“Stop pretending that technology is going to keep us happy and healthy when the natural world has been trashed,” said Cameron at a Los Angeles event for “Secrets of the Octopus,” a mini-series he executive produced and which is narrated by actor Paul Rudd.  “Humans are using the oceans as a toilet,” he said, citing the dumping of sewage and agricultural waste into the sea and the existence of “dead zones” in many marine ecosystems.  “That’s what scares the hell out of me,” said James Cameron, who in addition to being an executive producer of the series is also a National Geographic Explorer-at-Large.  “Secrets of the Octopus” is hosted by Australian filmmaker Alex Schnell and features Sy Montgomery, a naturalist and author of a new book of the same name.  “What we reveal in this series is that octopuses have relatable qualities and glimpses of intelligence we once thought were unique to chimps, dolphins and elephants,” said Schnell, speaking on a panel that Lusa attended.  “They wear their emotions on their skin, so if we understand what their skin patterns mean, we can understand how they are feeling,” explained the diver, who said that there is a “huge range” of personalities in octopuses, which will come as a revelation to viewers.  Montgomery, a naturalist who learned to scuba dive in her late 50s so that she could interact with octopuses, stressed that it takes a lot of patience to have meaningful experiences with these animals, who only start to interact once they get used to divers.  That was something that James Cameron said during the Q&A, saying that telling these stories required a “much higher level” of patience than anything else he has done before.  One of the things he hopes the series does is help people understand the need to protect the oceans, the filmmaker said.  “This is a fight for sustainability and the preservation of nature,” he said, describing himself as “endlessly fascinated” by the natural world. “If I can get people to fall in love with these animals, maybe they will fight harder,” he added.  Cameron highlighted the “incredible behaviors” that octopuses exhibit, which until a few years ago were not well known or appreciated. Montgomery’s 2015 book “Soul of an Octopus” sparked a renewed interest in octopuses and led to the creation of OctoNation, the world’s largest “fan club” for cephalopods.  “What they are capable of doing is mind-boggling,” said Cameron.  The three-part series offers “an intimate portrait” of animals that are completely different from us, stressed director of photography Adam Geiger.  “I think octopuses are great ambassadors for the natural world,” he said. “The reality is that if the natural world is not functioning well, none of us are going to survive.”  Schnell pointed out that none of the 300 known species of octopus are on the endangered species list, not because they are safe but because so little is known about them.  “I can tell you that octopuses are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment, to acidity, to salinity,” she said. “Temperature can affect their appetite, their growth rate, whether or not they reach sexual maturity.” Given that they only live for two years and are both predators and prey, impacts on their population can have knock-on effects for the entire marine ecosystem.  Schnell was critical of Nueva Pescanova’s plans to farm octopuses in the Canary Islands, calling it “horrific.”  “The science shows that it is not possible to farm octopus humanely,” she said, adding that “there is no ethical way to kill a sentient being.”  The producers said that they have never eaten octopus or squid and Montgomery said that there are plenty of other things to eat instead of killing creatures that want to stay alive. “Eat a sandwich,” she urged.  “Secrets of the Octopus” premieres on National Geographic on the eve of Earth Day, April 22, and will later be available on Disney+.  Also Read: Manifesto sobre 'Pacto para o Oceano' entregue no Parlamento Europeu (Portuguese version)