Scientists Are Breeding Super Coral That Can Survive Climate Change

They still look beautiful, but coral reefs are dying at staggering rates - experts project that 90 percent of the world's reefs will be gone by 2050. But a growing group of scientists around the world are searching for innovative solutions to make sure that doesn't happen.
Coral reefs are among the earth’s most precious natural resources. They harbor a million species and provide food for 500 million people around the world. But warming waters, pollution and overfishing have badly damaged these precious ecosystems; roughly 50 percent of the world’s corals have been lost in just the last 30 years.
“The rates of change in our environment are far outpacing the intrinsic capacity of coral reefs to survive.” said Dr. Ruth Gates, the Director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, where she is pioneering research that could help corals survive. “If we don’t mitigate at all, coral reefs will not be the things we’re worrying about, it will be the survival of our species.”
Dr. Gates is just one of the scientists devising innovative ways to take coral reef restoration into their own hands. Her lab has started to breed and distribute, "super coral" - the strongest breeds of coral that can thrive in warmer environments.
And in Curaçao, a small coral rich island in the Caribbean Sea, a team of scientists are finalizing a technology that could distribute fertilized coral eggs across the ocean, repopulating reefs worldwide.
VICE's Ben Anderson visited with scientists who are working around the clock to solve one of the most significant environmental problems of our time.
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[@VICENews]

“If we don’t mitigate at all, coral reefs will not be the things we’re worrying about, it will be the survival of our species.” WATCH NEXT: The Crazy Solution For Keeping The Melting Arctic Frozen - bit.ly/2pJzkXe

[@Ottee2]

Nice work. I wonder if people are getting the message that the vitality of the sea is directly related to our own vitality.

[@epicreefer6657]

VICE News lmao... instead of fixing a problem we created.. (co2 levels pollution bad ocean parameters and so on..) we'll just make corals that thrive in it.. they dont know what implications this could have for other corals or the ocean.. pathetic

[@ProLookout]

VICE News isn't that also damaging, we're modifying the too much

[@MickeyD2012]

STOP PLAYING GOD. CLEAN YOUR ROOM.

[@ryanzacsanders]

VICE News living vegan is the big picture solving everything

[@Mr.Turano]

I don't know if you read these, but you should contact them with the idea of a "plant a coral reef" simular to naming a star in the sky. And the people could get updates about what is happening to their reefs they planted.

[@TopDesu]

That's a great idea actually.

[@chelsearoux4298]

This is great! I would buy

[@mariiadejessus5151]

Omg I would totally donate

[@benmilke]

that's a great idea steven!

[@chevychase3103]

Excellent idea!

[@718Insomniac]

If I knew my donated money went specifically to growing a reef, and I am able to visit or see or any kind of update on this said specific reef. Come take my money now.

[@treehousekohtao]

Stas Kalbas save koh tao group in the gulf of Thailand needs your help. They monitor the local reefs, build artificial reefs to take stress off the natural reefs and breed key species of corals and turtles. Your money will go directly to conserving coral reefs.

[@juliavinokur4831]

instagram.com/coralgardeners?igshid=1kgqq0tqaepa4

[@taichitanian]

Hi Stas, we have a coral restoration in the Philippines. We’re mostly volunteers.

[@Jb-qn2xz]

@@taichitanian have you thought of getting the help of people in the reef keeping community?

[@Jb-qn2xz]

@@taichitanian I have a reef tank with several kinds of Acropora, Montipora, acanthophyllia, hydnophora, zoanthid, palythoa, clove polyps, hammer....

[@jonnelopez6298]

These scientists need around $100m to fund their research that will benefit mankind for many years. Meanwhile here in New Zealand the government is busy planning a $200m project to host the America's cup so rich people can watch sail boats race.

[@LegendNinja41]

humans need to die asap.

[@johnvictorroderos8842]

I heard in New Zealand they're trying to kill off invasive species? Hey plus one for the environment right?

[@LegendNinja41]

TheZodiacz i'm not a human.

[@mariiadejessus5151]

Jonne Lopez and here in America the government is spending billions on a unnecessary wall

[@aruytpadyugf]

they haven't even managed to make blueprints for Trump's Wall. It's still all talk for now.

[@KerriCz]

Thank you to these people and organizations who are stepping in where the government is failing. They are literally saving humanity

[@SuikaNine]

My dad believes that the ocean can NEVER run out of fish and he said this after we came out of an aquarium. Granted he's 50+ and he's never had an education over elementary but still it's quite sad since if you think about it millions or even billions of people share the same mentality as my dad. :/

[@ddoumeche]

remind him cod disapeared

[@saraf5414]

Don't be sad. Expose him to proper scientific literature on the topics and let him study them. Most of those billions of people who share the same mentality as your Dad can be affected and might change their opinion if they're properly educated about the FACTS scientific community has known for years.

