1
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♪

2
00:00:05,933 --> 00:00:07,733
♪

3
00:00:07,766 --> 00:00:10,400
NARRATOR:
Coral reefs have captured
the human imagination

4
00:00:10,433 --> 00:00:15,300
{\an1}for as long as we have
ventured beneath the waves.

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{\an1}ALANNAH VELLACOTT:
Towering, romantic, strong,
resilient,

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00:00:19,966 --> 00:00:22,733
{\an1}but very ornate and,
and delicate at the same time.

7
00:00:22,766 --> 00:00:25,900
There really is
nothing else like it.

8
00:00:25,933 --> 00:00:29,533
NARRATOR:
Beyond their beauty
and brilliance,

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00:00:29,566 --> 00:00:32,800
{\an1}coral reefs support
a quarter of all marine life

10
00:00:32,833 --> 00:00:35,700
{\an1}and are crucial for
ocean health

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00:00:35,733 --> 00:00:37,600
{\an1}and human survival.

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But now
these precious creatures

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00:00:39,366 --> 00:00:42,100
are in crisis,

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00:00:42,133 --> 00:00:44,700
{\an1}as ocean heat waves
are bleaching corals

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{\an1}of all color and life.

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00:00:47,133 --> 00:00:50,933
♪

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00:00:50,966 --> 00:00:54,933
{\an1}By the end of this century,
coral reefs could be lost.

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RUTH GATES:
Can we help them?

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00:00:56,333 --> 00:00:58,500
{\an1}Can we accelerate
natural selection?

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00:00:58,533 --> 00:01:01,433
{\an1}Can we accelerate
adaptive rates?

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00:01:01,466 --> 00:01:03,033
♪

22
00:01:03,066 --> 00:01:07,066
{\an8}NARRATOR:
On tropical reefs around
the globe,

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00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:10,433
{\an1}scientists are fighting
a desperate race against time.

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♪

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00:01:12,733 --> 00:01:14,433
{\an1}Unlocking the secrets of
millions of years

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00:01:14,466 --> 00:01:16,500
{\an1}of coral evolution

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{\an1}and trying to speed it up.

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JULIA BAUM:
If we are going to save
coral reefs,

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{\an1}we have to start intervening.

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{\an8}NARRATOR:
Their ideas are new
and experimental.

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{\an1}And for the first time,
their daring research

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{\an1}will be put to the test.

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GATES:
I think science and scientists

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{\an1}are being asked to
solve problems.

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ANDREW BAKER:
Honestly, we don't know

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00:01:40,566 --> 00:01:43,000
{\an1}whether it's going to work.

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00:01:43,033 --> 00:01:44,833
{\an1}The risk of doing nothing
is the risk of

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{\an1}risking every reef
on the planet.

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NARRATOR:
"Reef Rescue,"
right now on "NOVA."

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♪

41
00:02:14,066 --> 00:02:19,500
{\an8}♪

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00:02:35,433 --> 00:02:38,366
GATES:
I will often describe it as
my cathedral.

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00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:41,366
{\an1}If you could imagine
a cathedral

44
00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:43,866
with all of the
stained-glass windows,

45
00:02:43,900 --> 00:02:46,166
{\an1}all of that color is
splashed across the landscape,

46
00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,800
with the fish
darting in and out.

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00:02:48,833 --> 00:02:51,666
{\an1}It's the place I go
where I feel awed

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00:02:51,700 --> 00:02:54,566
{\an1}by the complexity of
the architecture around me.

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00:02:58,100 --> 00:03:00,033
GREG ASNER:
Coral reefs have been compared

50
00:03:00,066 --> 00:03:03,000
{\an7}to tropical rainforests,
and what I mean by that is

51
00:03:03,033 --> 00:03:07,033
{\an7}the diversity of the species and
how they're packed in together,

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00:03:07,066 --> 00:03:09,900
how they create
this kaleidoscope

53
00:03:09,933 --> 00:03:13,066
{\an1}of color and function.

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00:03:15,500 --> 00:03:16,900
VELLACOTT:
When I go underwater,

55
00:03:16,933 --> 00:03:20,200
each coral head
is like its own little city.

56
00:03:20,233 --> 00:03:22,633
{\an7}When you get to a
massive spur and groove system,

57
00:03:22,666 --> 00:03:24,966
{\an7}it's like downtown Atlanta,

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00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,666
{\an1}super busy, bustling,

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00:03:27,700 --> 00:03:30,000
{\an1}characters everywhere,
different sounds,

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00:03:30,033 --> 00:03:33,066
{\an7}clicking and popping
and bubbling.

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00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:34,700
{\an1}And it reminds you

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{\an7}that we are all one piece of
a community, or ecosystem.

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{\an8}NARRATOR:
Corals appeared
500 million years ago.

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{\an7}They may look like rocks,
but corals are in fact animals.

65
00:03:53,666 --> 00:03:55,333
{\an7}Each tiny coral creature

66
00:03:55,366 --> 00:03:58,166
{\an7}is called a polyp.

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00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:02,100
{\an7}The polyp is essentially
a mouth with tentacles

68
00:04:02,133 --> 00:04:03,800
{\an7}used to trap floating food,

69
00:04:03,833 --> 00:04:06,733
{\an7}but most corals also have
another source of nourishment.

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00:04:08,566 --> 00:04:10,800
GATES:
Inside the cells of the animal,

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00:04:10,833 --> 00:04:15,400
{\an1}there is a tiny plant cell
and they, as all plants do,

72
00:04:15,433 --> 00:04:18,933
{\an1}are able to use the
energy of the sun, capture it,

73
00:04:18,966 --> 00:04:21,366
{\an1}to combine carbon dioxide
and water

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00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,500
{\an1}into a small food molecule
and oxygen.

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{\an8}NARRATOR:
These microscopic plant-like
organisms are algae.

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00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,200
The algae feed
the coral animal,

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00:04:33,233 --> 00:04:34,766
and the coral
gives the algae a home.

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00:04:38,133 --> 00:04:41,366
It's a dynamic
symbiotic relationship.

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00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,800
So much so that
the algae are called symbionts.

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00:04:45,833 --> 00:04:48,300
♪

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00:04:48,333 --> 00:04:49,566
{\an1}Reefs begin when coral polyps

82
00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,933
{\an1}secrete a thin layer of
calcium carbonate

83
00:04:52,966 --> 00:04:56,266
{\an1}to create a skeleton.

84
00:04:58,300 --> 00:05:01,733
{\an1}Hundreds and hundreds
of identical coral polyps

85
00:05:01,766 --> 00:05:03,900
create a colony.

86
00:05:03,933 --> 00:05:07,233
{\an1}And over thousands of years
of growth,

87
00:05:07,266 --> 00:05:11,666
{\an1}coral colonies build the reef.

88
00:05:11,700 --> 00:05:15,200
{\an7}So animal, vegetable, mineral.

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00:05:15,233 --> 00:05:17,100
{\an7}That is what a coral is.

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00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:24,566
NARRATOR:
Christmas Island is an atoll

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00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,800
{\an1}in the Pacific Ocean
made entirely of coral.

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00:05:30,833 --> 00:05:33,266
Julia Baum is a
Canadian marine biologist.

93
00:05:34,233 --> 00:05:35,400
{\an1}For more than a decade,

94
00:05:35,433 --> 00:05:38,533
{\an1}she's studied the reef's
unique ecosystem

95
00:05:38,566 --> 00:05:41,633
{\an1}and the threats it faces.

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00:05:41,666 --> 00:05:43,033
{\an1}It always feels great
to be back.

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00:05:43,066 --> 00:05:44,700
It's a bit of
a mix of emotions;

98
00:05:44,733 --> 00:05:48,200
{\an1}there's, there's so much
invested in every single trip.

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00:05:48,233 --> 00:05:50,333
{\an1}Always a little bit of
excitement

100
00:05:50,366 --> 00:05:52,000
{\an1}about an adventure
that's about to begin,

101
00:05:52,033 --> 00:05:53,333
and also maybe
a little apprehension

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00:05:53,366 --> 00:05:54,666
{\an1}just to make sure,

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00:05:54,700 --> 00:05:56,200
{\an1}is everything going to go okay?

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00:05:56,233 --> 00:05:57,966
Hey!

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00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,133
(laughs)
Hi!

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00:06:06,166 --> 00:06:07,600
{\an1}I think that it's actually,
I know it sounds crazy...

107
00:06:07,633 --> 00:06:08,800
{\an1}And then I think that...

108
00:06:08,833 --> 00:06:09,900
{\an1}but I think it's actually
you're gonna,

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00:06:09,933 --> 00:06:10,833
{\an1}you're gonna drop there.

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00:06:10,866 --> 00:06:12,500
{\an3}MAN:
And that's...

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00:06:12,533 --> 00:06:16,766
NARRATOR:
It's Julia's first day out on
the reef this year.

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00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:18,466
Oh, did you...

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00:06:18,500 --> 00:06:19,900
NARRATOR:
The team dives down to
take stock of the coral.

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00:06:21,833 --> 00:06:23,900
(splashing)

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00:06:24,266 --> 00:06:29,433
♪

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00:06:35,066 --> 00:06:37,266
BAUM:
When I first started doing
research on the ocean,

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{\an1}I had been so focused on
sharks and fish,

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00:06:39,300 --> 00:06:40,700
{\an1}and at some point,

119
00:06:40,733 --> 00:06:43,266
{\an1}I think I kind of looked down
and saw the coral and realized,

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00:06:43,300 --> 00:06:47,366
"Hey, the coral
are the whole foundation

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00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,266
{\an1}of this ecosystem."

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00:06:50,300 --> 00:06:53,066
{\an1}And if we're worried
about this ecosystem,

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00:06:53,100 --> 00:06:56,366
{\an1}we really have to be worried
about the coral themselves.

