The underwater zoo of coral reefs off Florida's coast - WPBF West Palm Beach
The underwater zoo of coral reefs
THAT WATER TEMPERATURES IN SOUTH FLORIDA SHOCKED THE WORLD THERMOMETERS ON BUOYS OFF OUR COAST MEASURING WATER TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 90S EVEN THE LOW ONE HUNDREDS. NOW FEARS GREW IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY THAT OUR LOCAL SEA LIFE WOULD NOT SURVIVE THOSE HOT CONDITIONS. FIRST WARNING, METEOROLOGIST GLENN GLAZER IS HERE WITH TONIGHT'S FORECASTING OUR FUTURE. GLENN. THANKS, FELICIA AND TODD. YOU KNOW, SEA LIFE LIKE PEOPLE, THEY'RE PRETTY RESILIENT TO A POINT. BUT THE RAPID CLIMBING OF WATER TEMPERATURES AND CORAL DISEASES HAVE BEEN TAKING THEIR TOLL. I GOT THE CHANCE TO GO DIVING RECENTLY WITH LOCAL SCIENTISTS TO CHECK ON THINGS NOW THAT OCEAN WATER TEMPERATURES ARE COOLING DOWN. AND HERE'S A LOOK AT WHAT WE DISCOVERED. 70% OF OUR PLANET IS COVERED BY OCEAN AND UNDER THE WAVES. AN INCREDIBLE WORLD OF MOUNTAINS, VALLEYS AND COMMUNITIES FILLED WITH LIFE. BUT RECENTLY, THE FOUNDATIONS WHICH SUPPORT THAT LIFE OUR CORAL REEFS HAVE BEEN SUFFERING. IT'S A DANGEROUS PHENOMENON FOR ALL OF US. WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT EVERY OTHER BREATH THAT YOU TAKE, 50% OF THE OXYGEN THAT WE BREATHE COMES FROM A HEALTHY OCEAN ECOSYSTEM. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONSTANTLY MONITOR THE HEALTH OF OUR CORAL REEFS. BUT WHO'S CHECKING ON THEM, WOULD YOU BELIEVE THE ZOO? I THINK A SIMPLE ANSWER IS CORAL IS AN ANIMAL AND OUR JOB IS TO SAVE THE ANIMALS. SO WE DON'T DEFINE WHETHER THEY'RE BELOW THE WATER SURFACE OR WHETHER THEY'RE UP IN THE TREE TOPS. WE SAVE ALL OF THEM. THE SCIENTISTS AT THE PALM BEACH ZOO LOOK AFTER OUR CORAL REEFS, AND THEY INVITED ME TO GO ALONG FOR A CORAL CHECKUP, IF YOU WILL. SO I GRABBED MY GEAR AND CLIMBED ABOARD AND YOU COULD FEEL THE EXCITEMENT IN THE SALTY AIR AROUND US. CAPTAIN IS GOING TO DROP US OFF JUST SOUTH OF THESE BOULDERS. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE COLOR EVERYWHERE BECAUSE THE COLOR MEANS THAT THE CORAL IS NICE AND HEALTHY AND YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF NEWS THIS SUMMER ABOUT HOW WARM THE WATER IS. AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY HAD A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON THE CORALS. ABOUT TWO MILES OFF SHORE, WE SUITED UP AND BEGAN OUR TOUR. OF THIS UNDERWATER ZOO PAST THE SUNKEN BARGE AND VAST OCEAN FLOOR DESERT, A BEAUTIFUL SCENE UNFOLDED BEFORE OUR EYES. WHAT'S UNIQUE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY IS WE ARE THE NORTHERN PART OF THE FLORIDA REEF TRACK, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING UNDERWATER CORAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE WORLD AND SIGNS OF HOPE EVERY WHERE WE LOOKED, THOSE CORALS THAT WERE REALLY STRESSED DURING THE HOT TIMES ARE STARTING TO COME BACK. THEY'RE STARTING TO THRIVE AGAIN. AND WHEN THE CORAL RETURNS, SO DOES ITS INHABITANTS. IT'S SUCH AN UNBELIEVABLE DIVERSITY OF LIFE BETWEEN THE FISH AND AND WE SAW THE JELLIES DOWN THERE. THERE WERE LOBSTERS HIDING UNDER THE ROCKS. IT IS TRANQUIL AND MAGNIFICENT. AND WE CAN HELP KEEP IT THAT WAY BY NOT USING SINGLE USE PLASTICS AND WEARING CORAL SAFE SUNBLOCK. IT AFFECTS ALL OF US IN THIS COUNTY DAILY. AND SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT BETTER. WE DESCENDED ON THE REEF WITH A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT RETURNED TO THE SURFACE WITH A LOT OF OPTIMISM FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. I'VE GOT TWO YOUNG BOYS BY MYSELF AND I FEEL IT'S PART OF MY DUTY TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE REEFS ARE PROTECTED. SO WHEN THEY GET OLDER, THEY CAN GO DOWN AND EXPLORE THEM AND SEE THEM FOR THEMSELVES. IT WAS REALLY ENCOURAGING. IT MUST HAVE BEEN I HAVE TO BE HONEST, I'VE BEEN DIVING FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS AND I'VE NEVER GONE DIVING WITH A PURPOSE. LIKE I GO DOWN TO SEE COOL FISH, YOU KNOW. BUT I'VE NEVER DONE THAT. IT WAS REALLY JUST HOW METICULOUS THE SCIENTISTS WERE, HOW THEY SET UP THE AREA, SURVEYED THE SEA LIFE, CHECKED EVERYTHING OFF ON THEIR LIST. I TOLD THEM TO CALL ME ANY TIME, CALL ME ANY TIME SO I CAN KEEP THE VIEWERS INFORMED ABOUT THE HEALTH OF OUR CORA
Seventy percent of our planet is covered by ocean. And under the waves, an incredible world of mountains, valleys and communities filled with life.Recently, the foundations which support that life - coral reefs - have been suffering; a dangerous phenomenon, for all of us."What a lot of people don't realize that every other breath that you take, 50% of the oxygen that we breathe comes from healthy ocean ecosystems," said Mike Terrell Palm Beach Zoo Coral Conservation Coordinator.It is very important that the health of our coral reefs are monitored.A look at the world around us: WPBF 25 News Forecasting Our Future"I think a simple answer is coral is an animal, and our job is to save animals. And we don't define if they're below the surface or if they're up in the treetops. We save all of them," said Casey Coy, Chief Operating Officer for the Palm Beach Zoo.The scientists at the Palm Beach Zoo look after local reefs, and they invited WPBF 25 News to go along for a coral check-up.Get the latest weather updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Seventy percent of our planet is covered by ocean. And under the waves, an incredible world of mountains, valleys and communities filled with life.
Recently, the foundations which support that life - coral reefs - have been suffering; a dangerous phenomenon, for all of us.
"What a lot of people don't realize that every other breath that you take, 50% of the oxygen that we breathe comes from healthy ocean ecosystems," said Mike Terrell Palm Beach Zoo Coral Conservation Coordinator.
It is very important that the health of our coral reefs are monitored.
A look at the world around us: WPBF 25 News Forecasting Our Future
"I think a simple answer is coral is an animal, and our job is to save animals. And we don't define if they're below the surface or if they're up in the treetops. We save all of them," said Casey Coy, Chief Operating Officer for the Palm Beach Zoo.
The scientists at the Palm Beach Zoo look after local reefs, and they invited WPBF 25 News to go along for a coral check-up.
Get the latest weather updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
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