Searching for the World’s Last Pristine Seas | Nat Geo Live

we have taken fish out of the ocean

we have taken fish out of the ocean faster than they can reproduce now 90%

faster than they can reproduce now 90%

faster than they can reproduce now 90% of the large fish like the tuna and the

of the large fish like the tuna and the

of the large fish like the tuna and the Sharks are gone we kill them in the last

Sharks are gone we kill them in the last

Sharks are gone we kill them in the last 100 years alone right now about the

100 years alone right now about the

100 years alone right now about the third of the Fisheries of the world have

third of the Fisheries of the world have

third of the Fisheries of the world have collapsed if we continue like this

collapsed if we continue like this

collapsed if we continue like this before 2080 most of the Fisheries of the

before 2080 most of the Fisheries of the

before 2080 most of the Fisheries of the world will have collapsed but not only

world will have collapsed but not only

world will have collapsed but not only we take fish out of the ocean faster

we take fish out of the ocean faster

we take fish out of the ocean faster than they can reproduce but also we are

than they can reproduce but also we are

than they can reproduce but also we are doing it in a very destructive way these

doing it in a very destructive way these

doing it in a very destructive way these are trawlers shrimp trawlers in the

are trawlers shrimp trawlers in the

are trawlers shrimp trawlers in the South China Sea you can see their tracks

South China Sea you can see their tracks

South China Sea you can see their tracks from a satellite photo in some places

from a satellite photo in some places

from a satellite photo in some places for every pound of shrimp that is cut 10

for every pound of shrimp that is cut 10

for every pound of shrimp that is cut 10 pounds of other animals including fish

pounds of other animals including fish

pounds of other animals including fish starfish all corals are killed and

starfish all corals are killed and

starfish all corals are killed and discarded overboard and on top of that

discarded overboard and on top of that

discarded overboard and on top of that we have pollution and now every year 8

we have pollution and now every year 8

we have pollution and now every year 8 million tons of plastic entered the

million tons of plastic entered the

million tons of plastic entered the ocean and on top of that we have climate

ocean and on top of that we have climate

ocean and on top of that we have climate change global warming which is making

change global warming which is making

change global warming which is making the ocean warmer and more acidic which

the ocean warmer and more acidic which

the ocean warmer and more acidic which is killing coral reefs everywhere this

is killing coral reefs everywhere this

is killing coral reefs everywhere this used to be a coral reef now this is a

used to be a coral reef now this is a

used to be a coral reef now this is a ghost of a coral reef dead broken coral

ghost of a coral reef dead broken coral

ghost of a coral reef dead broken coral overgrown by seaweed and slime so in

overgrown by seaweed and slime so in

overgrown by seaweed and slime so in 2008 I moved to Washington and we

2008 I moved to Washington and we

2008 I moved to Washington and we started by asking us the questions you

started by asking us the questions you

started by asking us the questions you know the main question was are there

know the main question was are there

know the main question was are there pristine places left in the ocean so we

pristine places left in the ocean so we

pristine places left in the ocean so we found this place in the middle of the

found this place in the middle of the

found this place in the middle of the Pacific Ocean the Line Islands seven of

Pacific Ocean the Line Islands seven of

Pacific Ocean the Line Islands seven of these islands are uninhabited and off we

these islands are uninhabited and off we

these islands are uninhabited and off we went for five weeks to places like this

went for five weeks to places like this

went for five weeks to places like this millennium at all this is the size of

millennium at all this is the size of

millennium at all this is the size of Manhattan that belongs to Cuba’s and as

Manhattan that belongs to Cuba’s and as

Manhattan that belongs to Cuba’s and as soon as we jump in the water this is

soon as we jump in the water this is

soon as we jump in the water this is what we see not only we saw healthy

what we see not only we saw healthy

what we see not only we saw healthy reefs but lots of predators lots of

reefs but lots of predators lots of

reefs but lots of predators lots of predators

you know you jump in the water and as

you know you jump in the water and as soon as your bubbles clear you are

soon as your bubbles clear you are

soon as your bubbles clear you are surrounded by 1012 sharks if you go to

surrounded by 1012 sharks if you go to

surrounded by 1012 sharks if you go to the African plains to the setting Getty

the African plains to the setting Getty

the African plains to the setting Getty no you would expect to see hundreds of

no you would expect to see hundreds of

no you would expect to see hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebras and

