Radio Piece: The Heartbreaking Demise Of The Age Of Coral

Of all the climate change effects I've written about, the one I've seen move researchers the deepest is coral bleaching. One example: This is the tweet pinned by one of the world's most renowned experts on the topic, Professor Terry Hughes:

I showed the results of aerial surveys of #bleaching on the #GreatBarrierReef to my students, And then we wept.

Bleaching is a process triggered by a rise in ocean water temperature. Corals live in symbiosis with a species of algae (zooxanthellae), which provides food in exchange for carbon dioxide and ammonia (needed for photosynthesis), as well as shelter in the coral's carbonate exoskeleton. Zooxanthellae also give the reef their colorful aspect. But when the temperature rises, even slightly, the corals can't fulfill their end of the deal anymore and expel their guests, turning white. Corals can recover from bleaching, but only if the water becomes colder quickly.

In this radio piece, researcher Callum Roberts from the University of York describes over 20 years of an underwater career. He does so in an educational sort of way, explaining in simple words the processes that affect coral and how they can be saved (spoiler: parrot fish!). He starts with his own story, but the listener soon realizes the tale has a different protagonist: Corals, and how we've pushed them to the brink of disaster through the emissions of greenhouse effect gases.

"Nature can and does adapt, but can coral reefs survive us?"

What I really liked about this piece (the first in a series of five that will continue airing this week), is that it reflects the heartbreak that I've seen when talking to other coral researchers all over the world. It's a glimpse of the sheer destructiveness and the seriousness of the problem at hand. It's much more than pretty underwater seascapes, and Roberts conveys it so well.

This was a very pleasant surprise from BBC4, which has been promoting this series for a time already. I'm looking forward to listening to the rest.