Reef Rescue

In the last 50 years, we have lost roughly half of the planet’s coral. Reef Rescue follows scientists unlocking the secrets of how coral has evolved over millions of years. In a world where most of the coral are dying, this research will help scientists discover why some coral are surviving and how this knowledge can be applied to save the rest. ‍

Reef Rescue unveils the ground-breaking science behind “super corals” and a radical new plan to save the Earth’s imperiled coral reefs. Weaving together exquisite underwater expeditions, a soaring, A.I.-powered, global reef mapping mission, and cutting-edge assisted evolution research in Australia, Hawaii, Florida, and the South Pacific, this one-hour special introduces us to the discovery of “super corals”; the small fraction of corals that survive otherwise lethal hot temperatures. By creating similarly resilient corals the world over, scientists believe they can buy precious time for dead and dying coral reefs.

As scientists study their amazing properties, four scientists are on the forefront of this research: Laetitia Hedouin at the Center of Insular Research and Observatory of Environment (CRIOBE) in Moorea, French Polynesia; Ruth Gates at the Gates Lab in Hawaii; Madeleine Van Oppen at the Australian Institute of Marine Science at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia; and Julia Baum at the Baum Lab, University of Victoria, in Canada. These super women of super coral, along with biologists Greg Asner and Andrew Baker, are racing against time to rescue coral reefs.