thousands of wildebeest and zebras and

thousands of wildebeest and zebras and antelopes and all the animals that eat

antelopes and all the animals that eat

antelopes and all the animals that eat the grass the herbivores and then just a

the grass the herbivores and then just a

the grass the herbivores and then just a few thousand or a few hundred lions

few thousand or a few hundred lions

few thousand or a few hundred lions right this is what we thought would

right this is what we thought would

right this is what we thought would happen on the reef this is what we learn

happen on the reef this is what we learn

happen on the reef this is what we learn in school this is what we found on

in school this is what we found on

in school this is what we found on textbooks but when we went to a pristine

textbooks but when we went to a pristine

textbooks but when we went to a pristine reef for the first time we discovered

reef for the first time we discovered

reef for the first time we discovered then what we thought was natural was not

then what we thought was natural was not

then what we thought was natural was not that biomass pyramid is upside down you

that biomass pyramid is upside down you

that biomass pyramid is upside down you go to one of these pristine reefs and

go to one of these pristine reefs and

go to one of these pristine reefs and more than half of most of the biomass

more than half of most of the biomass

more than half of most of the biomass more than half of the biomass of fish is

more than half of the biomass of fish is

more than half of the biomass of fish is accounted for by the top predators the

accounted for by the top predators the

accounted for by the top predators the big guys on top of the food chain but

big guys on top of the food chain but

big guys on top of the food chain but then we went to a reef with 5000 people

then we went to a reef with 5000 people

then we went to a reef with 5000 people nearby and this is what we saw dead

nearby and this is what we saw dead

nearby and this is what we saw dead coral no fish only 5,000 people were

coral no fish only 5,000 people were

coral no fish only 5,000 people were able to do this now the question now is

able to do this now the question now is

able to do this now the question now is how many people are enough to turn

how many people are enough to turn

how many people are enough to turn something pristine into something that

something pristine into something that

something pristine into something that is not so we decided to go to a place

is not so we decided to go to a place

is not so we decided to go to a place with less people and test that question

with less people and test that question

with less people and test that question so we went to the most extreme place

so we went to the most extreme place

so we went to the most extreme place Pitcairn Island 52 people live on Pipkin

Pitcairn Island 52 people live on Pipkin

Pitcairn Island 52 people live on Pipkin Island it belongs to the UK Pete Kern is

Island it belongs to the UK Pete Kern is

Island it belongs to the UK Pete Kern is inhabited by 52 people the other three

inhabited by 52 people the other three

inhabited by 52 people the other three islands are uninhabited which have in

islands are uninhabited which have in

islands are uninhabited which have in the water and the visibility was

the water and the visibility was

the water and the visibility was extraordinary but there are no fish

extraordinary but there are no fish

extraordinary but there are no fish there were some fish but no sharks no

there were some fish but no sharks no

there were some fish but no sharks no groupers North Nappers and then we had

groupers North Nappers and then we had

groupers North Nappers and then we had to do it we had to go to these places

to do it we had to go to these places

to do it we had to go to these places with our people and see what we found so

with our people and see what we found so

with our people and see what we found so we want to place it like this Henderson

we want to place it like this Henderson

we want to place it like this Henderson at all and we jump in the water and the

at all and we jump in the water and the

at all and we jump in the water and the coral reefs were really really really

coral reefs were really really really

coral reefs were really really really healthy spectacular and of course lots

healthy spectacular and of course lots

healthy spectacular and of course lots of sharks the same thing we found on the

of sharks the same thing we found on the

of sharks the same thing we found on the Line Islands we found here this inverted

Line Islands we found here this inverted

Line Islands we found here this inverted biomass pyramid the place where the

biomass pyramid the place where the

biomass pyramid the place where the predator dominate so there you go that

predator dominate so there you go that

predator dominate so there you go that was our question answer even 52 people a

was our question answer even 52 people a

was our question answer even 52 people a population as small as 52 are able over

population as small as 52 are able over

population as small as 52 are able over time using just traditional fishing

time using just traditional fishing

time using just traditional fishing methods are enough to turn something

methods are enough to turn something

methods are enough to turn something pristine into something that is not

pristine into something that is not

pristine into something that is not the korells were fine they didn’t have

the korells were fine they didn’t have

the korells were fine they didn’t have the impact that the 5,000 Polynesians

the impact that the 5,000 Polynesians

the impact that the 5,000 Polynesians had on that reef but but they were able

had on that reef but but they were able

had on that reef but but they were able to remove over time all this large fish

to remove over time all this large fish

to remove over time all this large fish that previously inhabited the reef