[@ddoumeche]

but on the great scale of Things, your dad is right, climate change is unlikely to make fishes species disapear and there are quotas

[@DoctorOctobrist]

Useless idiots like that will not survive the ecological collapse.

[@teesgoone]

@@DoctorOctobrist ur calling her dad a useless idiot and btw we can never run out of fishes ur the useless idiot here if u believed in god u would know that God makes more that 1 million fishes and creatures everyday. All things are possible through christ. So call me a useless idiot now nuh. I effing dare u bish

[@MaximusXXX77]

This is amazing. I hope Bill Gates or some other super-wealthy philanthropist can donate the $100 million for this project.

[@mrs.schmenkman2858]

MaximusXXX77 give Bloomberg a call... I understand he's got a few bucks

[@chucklebutt4470]

We need to stop begging our rich overlords to throw some money into something good.

[@frnkcerra]

Last I checked capitalism is the whole reason for this problem in the first place. wake up sheeple!

[@gabbar51ngh]

@@frnkcerra capitalism is the reason you got food on your table.

[@frnkcerra]

@@gabbar51ngh Capitalism is the reason the whole world speaks your stupid language.

[@jadelee6555]

Rest in piece Dr. Ruth. Your work will be remembered

[@jefkoele-wijn8872]

Breeding coral that's resistant to the problems is genius

[@LK-qk8fm]

Jeffrey Koelewijn I like the reference to the lab being a gym and how they put the coral on an "evolution treadmill" 😂

[@DensDaPens]

It's a band aid solution to the core problem. But yeah it's a start

[@shatteredpitch9182]

Jeffrey Koelewijn also a better solution would be to turn to the very accessable alternate energy things like trains

[@dexdrums]

yeah breeding super Coral, what could go wrong...

[@petersalucci5444]

dexdrums “Absolutely nothing” (sarcasm) hey there is hope

[@johnbarriga8708]

If I become rich, I would spend 4/5 of my money into donating and saving the world, just like this.

[@Ghostsniper1995]

Very good video VICE! More videos like this please.

[@coralfish12g]

Awesome video!!! Well done guys.

[@mikedaskalakis5006]

CoralFish12g your vids are really cool brah, good job👍👍!!

[@ilikefishgbv5226]

Hi love your vids

[@clarencesiason8349]

Lol u here whaa???

[@krazyjazper1574]

Woah didn't expect you here 😂

[@closetocreamy]

Yo i love you man especially those sexy clownfish

[@j0epark1]

This is beautiful, but scary at the same time. 👀

[@mccama19]

this research gives me hope for the future.

[@thomasdunn2976]

Where and how do we donate !!!?

[@bennywalker1020]

One of the best and most important documentaries ever made. Awareness needs to be raised before it’s too late.

[@antwainclarke3406]

The content is a little disappointing. Coral reefs are not disappearing only because of climate change but overfishing, disease and human pollution as well. The Caribbean has been having great success in coral gardening and creating fish sanctuaries. In fact, in Oracabessa, Jamaica, after 6 years of creating a fish sanctuary and coral gardening the fish biomass increased by 1,700% and previously absent fish species have returned. Now that's something! Given the chance, reefs bounce back relatively quickly.

[@TheAkashicTraveller]

The problem is that wild reefs arn't getting that chance.

[@seigeengine]

And this approach addresses all of those, and doesn't rely on gardening, or fakery.

[@sandiegoryu]

@@seigeengine making a sanctuary alone won't mitigate the underlying issue of rapid climate change

[@adanbanga4260]

The Caribbean has seen very little warming compared to reefs in the West Pacific and the Indian Ocean though, so while they might be "bouncing back", they haven't really felt the brunt of temperature rises in the West Pacific and Indian Ocean which has led to the extreme bleaching of areas such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Maldives. Sanctuaries will ultimately be for nothing if sea surface temperature continues to rise.

[@dmsreeftank242]

U are right on the money but the higher power don't see that.

[@slickdude6925]

Damn I wish i could go and help these people but i'm too stupid

[@Mozzza14]

Ben Anderson always makes fantastic documentaries.

[@brooksmiller5597]

Chasing Coral -- amazing doc on Netflix featuring Dr. Ruth Gates as well as other familiar faces from this video. It is worth the watch!

[@neilhowes4215]

Thank you RUTH and the rest of the team. My 8 children (4yrs-25yrs old) will have a better oceanic perspective of our beautiful earth.

[@PipinhoSnow]

so beautiful the coral. He MUST save!!!

[@robertkacala]

how about CROWDFUNDING the project !!!

