This season, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild heads to one of the world’s most iconic spots — Australia’s Great Barrier Reef! Co-Hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant shared what it was like to dive in the coral reef and learn about this delicate ecosystem.
Studying coral in the Great Barrier Reef
Off the coast of Queensland, Australia, lies the Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders of the world. Three-thousand individual coral reefs make up this ecosystem of 348,000 square kilometers. The reef is the largest living structure on Earth, so large, it can be seen from space.
“When I held my breath and dove under, I was so shocked that it was as colorful, as vibrant, as biodiverse as the movies,” Dr. Rae said. “Everything is big, it’s expansive and there are so many fish of so many different sizes and colors. It’s just awesome.”
With a vast array of wildlife (there are over 1,000 species of fish alone), the Great Barrier Reef was a must-visit for our co-hosts’ trip to Australia. And, with changing climates affecting the coral’s livelihood, it’s a conservation hotspot.
“Diving in the coral reef with its variety of marine life, coral and underwater beauty, makes it one of my most favorite places to dive,” Peter said. “The coral formations create a mesmerizing underwater spectacle unlike any other.”
Peter first went to the Great Barrier Reef with Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom in the 1980s to film the episode, “Return of the Giant Loggerheads.” Returning 40 years later, Peter noticed the changing sites of the reef.
“Although there are over 600 different types of coral in the Great Barrier Reef, I remember it used to be much more abundant,” Peter said. “I clearly remember a huge variety of colorful, abundant coral as well as beautifully colored fish who slowly made their way past me and my fellow divers. Sadly, some of the vibrant colors have been bleached due to environmental pressure.”
Coral reef conservation in action
Because of the changes in the coral reef, conservationists down under are taking serious steps to help monitor coral and reintroduce it to the reef.
Peter saw this firsthand by diving with biologists to assist them in attaching rapidly grown coral with zip ties to a tree-like underwater structure.
“You could see real signs of healthy growth,” Peter said.
The biologists are researching what species of coral can adapt to the water’s changing temperatures, as well as which are the most resistant for long-term survival. Frequent dive trips help keep a watchful eye on the coral growth and ensure nothing is affecting the regrowth.
Learn how conservation programs in the U.S. are helping restore coral through regrowth.
The future of the Great Barrier Reef
With rising ocean temperatures, the future of coral reefs is in question.
“If we look at the trajectory we’re on today, there’s no future for coral reefs. But that trajectory doesn’t account for innovation,” Dr. Rae said. “I am really optimistic that the world will find a way to create a new future for coral reefs.”
Innovation, such as coral regrowth that Peter assisted with, is helping the reef find new life in the midst of a changing environment.
“It’s true that portions of the Great Barrier Reef are diminishing, but the teams of devoted conservationists working together in Queensland replanting coral to save the habitat for thousands of species of unique marine life, give me hope that the coral will adapt and continue to regrow,” Peter said. “Thousands of divers explore the marvels of the Great Barrier Reef as they learn to understand the importance of preserving this irreplaceable natural treasure for future generations.”
“Since indigenous groups hundreds, if not thousands of years ago, were swimming amongst them and telling stories about them, coral reefs have been an important part of human and natural coastal history, and I don’t think caring about them will ever stop,” Dr. Rae said. “And so, I believe that we will find a way.”
Watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild episode, “Reef Revival” to see Peter and Dr. Rae’s amazing work in the Great Barrier Reef.
For another incredible coral reef story, watch “Lost Coral of Key West.”
