The Coral Reef, an Underwater Masterpiece
In The Coral Reef, an Underwater Masterpiece, narrator Sir David Attenborough marvels at the variety of life found in Earth’s coral reefs. Learn how polyps and algae both benefit from living in close relationship with one another. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: How is a coral reef like an oasis in a desert?
A: Most tropical shallows are barren, but coral reefs contain one-fourth of all life on the planet. The reef supports a wide variety of marine life.
Q: How do the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Indonesian reef compare?
A: The Great Barrier Reef is larger, but the Indonesian reef has a greater variety of life.
Q: Describe the “well-balanced alliance” between polyps and algae.
A: Algae grows within the tissues of the polyps, and the polyps feed by snaring passing morsels with their tentacles; both benefit from the relationship.
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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 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 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 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 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 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.