[@laurenescamilla2529]

This is honestly so heartbreaking to see our planet is beyond beautiful and there’s so many careless people destroying it kudos to these people for doing something about it

[@petalong5264]

This is really cool! I was fascinated by Marine Biology, and Geology in high school, studying on the island I grew up on. I hope that my island will benefit from this scientific breakthrough.

[@toohoney8674]

Very good story, interesting. Thanks

[@BaronVonSparklefarts]

It would be incredibly interesting to see if species of fish that are considered "non-reef safe" are either adapting to inhabit those areas with more fortitude or perhaps growing in population beyond the expected norms, ie, depletion of natural predator population. The negative effects of butterfly fish on coral reefs are well documented by saltwater aquarium enthusiasts. "As a general rule of coral keeping, you should avoid all Chaetodon species like the plague. A large portion of this genus are either obligate corallivores, or facultative coralivores. This means that they either rely completely on coral polyps, or include them significantly in their diets. Butterflies from the Ornate group such as C. ornatissimus, C. reticulatus and C. meyeri are well known untouchables that rely 100% on SPS polyps. On the flip side, the Chaetodon genus also contains a few semi-planktivorous species. Butterflies like C. assarius, G. guentheri, C. dolosus and the likes are often found swimming in mid water, picking floating particles as they float past." Perhaps a rise in temperature or pH has made reef areas more habitable for corallivores or other facultative coralivores.

[@skimmylk]

On a large ecological scale in nature, bioeroding fish like the Chaetodons are essential for reef health and stability. Breaking down the reef in small ways helps it rebuild stronger over time. It's only on a small-scale like in an aquarium that they cause an issue

[@nobywils]

Awesome work, bravo!

[@arnoyang3610]

this tbh makes me a lot optimistic and happy after watching chasing coral

[@00fariz]

whether people believe in climate change or not. the logical people will push to the limit to find solutions because only they realize the scale of the problem and are willing to take it on. they are unsung heros of our generation and of this earth

[@praggypopsqa4652]

Fariz Ali - Indeed. Some people acknowledge it, but retort that it's not driven by us. Whatever it's driven by, don't we need to respond to it? I mean, when someone develops lung cancer, it doesn't matter if they used to smoke or just lived in a place with toxic air, we still have to treat the cancer, if that person is going to survive the diagnosis. I made a decision to do everything I can to avoid plastics - of every kind. Imagine if even 1/3 of the population did the same. The demand would have a correlating drop.

[@sydneytiffany5692]

How do we help fund this research? Is gofundme a possibility for reaching the 100 mil needed?

[@reubanrajan2679]

Excellent work guys!

[@eightypandeaux]

Great content, would love to see more like this

[@boston_8198]

Asome vid..More vids like these please!

[@davidmei3702]

What those scientists are doing is absolutely amazing. Does anyone know where I can go to donate money to help the effort

[@Jasmin.Ambrosia]

Vita Coral

[@chrisg5352]

Awesome video and report!

[@uzyoc]

Very informative video .. thank you Vice!!! 👍👍

[@jacobsadler2898]

'assisted evolution'...its a synonymous term for artificial selection

[@L1m3r]

Two steps further you have "selective breeding" and "Nazi racial hygiene"... :-/ Yes, technically all very similar but vastly different if one looks closer.

[@Einargizz]

Selective breeding is the term usually used when talking about livestock, agriculture, cats and dogs, etc.

[@stanchung69]

they're selecting those that did well in that area to help them along, artificial or not. It's not GMO.

[@spell-o-dac-tylb4198]

@@stanchung69 Well their aim is to modify the coral's gene so that they can withstand climate change. Therefore by definition GMO, their means to achieve it is simply lower tech.

[@Thallea]

@@spell-o-dac-tylb4198 I'd say it's more like forcing natural selection. They're not throwing a crazy new gene into the mix. They're breeding the survivors. If you know natural selection then I don't think there's much more need of an explanation on my part.

[@chrissyprice7483]

The best thing I've felt I've done for climate change was educating my children about this issue. They have then participated in many projects of their choice about climate change and has had the opportunity to educate their peers. The information will continue to spread and solutions will be thought of.. I have hope this can problem can get remedied..

[@TheZodiacz]

shame you told them about warming when they needed to be taught about a climatic minimum which will endure for most of their life times.

[@lin6720]

+James Collier you're stupid

[@seigeengine]

Seriously, Vice is infested by rightist degenerates, and I say that as a guy annoyed by their frequent SJW bias.

[@AmericanRebelFTP]

The reefs are the reason I got my scuba certification. I hope to one day visit them before they are gone, lost forever. I love nature and science and I love what these guys are doing.

[@gardensofthegods]

I hope that you have finally gotten the chance to go visit a real coral reef that is thriving

[@imanode9468]

Thank you 4 the video

[@lemonsavery]

Liking the Aphex Twin intro music!!!