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00:06:59,266 --> 00:07:01,066
{\an1}We have hundreds of corals

125
00:07:01,100 --> 00:07:02,900
{\an1}tagged all around the island,

126
00:07:02,933 --> 00:07:06,066
{\an1}and we take tiny tissue samples
from them.

127
00:07:06,100 --> 00:07:08,166
{\an1}We can take the photos

128
00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,833
{\an1}to identify individual
coral colonies themselves

129
00:07:11,866 --> 00:07:14,466
{\an1}and get a sense of who's there
in the community.

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00:07:14,500 --> 00:07:17,533
{\an1}A brain coral is one of

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00:07:17,566 --> 00:07:21,033
{\an1}the main types of corals
that we've been working with.

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00:07:21,066 --> 00:07:24,766
{\an1}There's also branching corals
and flat corals,

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00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:26,233
{\an1}so lots of different shapes,

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00:07:26,266 --> 00:07:27,366
{\an1}and those are important
because they provide

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00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:29,566
{\an1}different types of habitat
for fishes.

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00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,100
NARRATOR:
Each year, Julia and her team
meticulously tag,

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00:07:35,133 --> 00:07:38,300
{\an1}sample, and photograph
40 plots of coral,

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00:07:38,333 --> 00:07:42,933
{\an1}building a timeline of
how the reefs are changing.

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00:07:44,866 --> 00:07:48,266
During the
2015 and 2016 El Niño,

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00:07:48,300 --> 00:07:49,366
{\an1}water temperatures here

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00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:53,633
increased by
four degrees Fahrenheit.

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00:07:56,133 --> 00:07:59,400
{\an7}The heat set itself down
on this island

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00:07:59,433 --> 00:08:01,200
{\an7}and just got a chokehold on it,

144
00:08:01,233 --> 00:08:04,366
{\an7}and it just kept going and going
for ten straight months.

145
00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:09,066
{\an1}And what we saw was
a complete ecological meltdown.

146
00:08:09,100 --> 00:08:11,033
{\an1}By the time we came back

147
00:08:11,066 --> 00:08:14,800
in March 2016,
almost everything was dead.

148
00:08:14,833 --> 00:08:18,833
{\an1}It was like a graveyard.

149
00:08:18,866 --> 00:08:23,500
{\an1}It's just hard to believe that
a whole island can die

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00:08:23,533 --> 00:08:25,633
{\an1}in less than a year.

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00:08:25,666 --> 00:08:29,233
(diver panting)

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00:08:29,266 --> 00:08:33,366
{\an1}SCIENTIST:
How'd it go? Okay?

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00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:35,433
{\an1}Tough, a lot of stuff
going on there.

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00:08:35,466 --> 00:08:38,300
{\an1}I want to look at
both of those dive slates

155
00:08:38,333 --> 00:08:39,300
{\an1}and compare the corals,

156
00:08:39,333 --> 00:08:41,000
{\an1}photo for all of them,

157
00:08:41,033 --> 00:08:42,700
{\an1}tissue for all of them,
and growth for some of them.

158
00:08:42,733 --> 00:08:44,300
Yeah.
Okay.

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00:08:44,333 --> 00:08:46,466
{\an1}BAUM (voiceover):
It's pretty devastating,
being down there,

160
00:08:46,500 --> 00:08:48,833
{\an1}because I just remember
that being my favorite site,

161
00:08:48,866 --> 00:08:50,566
{\an1}and it just feels,
like, how did this happen?

162
00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,000
And even though,
obviously,

163
00:08:52,033 --> 00:08:54,766
intellectually
I know exactly what happened,

164
00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:58,233
but emotionally
it still feels like...

165
00:08:58,266 --> 00:09:02,866
{\an1}it's just really, um...
it's a pretty sad remnant

166
00:09:02,900 --> 00:09:05,133
of what it was.

167
00:09:05,166 --> 00:09:07,700
{\an1}It's gone, really.

168
00:09:13,333 --> 00:09:16,466
NARRATOR:
Tropical reefs around the globe
were severely impacted

169
00:09:16,500 --> 00:09:19,766
{\an1}by the deadly ocean heatwave.

170
00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,000
{\an7}And scientists have been
mobilizing--

171
00:09:23,033 --> 00:09:26,433
{\an7}led by the Hawaii Institute
of Marine Biology--

172
00:09:26,466 --> 00:09:27,900
{\an7}a research station
perched on an island

173
00:09:27,933 --> 00:09:30,333
{\an1}surrounded by coral reef.

174
00:09:36,233 --> 00:09:38,166
{\an1}Guiding this enormous effort

175
00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,866
{\an1}is visionary scientist
Ruth Gates.

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00:09:40,900 --> 00:09:42,033
(laughing)

177
00:09:43,100 --> 00:09:45,533
{\an1}You have a couple of options:

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00:09:45,566 --> 00:09:48,666
{\an1}you move, you adapt, or you die.

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00:09:50,066 --> 00:09:53,566
{\an1}Obviously corals are dying,
they can't move,

180
00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,233
{\an1}so their only option is
to adapt.

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00:09:58,233 --> 00:10:00,466
{\an8}NARRATOR:
Corals have a natural ability

182
00:10:00,500 --> 00:10:02,466
{\an7}to adapt to changes
in their environment

183
00:10:02,500 --> 00:10:06,166
{\an8}and have done so
for millions of years.

184
00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:07,700
{\an8}But now,

185
00:10:07,733 --> 00:10:09,866
{\an8}the oceans
are heating up too fast.

186
00:10:11,300 --> 00:10:13,700
GATES:
So, can we help them?

187
00:10:13,733 --> 00:10:15,966
{\an1}Can we accelerate
natural selection?

188
00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,500
{\an1}Can we accelerate
adaptive rates?

189
00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:21,766
NARRATOR:
Ruth is a revolutionary thinker

190
00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,533
{\an1}in a new area of coral science.

191
00:10:24,566 --> 00:10:27,466
It's called
assisted evolution.

192
00:10:27,500 --> 00:10:29,633
GATES:
It is our responsibility to
take our science

193
00:10:29,666 --> 00:10:33,866
{\an1}and activate things
that can make a difference,

194
00:10:33,900 --> 00:10:35,666
{\an1}try to solve the problem

195
00:10:35,700 --> 00:10:37,600
instead of just
describe that it exists.

196
00:10:37,633 --> 00:10:40,833
♪

197
00:10:40,866 --> 00:10:43,266
NARRATOR:
And to take a closer look at
the problems corals are facing,

198
00:10:43,300 --> 00:10:47,233
researchers use
a powerful laser microscope

199
00:10:47,266 --> 00:10:49,366
to generate
images of living corals.

200
00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,566
{\an1}(machinery whirs)

201
00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:53,833
(lens winding)

202
00:10:53,866 --> 00:10:58,366
{\an1}Fluorescence highlights
the algae partners in red.

203
00:10:58,400 --> 00:10:59,800
{\an1}This is a
most beautiful coral.

204
00:10:59,833 --> 00:11:02,033
{\an1}It's completely healthy,
it's showing,

205
00:11:02,066 --> 00:11:05,300
{\an1}it's extending its polyps
away from the skeleton.

206
00:11:05,333 --> 00:11:06,933
{\an1}Kind of out there, waving.

207
00:11:06,966 --> 00:11:09,333
{\an1}It's just dynamic and beautiful.

208
00:11:09,366 --> 00:11:12,233
{\an1}Each polyp looks like it's got
a different personality

209
00:11:12,266 --> 00:11:13,966
{\an1}and it's blowing me a kiss.

210
00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:15,600
It's this one
that's blowing me a kiss.

211
00:11:15,633 --> 00:11:17,633
(laughs)

212
00:11:17,666 --> 00:11:19,100
{\an1}(microscope lens winding)

213
00:11:19,133 --> 00:11:21,266
NARRATOR:
But what happens to
the symbiotic algae

214
00:11:21,300 --> 00:11:23,533
{\an1}when waters warm?

215
00:11:25,133 --> 00:11:28,333
GATES:
This is actually a
partially bleached coral.

216
00:11:28,366 --> 00:11:29,900
It's starting to
lose its symbionts.

217
00:11:29,933 --> 00:11:31,966
You can see
there's a lot more black space

218
00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,500
{\an1}in between the corals.

219
00:11:35,866 --> 00:11:38,233
NARRATOR:
When heat stresses the corals,

220
00:11:38,266 --> 00:11:40,700
{\an1}they expel their algae.

221
00:11:40,733 --> 00:11:43,100
{\an1}These dots of red are
the plant cells

222
00:11:43,133 --> 00:11:46,233
{\an1}that the animal has
essentially spat out.

223
00:11:46,266 --> 00:11:47,966
{\an1}They're no longer
serving the animal.

224
00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,866
{\an1}It's no longer moving
anywhere near as dynamically.

225
00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:54,700
{\an1}It's kind of gone very quiet.

226
00:11:56,700 --> 00:11:58,200
NARRATOR:
Without the algae,

227
00:11:58,233 --> 00:12:00,000
{\an1}corals lose their color.

228
00:12:00,033 --> 00:12:03,866
{\an7}And this is coral bleaching.

229
00:12:07,366 --> 00:12:11,366
(waves lapping)

230
00:12:13,833 --> 00:12:17,433
{\an8}(birds chirping)

231
00:12:17,466 --> 00:12:19,700
NARRATOR:
Alannah Vellacott is a diver

232
00:12:19,733 --> 00:12:21,566
{\an7}and coral restoration specialist

233
00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:24,366
{\an7}who understands this problem
firsthand.

234
00:12:26,733 --> 00:12:29,133
{\an7}They can always use
a bit of fanning.

235
00:12:29,166 --> 00:12:31,733
{\an7}Oh, sorry, buddy.

236
00:12:31,766 --> 00:12:34,866
{\an7}I keep knocking you.

237
00:12:34,900 --> 00:12:36,233
{\an8}NARRATOR:
Alannah works at Coral Vita,

238
00:12:36,266 --> 00:12:38,200
{\an7}a coral farm in the Bahamas
that grows corals

239
00:12:38,233 --> 00:12:42,833
{\an1}to revitalize dying reefs.

