Follow the footsteps of an international mission developing groundbreaking solutions to save the Great Barrier Reef and its 9,000 unique species from destruction.
These species interact with the coral to form a complex and delicate ecosystem dependent on each other for survival. Yet today the coral – and therefore all the organisms that depend on it – is gravely at risk. In a visually stunning series of one the most beautiful natural habitats on Earth, our international award-winning crew has followed a team of scientists for five years. Their mission is to develop groundbreaking technological solutions to save the Great Barrier Reef from destruction.
Series One, Episode Three: Protecting Megamouths
Whales, manta rays, whale sharks are all eaters of animal plankton or small fish, themselves huge consumers of vegetable plankton. These marine algae produce half of the oxygen on earth and capture 40% of the carbon dioxide. But the global role of the Mastodonts is hardly believable. By swallowing plankton and the small animals that feed on them, these giants capture and store carbon in their fat. When they die, they sink into the abyss where the carbon remains trapped for thousands of years.
Planet Reef – Final Episode – Monday, 6 March at 7.30pm on SBS and SBS on Demand (3 Parts)