Coral Bleaching
In Coral Bleaching, witness the effects of global warming on coral ecosystems. The world’s oceans are warming due to climate change, which negatively affects coral reefs, home to about a quarter of all ocean life. Coral is highly sensitive to temperature changes, and as ocean temperatures rise, coral bleaching becomes more extreme. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Climate Change - The Facts, a documentary that delves into the science of climate change and its far-reaching consequences.
After one of the hottest years on record, Sir David Attenborough looks at the science of climate change and potential solutions to this global threat. Learn more.
Lesson Express
Q: What is coral bleaching, and how is it linked to climate change?
A: Coral bleaching occurs when corals expel the algae that give them their color due to stress from temperature changes. This is linked to climate change because rising ocean temperatures cause this stress.
Q: Why are coral reefs so important to marine life?
A: Coral reefs are home to about a quarter of all ocean species, providing shelter, food, and breeding grounds for many marine creatures.
Q: What happens to coral reefs when they bleach?
A: When coral reefs bleach, they lose their color and can die if the stress continues, disrupting the ecosystems that depend on them.
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In A Sea of Opportunity in Coral Reefs, narrator Sir David Attenborough, dives into the inhabitants of this very busy coral reef, including cuttlefish who have a special adaptation to capture their prey. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Competition on the Coral Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how one predator-prey pair interact on the reef. Watch jack fish try to corral silversides who have their own defensive tactic. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In Changes in the Coral Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how one diver is capturing the coral bleaching around Lizard Island in Australia. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Sponges on the Reef Are a Home Worth Defending, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how shrimp inhabit sponges and how they help the sponge and the sponge helps them. Learn about a shrimp colony. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In A Sea of Opportunity in Coral Reefs, narrator Sir David Attenborough, dives into the inhabitants of this very busy coral reef, including cuttlefish who have a special adaptation to capture their prey. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Competition on the Coral Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how one predator-prey pair interact on the reef. Watch jack fish try to corral silversides who have their own defensive tactic. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In Changes in the Coral Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how one diver is capturing the coral bleaching around Lizard Island in Australia. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Sponges on the Reef Are a Home Worth Defending, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how shrimp inhabit sponges and how they help the sponge and the sponge helps them. Learn about a shrimp colony. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.