240
00:12:42,866 --> 00:12:44,600
VELLACOTT:
Currently, 80 percent of corals

241
00:12:44,633 --> 00:12:47,800
{\an1}are dead in the Caribbean.

242
00:12:47,833 --> 00:12:51,666
{\an1}That is especially sad
and especially troubling

243
00:12:51,700 --> 00:12:55,566
{\an7}because we cannot afford
to lose our coral reefs.

244
00:12:57,266 --> 00:13:00,200
NARRATOR:
Reefs are highly diverse
ecosystems.

245
00:13:00,233 --> 00:13:04,100
{\an1}Fish shelter, find food,
and rear their young

246
00:13:04,133 --> 00:13:07,200
in their many
nooks and crannies.

247
00:13:07,233 --> 00:13:11,833
{\an1}Fewer reefs means fewer fish,

248
00:13:11,866 --> 00:13:15,866
{\an1}but it's not just the marine
ecosystem that's at risk.

249
00:13:15,900 --> 00:13:18,600
{\an1}People depend on reefs for
food and income.

250
00:13:18,633 --> 00:13:20,633
{\an1}(fishing reel winding)

251
00:13:20,666 --> 00:13:23,766
VELLACOTT:
Bahamians are very intimately

252
00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:28,500
{\an1}tied to our waters,
because it is our livelihood.

253
00:13:30,333 --> 00:13:32,233
{\an1}Whether you work in a hotel,

254
00:13:32,266 --> 00:13:33,400
{\an1}whether you're a dive operator,

255
00:13:33,433 --> 00:13:35,300
{\an1}whether you're a fisherman,

256
00:13:35,333 --> 00:13:37,366
{\an1}whether you just enjoy
having a conch snack

257
00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:38,466
{\an1}at the end of the day,

258
00:13:38,500 --> 00:13:40,666
{\an1}we all depend on these
coral reefs.

259
00:13:43,466 --> 00:13:44,866
{\an1}If the world continues

260
00:13:44,900 --> 00:13:48,866
{\an1}to go in the direction
that it's going in,

261
00:13:48,900 --> 00:13:50,700
{\an1}ignoring what our reefs are
trying to tell us,

262
00:13:50,733 --> 00:13:53,500
it very well is
the end of our livelihoods

263
00:13:53,533 --> 00:13:56,933
{\an1}here in the Bahamas.

264
00:13:56,966 --> 00:13:58,900
NARRATOR:
Bahamas and beyond,

265
00:13:58,933 --> 00:14:01,466
{\an1}some three billion people

266
00:14:01,500 --> 00:14:05,233
rely on fish as
a source of protein,

267
00:14:05,266 --> 00:14:06,566
and the overall
economic value of reefs

268
00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:11,366
{\an1}is estimated at tens of billions
of dollars annually.

269
00:14:16,433 --> 00:14:19,500
{\an1}(car door closes)

270
00:14:19,533 --> 00:14:21,066
{\an1}Almost 90 percent of the corals

271
00:14:21,100 --> 00:14:24,133
{\an1}surrounding Christmas Island
bleached,

272
00:14:24,166 --> 00:14:25,500
{\an1}and Julia wonders if the reef

273
00:14:25,533 --> 00:14:27,933
{\an1}and the biodiverse habitat
it provides

274
00:14:27,966 --> 00:14:30,766
could be lost.

275
00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,066
{\an1}Okay, so I have 2015 loaded.
Mm-hmm.

276
00:14:33,100 --> 00:14:36,066
{\an1}This is just
five months before

277
00:14:36,100 --> 00:14:39,133
{\an1}the heat stress
started to hit.

278
00:14:39,166 --> 00:14:40,833
{\an1}So, the reef is looking
really healthy.

279
00:14:40,866 --> 00:14:43,733
{\an1}So then let's load the 2017
on top of that

280
00:14:43,766 --> 00:14:48,166
and take a look at
that one overlaid.

281
00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,600
{\an1}Kind of shows how much
the structure is breaking down.

282
00:14:51,633 --> 00:14:53,633
Just--
all the height is eroding.

283
00:14:55,466 --> 00:14:57,833
NARRATOR:
Devoid of living corals,

284
00:14:57,866 --> 00:15:00,966
{\an1}the reef is crumbling
and falling apart.

285
00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,733
BAUM:
Oh, God, this is horrible.

286
00:15:05,766 --> 00:15:10,333
♪

287
00:15:10,366 --> 00:15:13,066
NARRATOR:
Can a damaged reef regenerate?

288
00:15:14,666 --> 00:15:17,000
{\an8}(bubbling)

289
00:15:19,166 --> 00:15:21,033
{\an8}Each year,
Julia's team anchors

290
00:15:21,066 --> 00:15:24,133
{\an1}new clay tiles to the reef
and retrieves tiles

291
00:15:24,166 --> 00:15:26,966
{\an1}from previous years.

292
00:15:28,366 --> 00:15:30,033
{\an1}Normally, baby corals
will settle on these,

293
00:15:30,066 --> 00:15:34,866
{\an7}and the team will document
any signs of new growth.

294
00:15:34,900 --> 00:15:37,100
{\an8}BAUM:
It feels like a
waiting game to see--

295
00:15:37,133 --> 00:15:38,900
{\an7}is this gonna turn the corner
and recover,

296
00:15:38,933 --> 00:15:43,733
{\an1}or is it gonna decline and die?

297
00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:50,200
{\an1}(camera clicking)

298
00:15:50,233 --> 00:15:53,366
{\an1}I still need the white light
to look at it though.

299
00:15:55,866 --> 00:15:57,333
{\an1}(camera clicking)

300
00:15:57,366 --> 00:16:01,866
{\an7}We have a baby coral from
one of the degraded sites.

301
00:16:01,900 --> 00:16:06,233
We hoped for it,
but we didn't really expect it.

302
00:16:06,266 --> 00:16:08,600
{\an1}So, yeah, that's exciting.

303
00:16:10,433 --> 00:16:12,133
NARRATOR:
This first evidence of new life

304
00:16:12,166 --> 00:16:13,966
{\an1}is a tentative sign of
regeneration.

305
00:16:15,933 --> 00:16:17,733
{\an1}But how could this happen?

306
00:16:17,766 --> 00:16:18,800
After bleaching,

307
00:16:18,833 --> 00:16:22,966
{\an1}researchers feared
the reef was lost.

308
00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:24,733
BAUM:
In the midst of
all this devastation,

309
00:16:24,766 --> 00:16:27,633
{\an1}we found a glimmer of hope.

310
00:16:27,666 --> 00:16:31,066
NARRATOR:
Julia discovered life
among the ruins--

311
00:16:31,100 --> 00:16:34,833
{\an1}baby corals struggling
to rebuild.

312
00:16:34,866 --> 00:16:40,000
{\an1}This meant some of the parent
corals withstood the heat.

313
00:16:40,033 --> 00:16:41,833
BAUM:
The corals here had been

314
00:16:41,866 --> 00:16:46,033
{\an7}sitting in essentially a
hot water bath for ten months,

315
00:16:46,066 --> 00:16:48,700
{\an7}so they had been stressed out

316
00:16:48,733 --> 00:16:51,066
{\an7}more than any coral
on the planet,

317
00:16:51,100 --> 00:16:54,633
{\an1}and yet, here they were,
looking perfectly healthy.

318
00:16:56,100 --> 00:17:00,933
NARRATOR:
Here, while water temperatures
remained high,

319
00:17:00,966 --> 00:17:03,166
{\an1}a small percentage of the corals
recovered,

320
00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,433
{\an1}making these the only corals
ever observed

321
00:17:05,466 --> 00:17:08,366
{\an1}to have been exposed to such
extreme temperatures

322
00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,400
{\an1}for so long and survive.

323
00:17:14,166 --> 00:17:16,733
{\an1}So, to me, this was
almost like a miracle.

324
00:17:18,633 --> 00:17:20,866
{\an1}What is it that's so special,
that's so unique

325
00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:23,866
{\an1}about these corals
that healed themselves

326
00:17:23,900 --> 00:17:25,833
{\an1}while they were still
under stress.

327
00:17:25,866 --> 00:17:27,800
{\an1}What is it about them?

328
00:17:29,466 --> 00:17:33,766
NARRATOR:
Why do some corals survive
when others perish?

329
00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,966
{\an1}What is the secret of
these super corals?

330
00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,400
{\an1}And what can we learn from these
survivors to help save the rest?

331
00:17:47,066 --> 00:17:50,533
{\an7}(indistinct radio chatter)

332
00:17:52,066 --> 00:17:54,966
{\an8}MAN:
Traffic, traffic.

333
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:59,700
{\an1}(indistinct radio chatter)

334
00:17:59,733 --> 00:18:01,933
NARRATOR:
Greg Asner's
Airborne Observatory

335
00:18:01,966 --> 00:18:04,366
{\an1}is a custom-designed plane

336
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:07,600
{\an1}equipped to create a picture
of how reefs are changing.

337
00:18:07,633 --> 00:18:08,933
{\an1}How many passes through here?

338
00:18:08,966 --> 00:18:10,700
{\an1}MAN (on radio):
We're going to do...

339
00:18:10,733 --> 00:18:11,900
{\an1}five more.

340
00:18:11,933 --> 00:18:13,100
(radio chatter)

341
00:18:13,133 --> 00:18:15,666
NARRATOR:
Using a spectrometer

342
00:18:15,700 --> 00:18:16,933
{\an1}and LiDAR lasers,

343
00:18:16,966 --> 00:18:20,333
{\an1}Greg can analyze the corals
from above,

344
00:18:20,366 --> 00:18:24,000
{\an1}measure their chemistry,
and create a 3D image.

345
00:18:24,033 --> 00:18:27,366
ASNER:
This region here, in the pinks,
that's the live coral.

