.

OCEAN WARRIORS is a co-production between Animal Planet, Sundance Productions, Brick City TV and Vulcan Productions. For Sundance Productions, Robert Redford and Laura Michalchyshyn serve as executive producers; for Vulcan Productions, Paul Allen, Carole Tomko, Jody Gottlieb and Rocky Collins serve as executive producers; and for Brick City TV, Mark Benjamin and Marc Levin serve as executive producers. For Animal Planet, Erin Wanner and Liz Bronstein serve as executive producers and and Patrick Keegan is supervising producer.