it’s a whole wide world under here with some prime real estate and colorful
some prime real estate and colorful
some prime real estate and colorful characters this is Australia’s Great
characters this is Australia’s Great
characters this is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef the largest reef in the
Barrier Reef the largest reef in the
Barrier Reef the largest reef in the world and it conceals many secrets which
world and it conceals many secrets which
world and it conceals many secrets which makes it a perfect spot for the census
makes it a perfect spot for the census
makes it a perfect spot for the census of marine life an ambitious decade-long
of marine life an ambitious decade-long
of marine life an ambitious decade-long project to discover everything that
project to discover everything that
project to discover everything that lives in the oceans from large to
lives in the oceans from large to
lives in the oceans from large to microscopic project leader Julian Cayley
microscopic project leader Julian Cayley
microscopic project leader Julian Cayley says researchers need to fill in the
says researchers need to fill in the
says researchers need to fill in the blanks we know quite a lot about the
blanks we know quite a lot about the
blanks we know quite a lot about the corals and fishes they’re quite obvious
corals and fishes they’re quite obvious
corals and fishes they’re quite obvious people have been working on them for
people have been working on them for
people have been working on them for many years but what we don’t know is a
many years but what we don’t know is a
many years but what we don’t know is a lot about the other things that live in
lot about the other things that live in
lot about the other things that live in amongst the corals sea voice are we
amongst the corals sea voice are we
amongst the corals sea voice are we ready to go
during the census divers comb the coral
during the census divers comb the coral reefs off Heron Island collecting
reefs off Heron Island collecting
reefs off Heron Island collecting samples some of the larger animals are
samples some of the larger animals are
samples some of the larger animals are collected in traps and bags but to find
collected in traps and bags but to find
collected in traps and bags but to find the smallest inhabitants the divers must
the smallest inhabitants the divers must
the smallest inhabitants the divers must chisel chunks of dead coral off the
chisel chunks of dead coral off the
chisel chunks of dead coral off the ocean bed and take them back to the lab
ocean bed and take them back to the lab
ocean bed and take them back to the lab for identification the marine
for identification the marine
for identification the marine investigation is taking place just in
investigation is taking place just in
investigation is taking place just in time
time
time reefs as we know are under threat
reefs as we know are under threat
reefs as we know are under threat they’re under threat because of climate
they’re under threat because of climate
they’re under threat because of climate change ocean acidification various forms
change ocean acidification various forms
change ocean acidification various forms of use and if we have any chance of
of use and if we have any chance of
of use and if we have any chance of managing those reefs effectively we need
managing those reefs effectively we need
managing those reefs effectively we need to know what’s there in order to be able
to know what’s there in order to be able
to know what’s there in order to be able to understand how those those reefs are
to understand how those those reefs are
to understand how those those reefs are changing and whether or not we’re losing
changing and whether or not we’re losing
changing and whether or not we’re losing the the biodiversity that resides on
the the biodiversity that resides on
the the biodiversity that resides on them and whether the management that
them and whether the management that
them and whether the management that we’re putting in place is effective
we’re putting in place is effective
we’re putting in place is effective already there are sections of coral bed
already there are sections of coral bed
already there are sections of coral bed off Heron Island that are dead or dying
off Heron Island that are dead or dying
off Heron Island that are dead or dying to learn more about protecting the reef
to learn more about protecting the reef
to learn more about protecting the reef researchers also fastened boxes to the
researchers also fastened boxes to the
researchers also fastened boxes to the ocean floor
ocean floor
ocean floor they’re called autonomous reef
they’re called autonomous reef
they’re called autonomous reef monitoring systems or arms for short
monitoring systems or arms for short
monitoring systems or arms for short creatures we’ll treat them like coral
creatures we’ll treat them like coral
creatures we’ll treat them like coral and move right in then in a year or so
and move right in then in a year or so
and move right in then in a year or so scientists will come back to collect the
scientists will come back to collect the
scientists will come back to collect the boxes and study what’s taken up
boxes and study what’s taken up
boxes and study what’s taken up residence
residence
residence back to the Heron Island Lab researchers
back to the Heron Island Lab researchers
back to the Heron Island Lab researchers break open the corals to find out what’s
break open the corals to find out what’s
break open the corals to find out what’s living inside a single dead coral head
living inside a single dead coral head
living inside a single dead coral head can contain more than 150 individual
can contain more than 150 individual
can contain more than 150 individual crustaceans and many species of worms
crustaceans and many species of worms
crustaceans and many species of worms and microorganisms inside the lab the
and microorganisms inside the lab the
and microorganisms inside the lab the smallest creatures go under the
smallest creatures go under the
smallest creatures go under the microscope so what I’ve been doing is
microscope so what I’ve been doing is
microscope so what I’ve been doing is mostly collecting coral rubble and then
mostly collecting coral rubble and then
mostly collecting coral rubble and then this is our little processing station
this is our little processing station
this is our little processing station where we just break up the rubble and
where we just break up the rubble and
where we just break up the rubble and pick out the worms that we can find so
pick out the worms that we can find so
pick out the worms that we can find so there’s one there into alcohol and ready
there’s one there into alcohol and ready
there’s one there into alcohol and ready to be identified under the microscope
to be identified under the microscope
to be identified under the microscope Australia is one of more than 80
Australia is one of more than 80
Australia is one of more than 80 countries participating in the ambitious
countries participating in the ambitious
countries participating in the ambitious census of marine life the decade-long
census of marine life the decade-long
census of marine life the decade-long project will end soon but the results
project will end soon but the results
project will end soon but the results are already starting to come in what
are already starting to come in what
are already starting to come in what they discovered surprised even the
they discovered surprised even the
they discovered surprised even the scientists they didn’t stumble on a
scientists they didn’t stumble on a
scientists they didn’t stumble on a couple of new species or even dozens as
couple of new species or even dozens as
couple of new species or even dozens as was expected
was expected
was expected instead they discovered literally
instead they discovered literally
instead they discovered literally hundreds of creatures that had never
hundreds of creatures that had never
hundreds of creatures that had never before been identified and we’re coming
before been identified and we’re coming
before been identified and we’re coming up with many many species that no one’s
up with many many species that no one’s
up with many many species that no one’s ever seen before in some places we go a
ever seen before in some places we go a
ever seen before in some places we go a particular group has never been
particular group has never been
particular group has never been collected there and there was one group
collected there and there was one group
collected there and there was one group that we think there is in excess of 90%
that we think there is in excess of 90%
that we think there is in excess of 90% of the species we were collecting had
of the species we were collecting had
of the species we were collecting had never been seen before the discovery of
never been seen before the discovery of
never been seen before the discovery of so many new species suggests there’s
so many new species suggests there’s
so many new species suggests there’s much about coral reefs that we don’t
much about coral reefs that we don’t
much about coral reefs that we don’t know and reminds us
know and reminds us
know and reminds us we need to protect fragile habitats or
we need to protect fragile habitats or
we need to protect fragile habitats or some species may not be around for the
some species may not be around for the
some species may not be around for the next great census sponsored by National
next great census sponsored by National
next great census sponsored by National Geographic mission programs taking
Geographic mission programs taking
Geographic mission programs taking science and exploration into the new
science and exploration into the new
science and exploration into the new millennium
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