346
00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,933
These corals are
all a mix of dead and live.

347
00:18:33,833 --> 00:18:37,066
{\an1}The system gives us a very
unique view of coral reefs,

348
00:18:37,100 --> 00:18:41,133
{\an7}an understanding of where
the live coral is located.

349
00:18:41,166 --> 00:18:43,300
{\an7}That's really critical,
especially nowadays

350
00:18:43,333 --> 00:18:45,666
{\an1}where we're looking
for surviving corals

351
00:18:45,700 --> 00:18:50,466
{\an1}in literally... in a sea of
a lot of dead coral.

352
00:18:53,100 --> 00:18:55,766
Yeah, we're over
the big island now.

353
00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:56,833
{\an1}Like many other reefs,

354
00:18:56,866 --> 00:18:58,766
{\an1}they've gone through
a lot of change.

355
00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,900
{\an1}(propellers humming)

356
00:19:06,900 --> 00:19:08,466
NARRATOR:
The burning of fossil fuels

357
00:19:08,500 --> 00:19:10,000
{\an1}has increased the concentration

358
00:19:10,033 --> 00:19:12,300
{\an1}of atmospheric carbon dioxide,

359
00:19:12,333 --> 00:19:15,700
{\an1}raising the Earth's
overall average temperature.

360
00:19:18,233 --> 00:19:20,600
ASNER:
You raise the total temperature
of the planet

361
00:19:20,633 --> 00:19:23,733
{\an1}and you've changed literally
the fundamental heat flow

362
00:19:23,766 --> 00:19:26,333
{\an1}over the earth's surface.

363
00:19:26,366 --> 00:19:28,733
{\an1}You're causing heat waves
in the oceans.

364
00:19:28,766 --> 00:19:30,900
{\an1}You're causing droughts on land.

365
00:19:30,933 --> 00:19:34,633
{\an1}You're causing a rebalancing of
the entire thermal portfolio

366
00:19:34,666 --> 00:19:36,333
or profile of
the earth's system,

367
00:19:36,366 --> 00:19:39,266
{\an1}and that's the thing that we're
dealing with as biologists.

368
00:19:40,533 --> 00:19:44,300
NARRATOR:
These changes may have
deadly consequences.

369
00:19:44,333 --> 00:19:47,033
{\an1}So Greg is taking his airborne
research one step further...

370
00:19:49,700 --> 00:19:51,233
{\an7}teaming up with Ruth Gates

371
00:19:51,266 --> 00:19:54,600
{\an7}to find corals that
are resistant to bleaching.

372
00:19:55,766 --> 00:19:57,700
ASNER:
We're going to be
getting in the water

373
00:19:57,733 --> 00:19:59,866
{\an1}to look at the corals that
we flew over yesterday.

374
00:19:59,900 --> 00:20:03,400
{\an1}And this is key for
linking the aircraft data

375
00:20:03,433 --> 00:20:06,066
{\an1}to what's going on
in the coral itself.

376
00:20:06,100 --> 00:20:08,966
{\an1}That's how we make
the connection.

377
00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,200
(splashing)

378
00:20:15,233 --> 00:20:18,366
NARRATOR:
Underwater, Greg will use
a small spectrometer

379
00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:20,533
{\an1}specifically designed
for diving.

380
00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:26,133
♪

381
00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,333
{\an1}Tools in hand, Ruth and Greg
set out to find

382
00:20:34,366 --> 00:20:37,733
{\an1}the specific corals identified
by the airborne observatory

383
00:20:37,766 --> 00:20:40,700
{\an1}as survivors of heat stress.

384
00:20:42,666 --> 00:20:43,866
(bubbling)

385
00:20:43,900 --> 00:20:46,300
{\an1}They need to confirm
that the data from the plane

386
00:20:46,333 --> 00:20:49,133
{\an1}reflects the reality
on the reef.

387
00:20:53,300 --> 00:20:57,166
{\an1}By monitoring the reef
over several years,

388
00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:58,300
{\an1}Ruth has already identified

389
00:20:58,333 --> 00:21:02,133
corals that have
resisted bleaching.

390
00:21:05,833 --> 00:21:07,000
And sure enough,

391
00:21:07,033 --> 00:21:08,700
Greg's spectral
data from the air

392
00:21:08,733 --> 00:21:12,900
matches Ruth's
observations underwater,

393
00:21:12,933 --> 00:21:14,566
{\an1}bringing them one step closer

394
00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,466
{\an1}to identifying super corals

395
00:21:17,500 --> 00:21:20,333
{\an1}at a scale and speed
previously unimaginable.

396
00:21:22,333 --> 00:21:24,866
{\an7}So, the dark brown coral

397
00:21:24,900 --> 00:21:27,000
{\an7}in the bucket right now,

398
00:21:27,033 --> 00:21:28,700
{\an7}we affectionately term
"super corals,"

399
00:21:28,733 --> 00:21:29,966
{\an7}and we call them that because

400
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:34,966
{\an1}they are unaffected by
the conditions or the stress

401
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,266
{\an1}that is causing other corals

402
00:21:37,300 --> 00:21:40,433
{\an1}immediately adjacent to them
to pale and whiten

403
00:21:40,466 --> 00:21:43,800
{\an1}and show signs of
very severe stress.

404
00:21:43,833 --> 00:21:46,733
{\an1}So once we can understand
what is different

405
00:21:46,766 --> 00:21:49,933
{\an1}between the super corals
and the weak corals,

406
00:21:49,966 --> 00:21:55,166
{\an1}our goal is to develop
or breed more super corals

407
00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,633
{\an1}that we can use to
restore damaged reefs.

408
00:21:58,666 --> 00:22:02,300
♪

409
00:22:02,333 --> 00:22:05,633
(water churning)

410
00:22:07,366 --> 00:22:08,733
NARRATOR:
Now Ruth's team prepares

411
00:22:08,766 --> 00:22:09,966
{\an1}to breed the super corals

412
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,033
{\an1}that have survived
bleaching events.

413
00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,533
Corals here
are spawning tonight

414
00:22:21,566 --> 00:22:25,766
{\an1}and researchers will
act as matchmakers.

415
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:27,066
GATES:
If we've got

416
00:22:27,100 --> 00:22:28,533
{\an1}a really good performer

417
00:22:28,566 --> 00:22:30,666
{\an1}over here and over here,

418
00:22:30,700 --> 00:22:31,733
{\an1}let's not leave it to chance

419
00:22:31,766 --> 00:22:34,166
that their
eggs and sperm would meet.

420
00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,200
{\an1}Let's bring them together
and make sure they do.

421
00:22:37,233 --> 00:22:41,433
{\an1}So that's accelerating
a natural process,

422
00:22:41,466 --> 00:22:43,966
really having
a slight human intervention

423
00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,266
{\an1}to make sure we breed
the best moving forward.

424
00:22:47,300 --> 00:22:50,200
{\an1}(indistinct chatter)

425
00:22:50,233 --> 00:22:52,766
NARRATOR:
As night falls,

426
00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:54,933
{\an1}Ruth's team prepares

427
00:22:54,966 --> 00:23:00,000
{\an1}for one of the most phenomenal
events in all of nature.

428
00:23:00,033 --> 00:23:04,033
{\an1}Each coral species spawns
at a very specific moment,

429
00:23:04,066 --> 00:23:09,933
{\an1}timed with seasonal
temperatures and the moon.

430
00:23:09,966 --> 00:23:11,766
GATES:
Corals can sense the moon,

431
00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:13,600
{\an1}and they will release
their eggs and sperm

432
00:23:13,633 --> 00:23:14,900
{\an1}within five minutes

433
00:23:14,933 --> 00:23:18,266
{\an1}of a particular phase
of the moon,

434
00:23:18,300 --> 00:23:22,300
{\an1}it's an astonishing thing.

435
00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,133
{\an1}(boat motor humming)

436
00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:36,866
NARRATOR:
Once spawning begins,

437
00:23:36,900 --> 00:23:40,766
{\an1}it won't last long.

438
00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:42,000
{\an1}Researchers use red lights,

439
00:23:42,033 --> 00:23:44,333
{\an1}so they won't disturb
the corals' ability

440
00:23:44,366 --> 00:23:46,533
{\an1}to sense lunar cues.

441
00:23:46,566 --> 00:23:48,266
{\an1}Then move it across...

442
00:23:48,300 --> 00:23:50,966
NARRATOR:
The team must work quickly

443
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:52,733
to collect
the precious sperm and eggs.

444
00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:55,800
(splashing)

445
00:23:55,833 --> 00:23:58,466
{\an1}An entire year's work
is on the line.

446
00:23:58,500 --> 00:24:03,200
♪

447
00:24:24,900 --> 00:24:26,633
{\an1}Corals are fixed in place,
so they release

448
00:24:26,666 --> 00:24:29,233
{\an1}gamete bundles containing
their egg and sperm

449
00:24:29,266 --> 00:24:32,066
{\an1}into the water column.

450
00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,466
{\an1}These buoyant bundles
rise towards the surface,

451
00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:43,033
{\an1}creating an underwater blizzard
where fertilization begins.

452
00:24:45,866 --> 00:24:49,433
♪

453
00:24:53,433 --> 00:24:54,800
{\an1}The gametes from selected coral

454
00:24:54,833 --> 00:24:57,766
{\an1}are caught in the nets.

455
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:06,133
Lids secured,

456
00:25:06,166 --> 00:25:09,666
researchers
head back to the boat.

457
00:25:12,266 --> 00:25:14,933
{\an1}Yeah, we have everything!

458
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,233
NARRATOR:
The team combines
the coral gametes

459
00:25:19,266 --> 00:25:22,133
according to
a predetermined plan,

460
00:25:22,166 --> 00:25:24,300
{\an1}breeding them for
their strengths.

