Many people have an aversion to human interventions into the natural world. However, as Corals: On the Brink explores, this mindset can overlook both the responsibilities humans already bear for the state of the world around them, and the potentially extraordinary consequences of inaction. Centred on the work of Line Bay, a research scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), and Ryan Phelan, Executive Director of the conservation organisation Revive & Restore, the short documentary details their efforts to leverage emerging technologies to engineer coral species that are more resilient in the face of dire threats posed by man-made global warming. Situated at the nexus of genetics, climate and risk management, the piece makes a compelling case that the only way to save coral ecosystems, which are invaluable to human and nonhuman animals alike, may be human intervention and innovation.
Video by Science Communication Lab
Producers: Shannon Behrman, Regina Sobel
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Oceans and water
A stunning visualisation explores the intricate circulatory system of our oceans
5 minutes
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Language and linguistics
Do button-pushing dogs have something new to say about language?
9 minutes
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Animals and humans
One man’s quest to save an orphaned squirrel, as narrated by David Attenborough
14 minutes
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Animals and humans
Join seabirds as they migrate, encountering human communities along the way
13 minutes
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Animals and humans
Villagers struggle to keep their beloved, endangered ape population afloat
19 minutes
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Animals and humans
Are zoos and natural history museums born of a desire to understand, or to control?
57 minutes
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Ecology and environmental sciences
The tree frog die-off that sparked a global mystery – and revealed a dark truth
15 minutes
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Animals and humans
The wild tale of a young animal keeper, an angry tiger and a torn circle net
10 minutes
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Earth science and climate
There’s a ‘climate bomb’ ticking beneath the Arctic ice. How can we prepare?
8 minutes