461
00:25:24,333 --> 00:25:26,900
{\an1}(bucket contents shifting)

462
00:25:26,933 --> 00:25:32,300
{\an1}(boat motor humming)

463
00:25:32,333 --> 00:25:33,400
{\an1}Time will tell if

464
00:25:33,433 --> 00:25:35,533
{\an1}tonight's efforts were
successful,

465
00:25:35,566 --> 00:25:38,500
{\an1}but past years of collecting,
breeding, and observation

466
00:25:38,533 --> 00:25:40,133
{\an1}have already paid off,

467
00:25:40,166 --> 00:25:43,966
{\an1}as lab-reared "super corals"
can tolerate

468
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:45,900
{\an1}warmer temperatures.

469
00:25:47,833 --> 00:25:49,966
{\an1}How do we move the needle

470
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:51,500
and scale to
many different places?

471
00:25:51,533 --> 00:25:54,833
{\an1}Because the corals
that do well in Hawaii

472
00:25:54,866 --> 00:25:56,900
{\an1}don't all live, say,

473
00:25:56,933 --> 00:25:59,166
{\an1}in the Great Barrier Reef.

474
00:26:02,666 --> 00:26:04,766
NARRATOR:
In Australia, hopes are high

475
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,000
{\an1}that assisted evolution
could help save

476
00:26:07,033 --> 00:26:08,966
one of the
seven natural wonders

477
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,866
of the world.

478
00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:18,400
{\an1}The Great Barrier Reef
has been hit hard by

479
00:26:18,433 --> 00:26:20,233
{\an1}successive ocean heat waves,

480
00:26:20,266 --> 00:26:22,666
resulting in
severely bleached coral

481
00:26:22,700 --> 00:26:27,600
along its entire
1,400-mile length.

482
00:26:29,433 --> 00:26:33,066
{\an1}Researchers here are taking
the next big step,

483
00:26:33,100 --> 00:26:35,733
{\an1}moving assisted evolution
out of the lab

484
00:26:35,766 --> 00:26:38,100
{\an1}and into the ocean.

485
00:26:38,133 --> 00:26:41,433
{\an7}And there is no better place

486
00:26:41,466 --> 00:26:43,733
{\an7}to prepare super corals
for this journey

487
00:26:43,766 --> 00:26:45,166
{\an7}than in the state-of-the-art

488
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,933
{\an1}National Sea Simulator.

489
00:26:50,766 --> 00:26:53,700
{\an1}Here, Ruth Gates'
long-time collaborator,

490
00:26:53,733 --> 00:26:56,166
{\an1}ecological geneticist
Madeleine van Oppen,

491
00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,100
{\an1}is soon to embark on
a groundbreaking trial.

492
00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:02,133
{\an1}MADELEINE VAN OPPEN:
Ruth and I met,

493
00:27:02,166 --> 00:27:04,433
{\an1}I think maybe 2005.

494
00:27:04,466 --> 00:27:06,433
I think the idea
was already starting to happen

495
00:27:06,466 --> 00:27:07,566
{\an1}that we should use the knowledge

496
00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,433
{\an7}that we had gained
over the past decades

497
00:27:10,466 --> 00:27:13,233
{\an8}on how corals
adapt and acclimatize,

498
00:27:13,266 --> 00:27:15,333
{\an7}to actually harness
those mechanisms

499
00:27:15,366 --> 00:27:17,433
{\an7}to help corals evolve further.

500
00:27:20,700 --> 00:27:24,233
{\an8}NARRATOR:
Researchers here can set the
temperature and acidity levels

501
00:27:24,266 --> 00:27:27,366
{\an1}of individual aquariums
to match those predicted

502
00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,166
for the ocean
in the years ahead.

503
00:27:31,566 --> 00:27:35,800
{\an1}And Madeleine is creating a new
kind of super coral:

504
00:27:35,833 --> 00:27:37,100
a hybrid.

505
00:27:39,633 --> 00:27:45,766
{\an1}A hybrid is a cross between
two entirely different species.

506
00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:47,366
VAN OPPEN:
Hybridization does
happen in nature,

507
00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,133
{\an1}in corals and also in
other plants and animals,

508
00:27:50,166 --> 00:27:53,600
{\an1}but it doesn't happen
frequently.

509
00:27:53,633 --> 00:27:58,433
NARRATOR:
When it does, hybrids have
proven to be more resilient.

510
00:27:58,466 --> 00:28:00,733
VAN OPPEN:
This is a hybrid coral
that we've actually

511
00:28:00,766 --> 00:28:03,466
{\an1}created in the lab in 2015,

512
00:28:03,500 --> 00:28:07,600
{\an1}and actually we put it through
seven months of exposure

513
00:28:07,633 --> 00:28:09,366
{\an1}to future ocean conditions,

514
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:11,266
so warmer
and more acidified oceans,

515
00:28:11,300 --> 00:28:12,733
{\an1}and it survived those
conditions.

516
00:28:14,233 --> 00:28:16,733
{\an8}NARRATOR:
Now that Madeleine has
achieved success

517
00:28:16,766 --> 00:28:19,800
{\an7}with lab-reared hybrids,
she needs to find out

518
00:28:19,833 --> 00:28:25,533
{\an7}if newborn hybrids can grow and
survive in real ocean waters.

519
00:28:25,566 --> 00:28:28,900
{\an8}♪

520
00:28:28,933 --> 00:28:30,533
{\an7}To create these new hybrids,

521
00:28:30,566 --> 00:28:32,733
{\an7}Madeleine needs eggs
from one species

522
00:28:32,766 --> 00:28:34,633
{\an7}and sperm from another.

523
00:28:36,133 --> 00:28:39,700
{\an7}There is no better time
to gather these ingredients

524
00:28:39,733 --> 00:28:42,033
{\an7}than when corals spawn.

525
00:28:48,300 --> 00:28:51,633
VAN OPPEN:
So, this cup is full of the
bundles of eggs and sperm

526
00:28:51,666 --> 00:28:56,633
{\an1}that are collected outside which
I will now pour over this mesh.

527
00:28:56,666 --> 00:28:59,266
{\an1}And the mesh is of a size that
the sperm will go through,

528
00:28:59,300 --> 00:29:00,700
{\an1}and the eggs will stay on top.

529
00:29:05,300 --> 00:29:07,333
NARRATOR:
With egg and sperm
from two selected

530
00:29:07,366 --> 00:29:09,366
{\an1}coral species separated,

531
00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:13,433
{\an1}Madeleine can now bring these
together to create the hybrid.

532
00:29:16,300 --> 00:29:19,000
{\an1}Even though we have
a fabulous sea simulator,

533
00:29:19,033 --> 00:29:20,666
{\an1}it still is an aquarium

534
00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:23,466
{\an1}and it's not exactly
the natural environment,

535
00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:24,800
{\an1}so we need to test
those results,

536
00:29:24,833 --> 00:29:26,733
{\an1}validate those results
in the field.

537
00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:32,433
NARRATOR:
For the first time ever,
these babies are headed

538
00:29:32,466 --> 00:29:35,100
{\an1}to the Great Barrier Reef.

539
00:29:35,133 --> 00:29:39,133
VAN OPPEN:
The biggest challenge is the
really high mortality

540
00:29:39,166 --> 00:29:41,000
{\an1}we tend to see in the field.

541
00:29:43,766 --> 00:29:45,766
NARRATOR:
These lab-reared babies
have never experienced

542
00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:47,533
{\an1}real ocean waters before,

543
00:29:47,566 --> 00:29:50,166
{\an1}and the transition could
be deadly.

544
00:29:51,833 --> 00:29:54,033
VAN OPPEN:
We might get a cyclone that all
of a sudden

545
00:29:54,066 --> 00:29:56,500
{\an1}pulls down the water,
or we might get

546
00:29:56,533 --> 00:29:58,433
{\an1}a lot of cloud formation
during summer

547
00:29:58,466 --> 00:30:00,400
{\an1}that will reduce the amount
of light.

548
00:30:02,433 --> 00:30:05,933
NARRATOR:
The baby corals grow on tiles

549
00:30:05,966 --> 00:30:08,433
{\an1}and are transported on trays

550
00:30:08,466 --> 00:30:11,533
{\an1}to a designated site
alongside the reef.

551
00:30:11,566 --> 00:30:13,366
VAN OPPEN:
We really need to have these

552
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:17,033
{\an1}field results before
the regulators will allow us

553
00:30:17,066 --> 00:30:18,766
{\an1}to actually implement these
interventions

554
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:20,533
{\an1}in reef restoration.

555
00:30:31,066 --> 00:30:34,733
NARRATOR:
After three months,
scientists from Madeleine's lab

556
00:30:34,766 --> 00:30:39,300
{\an1}oversee the infant hybrids'
first checkup.

557
00:30:39,333 --> 00:30:42,400
ANNIKA LAMB:
So, right now we're
cleaning the tiles,

558
00:30:42,433 --> 00:30:43,933
{\an1}which we just brought up
from the ocean,

559
00:30:43,966 --> 00:30:46,433
{\an7}so that they'll be ready
for the photographer

560
00:30:46,466 --> 00:30:47,900
{\an7}to get a clean shot of.

561
00:30:51,166 --> 00:30:52,466
KATE QUIGLEY:
I'm just going through
each tile,

562
00:30:52,500 --> 00:30:54,866
{\an1}trying to find the babies,

563
00:30:54,900 --> 00:30:56,766
{\an7}which are still quite small,
they're kind of,

564
00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:58,566
{\an8}adolescents,
I guess you could say now,

565
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:00,966
{\an1}about six months old,

566
00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,633
{\an1}and so we just find them,
and then I circle them,

567
00:31:03,666 --> 00:31:07,600
{\an1}we take a photo, and that
allows us to look at survival,

568
00:31:07,633 --> 00:31:10,033
{\an1}and then it also allows
us to measure growth.

569
00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:21,400
NARRATOR:
There are more than
a thousand tiles

570
00:31:21,433 --> 00:31:23,266
{\an1}with different genetic
combinations.

571
00:31:23,300 --> 00:31:26,000
{\an1}It will take over a week
to examine and photograph

572
00:31:26,033 --> 00:31:28,900
{\an1}every one individually.

573
00:31:28,933 --> 00:31:31,166
{\an1}(indistinct chatter)

574
00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:33,266
QUIGLEY:
So we've just taken all these
photos outside,

575
00:31:33,300 --> 00:31:36,000
{\an1}so now we're going to start
analyzing them,

576
00:31:36,033 --> 00:31:36,933
{\an1}and the first thing we do

577
00:31:36,966 --> 00:31:38,966
is just look at
alive or dead.

578
00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:40,600
Yeah, so no...

579
00:31:40,633 --> 00:31:43,866
No pencil marks
on this one.

580
00:31:43,900 --> 00:31:44,966
Maybe try the next one?

581
00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:47,500
QUIGLEY:
I don't see anything
on that one,

582
00:31:47,533 --> 00:31:49,900
some dead ones, yeah,
long dead.

583
00:31:49,933 --> 00:31:51,300
LAMB:
Yeah.

584
00:31:51,333 --> 00:31:53,133
QUIGLEY:
A lot of dead guys.

585
00:31:53,166 --> 00:31:56,866
♪

586
00:31:58,933 --> 00:32:02,866
NARRATOR:
Early observations
are concerning.

587
00:32:02,900 --> 00:32:05,433
{\an1}Many of the baby hybrids did not
survive the journey

588
00:32:05,466 --> 00:32:07,200
from lab to sea.

589
00:32:07,233 --> 00:32:11,166
{\an1}But hope is not lost.

590
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:12,233
{\an1}There are more tiles to examine

591
00:32:12,266 --> 00:32:16,133
{\an1}in the week ahead.

592
00:32:16,166 --> 00:32:18,166
VAN OPPEN:
Climate change has affected the
Great Barrier Reef

593
00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:21,233
{\an1}quite dramatically
in recent years.

594
00:32:21,266 --> 00:32:23,800
We lost half
of the coral present.

595
00:32:23,833 --> 00:32:27,266
{\an1}As soon as populations start
to lose genetic diversity,

596
00:32:27,300 --> 00:32:30,300
{\an1}the capacity to adapt further
and respond

597
00:32:30,333 --> 00:32:32,766
{\an1}to environmental change
also diminishes.

598
00:32:34,566 --> 00:32:37,866
{\an1}It can become a downward spiral
very, very quickly.

599
00:32:42,233 --> 00:32:47,033
GATES:
Let's think about
how we actually react

600
00:32:47,066 --> 00:32:50,633
{\an1}instead of just watching our
system die before our eyes

601
00:32:50,666 --> 00:32:54,066
{\an7}and then asking ourselves
20 years from now,

602
00:32:54,100 --> 00:32:57,533
{\an7}"God, I really wish
I'd done something."

603
00:32:57,566 --> 00:33:02,733
♪

604
00:33:04,666 --> 00:33:07,400
NARRATOR:
During the filming
of this documentary,

605
00:33:07,433 --> 00:33:10,666
{\an1}Ruth Gates is diagnosed
with brain cancer.

606
00:33:12,066 --> 00:33:18,100
{\an1}Like the coral reef she loves,
her life hangs in the balance.

607
00:33:20,500 --> 00:33:26,566
{\an8}♪

608
00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:36,933
{\an1}Laetitia Hedouin is a scientist
who studied under Ruth Gates.

609
00:33:36,966 --> 00:33:40,100
{\an1}On the island of Mo'orea
in French Polynesia,

610
00:33:40,133 --> 00:33:41,333
{\an1}Laetitia is "conditioning"

611
00:33:41,366 --> 00:33:44,833
{\an1}or "training" corals
to survive ocean heat waves.

612
00:33:47,866 --> 00:33:52,333
{\an1}Her recent graduates are growing
in this coral nursery.

613
00:33:52,366 --> 00:33:54,100
{\an7}HEDOUIN (speaking French):

614
00:34:04,866 --> 00:34:08,400
♪

615
00:34:08,433 --> 00:34:11,033
NARRATOR:
Laetitia aims to train large
quantities of corals

616
00:34:11,066 --> 00:34:13,566
{\an1}to make them more resilient.

617
00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:15,766
{\an1}So her work begins in the
crucial first hours

618
00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:18,033
{\an1}of a coral's life.

619
00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:24,800
{\an8}HEDOUIN:

620
00:34:48,866 --> 00:34:51,666
NARRATOR:
Laetitia will expose these
coral embryos

621
00:34:51,700 --> 00:34:53,233
{\an1}to increasing amounts of
heat stress.

622
00:34:53,266 --> 00:34:56,333
{\an1}Like young athletes
on a treadmill,

623
00:34:56,366 --> 00:35:00,433
{\an1}they will be conditioned
to become "super."

624
00:35:12,533 --> 00:35:15,600
NARRATOR:
The goal is to increase their

625
00:35:15,633 --> 00:35:19,800
{\an1}thermal tolerance by subjecting
them to an exercise regime

626
00:35:19,833 --> 00:35:21,566
{\an1}similar to what they may
experience

627
00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:23,566
{\an1}in an ocean heat wave.

628
00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:28,500
{\an8}HEDOUIN:

629
00:35:42,500 --> 00:35:47,266
{\an8}NARRATOR:
The embryos have grown quickly
into tiny larvae.

630
00:35:47,300 --> 00:35:50,433
{\an7}This is the only time
in a coral's life

631
00:35:50,466 --> 00:35:51,833
{\an7}that it will ever swim.

632
00:35:52,966 --> 00:35:54,933
{\an1}(rooster crowing)

633
00:35:55,300 --> 00:35:57,633
{\an8}HEDOUIN:

634
00:36:12,633 --> 00:36:17,866
NARRATOR:
Once settled, the coral polyp
begins to grow.

635
00:36:18,900 --> 00:36:21,400
{\an1}Soon it should be moved
to the coral nursery

636
00:36:21,433 --> 00:36:23,400
{\an1}in Mo'orea's lagoon.

637
00:36:26,100 --> 00:36:30,366
{\an1}But now, Laetitia finds trouble
brewing on the reef.

638
00:36:34,066 --> 00:36:38,900
{\an8}HEDOUIN:

639
00:36:52,233 --> 00:36:55,466
NARRATOR:
An impending ocean heatwave
threatens the reef,

640
00:36:55,500 --> 00:36:58,066
{\an1}and her research.

641
00:37:17,533 --> 00:37:19,533
NARRATOR:
As the summer heat intensifies,

642
00:37:19,566 --> 00:37:22,800
{\an1}so do warnings from the
Intergovernmental Panel

643
00:37:22,833 --> 00:37:24,200
{\an1}on Climate Change.

644
00:37:25,733 --> 00:37:29,566
About 1900 to present,
that basically represents

645
00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:32,966
{\an1}a degree Celsius of warming.

646
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:34,733
{\an8}REPORTER:
With one and a half degrees,

647
00:37:34,766 --> 00:37:37,666
{\an7}70 to 90 percent of coral reefs
are lost,

648
00:37:37,700 --> 00:37:40,000
{\an7}but at two it's virtually
all of them.

649
00:37:40,033 --> 00:37:43,700
It's very clear
that half a degree matters.

650
00:37:43,733 --> 00:37:45,200
{\an1}I think this report is alarming,

651
00:37:45,233 --> 00:37:47,300
{\an1}it should make us act.

652
00:37:47,333 --> 00:37:50,166
{\an7}IPCC and other reports now
coming out

653
00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:52,166
{\an7}are just getting to the level
where they're saying,

654
00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,533
{\an7}"Look, this is happening faster
and, and more extreme

655
00:37:54,566 --> 00:37:56,700
{\an1}than we thought."

656
00:37:56,733 --> 00:37:59,833
{\an1}The urgency of this cannot
be overstated.

657
00:37:59,866 --> 00:38:02,933
{\an1}The changes are real,
the changes are rapid,

658
00:38:02,966 --> 00:38:04,666
{\an1}and they can be quite extreme.

659
00:38:06,700 --> 00:38:11,133
NARRATOR:
And if we lose reefs, there
will be dramatic consequences.

660
00:38:13,066 --> 00:38:16,366
{\an1}(waves splashing)

661
00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,666
{\an1}Coral reefs provide safe harbor
for our coastlines.

662
00:38:22,066 --> 00:38:25,066
{\an7}They buffer waves,
helping to prevent erosion,

663
00:38:25,100 --> 00:38:28,533
{\an8}property damage,
and loss of life.

664
00:38:32,133 --> 00:38:35,666
{\an7}So, if you look out just in
front of the horizon,

665
00:38:35,700 --> 00:38:37,100
{\an7}there's a line there, a line of,
of,

666
00:38:37,133 --> 00:38:40,100
{\an1}of waves, a line of foam,

667
00:38:40,133 --> 00:38:43,200
{\an1}and that is the reef crest,
and that

668
00:38:43,233 --> 00:38:44,666
{\an1}is our first line of defense

669
00:38:44,700 --> 00:38:46,933
{\an1}when it comes to storms
and hurricanes.

670
00:38:51,733 --> 00:38:54,366
NARRATOR:
When natural ecosystems
that protect coastlines

671
00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:56,266
{\an1}are in poor condition,

672
00:38:56,300 --> 00:38:58,766
{\an1}people are vulnerable.

673
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:02,566
(wind whipping)

674
00:39:05,700 --> 00:39:08,933
{\an1}(water splashing)

675
00:39:08,966 --> 00:39:11,466
{\an1}When Hurricane Dorian hit,

676
00:39:11,500 --> 00:39:13,600
{\an1}it was the worst tropical
cyclone on record

677
00:39:13,633 --> 00:39:15,700
{\an1}to reach the Bahamas.

678
00:39:17,566 --> 00:39:20,766
{\an1}The damage was catastrophic.

679
00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:23,866
VELLACOTT:
So, September last year,
the islands of Abaco

680
00:39:23,900 --> 00:39:28,900
{\an1}and Grand Bahama were absolutely
devastated by Hurricane Dorian.

681
00:39:28,933 --> 00:39:31,933
{\an1}Sixty percent of Grand Bahama
was underwater,

682
00:39:31,966 --> 00:39:36,466
{\an1}and thousands and thousands
of people lost their homes.

683
00:39:36,500 --> 00:39:39,433
{\an1}Hundreds of people are
still missing today.

684
00:39:41,300 --> 00:39:45,066
{\an1}My childhood home where my dad
lives was completely destroyed.

685
00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:51,800
{\an1}For the first time I experienced
what it was like

686
00:39:51,833 --> 00:39:54,300
{\an1}to be a climate change refugee.

687
00:39:54,333 --> 00:39:56,033
{\an1}And as much as we'd like to
think

688
00:39:56,066 --> 00:40:00,266
{\an1}of climate change refugees
as people of the future,

689
00:40:00,300 --> 00:40:02,100
{\an1}the future is today.

690
00:40:02,133 --> 00:40:04,166
{\an1}It's happening right now.

691
00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:06,333
♪

692
00:40:06,366 --> 00:40:08,000
NARRATOR:
And what happened in the Bahamas

693
00:40:08,033 --> 00:40:10,600
{\an1}could happen to coastal
communities anywhere.

694
00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:16,466
{\an1}Billions of people live within
60 miles of a coastline.

695
00:40:17,633 --> 00:40:21,466
♪

696
00:40:21,500 --> 00:40:24,533
{\an1}The east coast of Florida is
lined with coral reefs

697
00:40:24,566 --> 00:40:28,566
{\an1}that have protected people
here for thousands of years.

698
00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:31,300
But now,
these reefs are crumbling.

699
00:40:33,500 --> 00:40:38,766
{\an8}♪

700
00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:41,800
{\an7}The Sustain Laboratory at the
University of Miami

701
00:40:41,833 --> 00:40:44,033
{\an7}is one of the few places
in the world designed

702
00:40:44,066 --> 00:40:46,966
{\an1}to measure the impacts of a
Category 5 hurricane.

703
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:53,800
{\an1}(wind whipping, water rushing)

704
00:40:59,166 --> 00:41:01,666
{\an1}Here, Andrew Baker and his team

705
00:41:01,700 --> 00:41:03,600
{\an1}are working to quantify
how corals

706
00:41:03,633 --> 00:41:06,133
{\an7}mitigate the impacts of
extreme storms.

707
00:41:11,933 --> 00:41:13,000
{\an1}Is there any wind going on this?

708
00:41:13,033 --> 00:41:14,666
{\an3}MAN:
Now there is,
now there is, yeah.

709
00:41:14,700 --> 00:41:18,533
BAKER:
That's pretty good, it's
breaking right on the coral.

710
00:41:20,666 --> 00:41:23,733
{\an1}Because of climate change,
we're seeing rising seas,

711
00:41:23,766 --> 00:41:25,233
{\an1}we're seeing more powerful
storms,

712
00:41:25,266 --> 00:41:26,866
{\an1}we're seeing storm surge

713
00:41:26,900 --> 00:41:29,400
{\an1}and other kinds of flooding
impacts.

714
00:41:29,433 --> 00:41:32,533
{\an7}Coral reefs have been shown
to reduce wave energy

715
00:41:32,566 --> 00:41:35,533
{\an7}in some cases by 94, 95 percent.

716
00:41:35,566 --> 00:41:38,566
(water flowing)

717
00:41:41,100 --> 00:41:44,400
NARRATOR:
Without reefs to protect
its shoreline,

718
00:41:44,433 --> 00:41:46,466
{\an1}storm surges could
devastate Miami.

719
00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:49,333
BAKER:
How do we make coral reefs

720
00:41:49,366 --> 00:41:52,366
{\an1}more climate ready,
more climate tolerant,

721
00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:53,966
{\an1}more thermally tolerant,

722
00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:55,233
{\an1}and how do we protect
our coastlines

723
00:41:55,266 --> 00:41:57,700
{\an1}from the damaging effects
of storms?

724
00:41:57,733 --> 00:42:00,500
{\an1}So, what we're trying to do
is not only use coral reefs

725
00:42:00,533 --> 00:42:04,100
{\an1}to build natural breakwaters,
but make the very corals

726
00:42:04,133 --> 00:42:06,033
{\an1}that we're using to build
those reefs

727
00:42:06,066 --> 00:42:07,933
{\an1}themselves more thermally
tolerant.

728
00:42:14,033 --> 00:42:15,833
♪

729
00:42:15,866 --> 00:42:19,000
NARRATOR:
Andrew and his team
are trying to make reefs

730
00:42:19,033 --> 00:42:22,333
{\an1}more climate-ready by helping
corals switch their algae

731
00:42:22,366 --> 00:42:24,633
{\an1}to ones that can take the heat.

732
00:42:28,700 --> 00:42:32,233
{\an1}The researchers use a technique
called "controlled bleaching,"

733
00:42:32,266 --> 00:42:33,966
{\an1}attaching the corals to a raft,

734
00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:36,700
{\an1}then raising them up toward
the surface

735
00:42:36,733 --> 00:42:38,800
{\an1}where they'll receive
more sunlight.

736
00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:48,000
{\an1}After a few hot days under
clear skies,

737
00:42:48,033 --> 00:42:52,833
{\an1}the coral stress,
eject their algae, and bleach.

738
00:42:54,233 --> 00:42:56,400
{\an1}And without the nourishment
the algae provide,

739
00:42:56,433 --> 00:42:58,500
{\an1}the corals will soon die.

740
00:42:58,533 --> 00:43:03,066
{\an1}But Andrew has a plan to save
them from this fate...

741
00:43:03,100 --> 00:43:05,700
BAKER:
This partnership between the
coral and its algae

742
00:43:05,733 --> 00:43:07,033
dates back over
a hundred million years.

743
00:43:07,066 --> 00:43:09,566
{\an1}We have different types of
corals,

744
00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:11,766
{\an1}but we also have many different
types of algae,

745
00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:14,900
{\an1}and in fact they can sometimes
switch from one type of alga

746
00:43:14,933 --> 00:43:17,800
{\an1}to another, and that's exactly
what we think

747
00:43:17,833 --> 00:43:19,333
{\an1}we're seeing under
climate change.

748
00:43:19,366 --> 00:43:22,466
NARRATOR:
And some of these algae

749
00:43:22,500 --> 00:43:25,100
{\an1}are more tolerant to heat.

750
00:43:25,133 --> 00:43:27,866
BAKER:
If corals are able
to flexibly associate

751
00:43:27,900 --> 00:43:29,366
{\an1}with different types of algae,

752
00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:32,366
{\an1}perhaps they could switch to
these more heat tolerant ones

753
00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:35,433
{\an1}and that might help
them survive.

754
00:43:35,466 --> 00:43:37,633
NARRATOR:
Heat-tolerant algae
are less likely

755
00:43:37,666 --> 00:43:40,066
{\an1}to be expelled by the coral,

756
00:43:40,100 --> 00:43:41,900
{\an1}and the coral won't bleach.

757
00:43:45,033 --> 00:43:47,733
{\an1}If the corals bleached
on the raft recover

758
00:43:47,766 --> 00:43:51,166
{\an1}with heat-tolerant algae,
they may survive the next

759
00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:53,500
ocean heat wave.

760
00:43:53,533 --> 00:43:55,266
{\an1}And this could be
a big step forward

761
00:43:55,300 --> 00:43:56,933
{\an1}for assisted evolution.

762
00:43:58,266 --> 00:43:59,600
BAKER:
This is a test-- we're hoping

763
00:43:59,633 --> 00:44:02,500
{\an1}that this is going to be
something that

764
00:44:02,533 --> 00:44:04,966
{\an1}proves successful,
that is easily scalable,

765
00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:07,233
{\an1}cost effective, and we can roll
it out and apply it

766
00:44:07,266 --> 00:44:09,100
{\an1}to the restoration efforts
that are going on

767
00:44:09,133 --> 00:44:10,566
{\an1}all over the place.

768
00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:14,466
♪

769
00:44:23,866 --> 00:44:26,133
NARRATOR:
Today, Andrew's team

770
00:44:26,166 --> 00:44:29,566
{\an1}plants the corals that bleached
on the raft out on the reef.

771
00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:33,633
{\an1}Standard corals act as
a control group.

772
00:44:35,633 --> 00:44:38,966
BAKER:
We're hoping that the corals
that we've bleached

773
00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:40,933
{\an1}on these rafts are going
to recover with

774
00:44:40,966 --> 00:44:42,400
{\an1}different symbionts
that we hope

775
00:44:42,433 --> 00:44:44,233
{\an1}are more thermally tolerant

776
00:44:44,266 --> 00:44:46,900
{\an1}and that help these corals
resist bleaching in the future.

777
00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:53,400
NARRATOR:
The corals may now have the
ability to survive bleaching,

778
00:44:53,433 --> 00:44:56,500
{\an1}and the next ocean heat wave.

779
00:44:59,666 --> 00:45:02,666
{\an1}But what about the one
after that?

780
00:45:04,033 --> 00:45:06,466
BAKER:
If climate change is
still ongoing past 2100,

781
00:45:06,500 --> 00:45:10,400
{\an1}then nothing we're doing
is going to help solve that.

782
00:45:10,433 --> 00:45:12,366
{\an1}Ultimately, we have to get

783
00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:13,833
{\an1}carbon emissions under control

784
00:45:13,866 --> 00:45:16,066
{\an1}and try to prevent
this runaway warming event.

785
00:45:26,533 --> 00:45:29,133
{\an8}NARRATOR:
And in the midst of this
planetary crisis,

786
00:45:29,166 --> 00:45:31,533
{\an7}coral scientists receive
devastating news.

787
00:45:35,466 --> 00:45:42,700
{\an1}At age 56, Ruth Gates, pioneer
of assisted evolution, dies.

788
00:45:50,333 --> 00:45:53,633
{\an1}Yeah, it's difficult to talk
about it, but, um...

789
00:45:55,833 --> 00:45:59,433
(sighs)
I just, it's so hard to believe
that she's gone, right?

790
00:46:01,900 --> 00:46:06,933
♪

791
00:46:08,533 --> 00:46:11,666
HEDOUIN:
Ruth was a very inspiring
person.

792
00:46:13,166 --> 00:46:14,966
{\an1}She was always smiling

793
00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:20,966
{\an1}and laughing, and...
and so I think, um...

794
00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:23,333
yeah, sorry.

795
00:46:27,300 --> 00:46:31,133
She always find
a good word

796
00:46:31,166 --> 00:46:34,300
{\an1}and, and the time to be here
when you need it.

797
00:46:37,033 --> 00:46:42,733
(laughs)
I think that I, I've never
laughed so much, um,

798
00:46:42,766 --> 00:46:47,100
{\an1}doing science than I have
with Ruth Gates.

799
00:46:47,133 --> 00:46:48,666
{\an1}It was, we had a great time,

800
00:46:48,700 --> 00:46:50,533
and to lose her,

801
00:46:50,566 --> 00:46:54,166
{\an1}it's like a huge piece of the,
of the science machine,

802
00:46:54,200 --> 00:46:58,600
{\an1}but also the leadership machine
just disappeared.

803
00:46:58,633 --> 00:47:04,133
{\an1}What she did do was instill
so much spirit

804
00:47:04,166 --> 00:47:05,766
{\an1}and motivation to keep going.

805
00:47:08,466 --> 00:47:11,833
{\an8}HEDOUIN:

806
00:47:27,966 --> 00:47:29,933
VAN OPPEN:
We wanted to really send out
the message

807
00:47:29,966 --> 00:47:34,900
{\an1}that assisted evolution is an
important approach to explore,

808
00:47:34,933 --> 00:47:36,800
{\an1}and Ruth, of course,

809
00:47:36,833 --> 00:47:39,566
{\an1}played a very big role
in sending that message out

810
00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:41,666
{\an1}across the world and I think
we have succeeded.

811
00:47:41,700 --> 00:47:44,900
{\an1}We've been able to convince
the community

812
00:47:44,933 --> 00:47:46,733
{\an1}that this is important.

813
00:47:49,933 --> 00:47:55,266
♪

814
00:48:03,033 --> 00:48:05,133
{\an8}NARRATOR:
When Madeleine van Oppen's team
first checked

815
00:48:05,166 --> 00:48:08,466
{\an7}the experimental hybrids,
the results were discouraging.

816
00:48:08,500 --> 00:48:10,700
{\an1}But they didn't give up.

817
00:48:13,466 --> 00:48:15,200
{\an8}There it is.

818
00:48:15,233 --> 00:48:18,366
(laughs)
I knew it was on here, I saw it.

819
00:48:20,300 --> 00:48:24,866
NARRATOR:
Tiny young corals are alive
on the tiles,

820
00:48:24,900 --> 00:48:27,900
signs that these
heartier hybrids are surviving

821
00:48:27,933 --> 00:48:30,233
{\an1}life outside the lab,

822
00:48:30,266 --> 00:48:32,033
{\an1}a first for the team.

823
00:48:32,066 --> 00:48:34,266
{\an7}Well, we still have to take
a good look at the data,

824
00:48:34,300 --> 00:48:36,300
{\an7}but we're seeing corals popping
up here and there.

825
00:48:45,366 --> 00:48:47,700
{\an1}Is Grant gonna take it down?

826
00:48:49,366 --> 00:48:51,933
{\an1}They're gonna take them back out
onto the reef,

827
00:48:51,966 --> 00:48:53,833
{\an1}and we'll be keeping those guys
out there for another

828
00:48:53,866 --> 00:48:57,433
{\an1}few months until we check up on
them again in October.

829
00:48:58,833 --> 00:49:03,000
♪

830
00:49:05,833 --> 00:49:07,166
NARRATOR:
Back at the sea simulator,

831
00:49:07,200 --> 00:49:10,633
{\an1}researchers share their
documentation with Madeleine.

832
00:49:10,666 --> 00:49:12,033
I see some kind of...

833
00:49:12,066 --> 00:49:14,900
{\an1}Yes, it looks like there's
some structure still there,

834
00:49:14,933 --> 00:49:16,266
{\an1}rather than the whole,
isn't it?

835
00:49:16,300 --> 00:49:18,100
And it's
smooth texture.

836
00:49:18,133 --> 00:49:19,866
QUIGLEY:
That is clean.

837
00:49:19,900 --> 00:49:21,133
VAN OPPEN:
That one is quite pale,
isn't it?

838
00:49:21,166 --> 00:49:22,200
{\an1}Yeah.

839
00:49:22,233 --> 00:49:25,033
{\an1}I saw a lot of variability
in color.

840
00:49:25,066 --> 00:49:29,200
{\an1}When we first bred coral
recruits in the sea simulator

841
00:49:29,233 --> 00:49:32,300
{\an1}five years ago, everything died
between Christmas and New Year.

842
00:49:32,333 --> 00:49:35,700
{\an1}We had a huge effort, and then
the year after we had

843
00:49:35,733 --> 00:49:40,266
{\an1}a little bit longer survival,
and so we learned as we went.

844
00:49:40,300 --> 00:49:42,600
{\an1}These are the baby steps
that we have made,

845
00:49:42,633 --> 00:49:45,100
{\an1}but small steps in
the right direction.

846
00:49:47,033 --> 00:49:51,666
{\an1}It gives me hope and I just pray
that it's gonna be enough.

847
00:49:54,433 --> 00:49:58,766
NARRATOR:
Assisted evolution is now
a growing movement

848
00:49:58,800 --> 00:50:00,433
{\an1}around the globe.

849
00:50:00,466 --> 00:50:03,333
{\an1}Scientists are finding
successful solutions

850
00:50:03,366 --> 00:50:05,966
{\an1}that might give corals
the chance they need

851
00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:07,866
{\an1}to make it through
the coming decades.

852
00:50:13,533 --> 00:50:16,200
{\an7}Coral Vita is expanding its
farming operations

853
00:50:16,233 --> 00:50:18,633
{\an1}beyond the Bahamas,
aiming to provide

854
00:50:18,666 --> 00:50:22,433
{\an1}resilient corals to reef rescue
operations worldwide.

855
00:50:24,300 --> 00:50:27,533
{\an7}We can make choices
to help our environment,

856
00:50:27,566 --> 00:50:29,766
{\an7}to help our coral reefs,
to bring them back to life.

857
00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:33,900
♪

858
00:50:33,933 --> 00:50:36,866
{\an1}We are growing corals to be more
resilient to the effects

859
00:50:36,900 --> 00:50:39,066
{\an1}that climate change is having
on our oceans.

860
00:50:43,600 --> 00:50:48,333
NARRATOR:
Super corals tested and planted
by the Gates Coral Lab

861
00:50:48,366 --> 00:50:52,233
{\an1}are now being used to restore
the protective reef around Oahu.

862
00:50:56,566 --> 00:51:00,433
{\an7}Andrew Baker's corals bleached
and recovered,

863
00:51:00,466 --> 00:51:03,666
{\an7}but did not switch
to the heat-tolerant algae.

864
00:51:03,700 --> 00:51:05,366
{\an1}However, back in the lab,

865
00:51:05,400 --> 00:51:08,633
{\an1}different species have
successfully made the swap

866
00:51:08,666 --> 00:51:11,833
{\an1}and are now being planted
on reefs off Miami to see

867
00:51:11,866 --> 00:51:15,900
{\an1}if these corals remain resilient
in warming ocean waters.

868
00:51:19,333 --> 00:51:21,033
{\an7}Julia Baum discovered that

869
00:51:21,066 --> 00:51:23,233
{\an7}the corals that survived
the mass bleaching

870
00:51:23,266 --> 00:51:25,833
{\an1}on Christmas Island did
so because

871
00:51:25,866 --> 00:51:30,233
{\an1}they switched to a heat-tolerant
algae naturally.

872
00:51:30,266 --> 00:51:32,366
{\an8}♪

873
00:51:34,566 --> 00:51:36,200
Tragically,

874
00:51:36,233 --> 00:51:38,433
{\an1}the reefs around the island
of Mo'orea

875
00:51:38,466 --> 00:51:41,300
{\an1}experienced a massive
ocean heat wave.

876
00:51:41,333 --> 00:51:47,433
{\an7}Fifty percent of the corals
raised in the nursery perished.

877
00:51:47,466 --> 00:51:49,200
{\an7}But those that made it proved

878
00:51:49,233 --> 00:51:52,766
{\an7}their resilience and
Laetitia Hedouin is optimistic

879
00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:54,966
{\an7}that she will learn from
the survivors.

880
00:51:55,000 --> 00:51:57,666
♪

881
00:51:57,700 --> 00:52:01,633
GATES:
We need to know more, so we
can harness that knowledge.

882
00:52:01,666 --> 00:52:03,900
{\an1}I mean, what could be better
than that?

883
00:52:03,933 --> 00:52:08,433
{\an1}Being a part of a solution
that will help the world.

884
00:52:10,300 --> 00:52:13,333
♪

885
00:52:33,100 --> 00:52:39,000
{\an8}♪

886
00:52:48,666 --> 00:52:52,800
{\an8}ANNOUNCER:
To order this program on DVD,
visit ShopPBS

887
00:52:52,833 --> 00:52:55,866
{\an7}or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.

888
00:52:55,900 --> 00:52:58,900
{\an7}Episodes of "NOVA" are available
with Passport.

889
00:52:58,933 --> 00:53:02,500
{\an7}"NOVA" is also available on
Amazon Prime Video.

890
00:53:02,533 --> 00:53:07,466
{\an8}♪