[@PilliamWilliam]

Avery Lemons was looking for someone who noticed

[@andrew8658]

do you know what the song is called

[@Aleks.1389]

andrew abdullah Aphex Twin - Lichen

[@williammurillo1655]

Guys, koda shattered by suicide sheep is the same song but with more work done enjoy and welcome to lofi music

[@jeremyhipp367]

Yay I'm not alone hahaha!

[@v_ile]

need a british guy for emotional effect because morgan freeman was busy

[@dbhvvhcxjjfuvguvbn]

v_ile underrated comment

[@TheMirrorslash]

So glad to see people working on the problem and actually making good progress. The dying of coral reefs will be so devastating in a couple years that if nothing will be done a big part of humanity looses their food resource. I hope they find an investor or government to finance it more.

[@magnificentfoxface5982]

As someone who works with coral everyday I wish more people knew about them. Beautiful animals; very important.

[@daglar2991]

Science is going to save our future, nothing else...

[@kanglongshankz3313]

Has science gone too far?

[@LK-qk8fm]

Fırat Dağlar Korkmaz only if ignorance doesn’t stunt progress. We only have limited time to act, and America pulled out of the Paris Agreement and Trump put a science-denier in charge of the EPA. Thank god the rest of the world is progressing on without us.

[@randomvariable4597]

Earth is flat.

[@jomamma349]

Its also true that science caused the problem

[@erroldrommond9149]

no, nature is saving him self slowly but surely

[@beautifulmanstan8840]

Here's some food for thought: How about we actually work towards *preventing the issue of climate change itself?*

[@seigeengine]

Because we won't, the damage done will persist for a long time, and expecting otherwise is unrealistic.

[@benmilke]

knowing that things like this are happening right now give me hope for our unpredictable future, thank you VICE for your efforts to bring us such important and pertinent information. Ive been a fan of VICE for about a decade and you all never cease to amaze me.

[@VeryHighCholesterol]

thank you team of scientists.

[@chefgiovanni]

Scientists please sign us up to help fix the reefs ! More cutting edge real news from VICE !

[@marco.nascimento]

amazing work

[@brento2890]

Excellent Video !!! Thank you !

[@mtndewvoltage6401]

Did anyone get that climate change add in the beginning? ( we need to look at cost before we take action)... The cost is the future of the fucking species m8! I think thats worth any amount of money if you ask me...

[@FoshayActual]

Elon Musk needs to see this

[@randomvariable4597]

Foshay, Why? Is he going to use CGI to fix the reef?

[@royceturia1562]

This was totally mind blowingly awesome!! There's some hope for us yet.

[@KevinP32270]

Awesome video. Thanks.

[@afpx8065]

tereefic project :)

[@soulcleaner3578]

Now they need to work on designing people that can survive climate change.

[@takyrdai2432]

Hopefully not, for the Earths sake.

[@zoephin3174]

Republicans and Libertarians already exist.

[@TheZodiacz]

yeah yeah yeah. you hippies always talk about genocide but still have half a dozen kids each. FAKES!

[@srats56]

already in the works, the trans-humans to the rescue

[@deansouza6534]

Incredible project, guys!!!

[@devon7538]

i'm so thankful for all the smart people in the world that have solutions to the problems we've made, like seriously without these kinds of people we'd all be dead a lot sooner.

[@thispersonsdad7247]

12:35 what it's all about. What it's always been all about.

[@Kenkill8200]

id give them 100 million dollars if i had it - great cause

[@barrjohnm]

Great video!

[@noeditbookreviews]

This woman really has a good head on her shoulders. Bravo, lady

[@lizrathburn8603]

This feels like something that could have unforeseen consequences and that could throw the natural balance even farther into disarray.

[@michaelhood5007]

do you really think your opinion is more informed than these scientists?...

[@lizrathburn8603]

No but I think that we tend to want to fully control nature and it seemingly never goes well.

[@mohiuddin3275]

Pretty sure sitting back and letting the coral die off is the best way to approach the issue. Definitely agree with you here. Big up my man. Our less-informed opinion should matter as much as these below average common sense having "scientists", if not more.

[@lizrathburn8603]

Didn't say that, I just think that a better solution would involve actually stopping the process of environmental destruction.

[@carlsmith8176]

HA Rathburn no it's not. They're not genetically modifying the coral. They are breeding it. It's exactly how humans have breed dogs and cattle. They are just breeding coral to adapt better to extreme conditions. Natural balance? Really? What is this concept? What class did you learn this in? There is no "natural balance" now as we have unnaturally heated up the oceans. Please specifically elaborate on what consequences are possible. What are you worried about? Do you not want things to evolve? Is it bad that humans have evolved to have better brains?

[@razorz4947]

maybe it would be a good idea to raise money for these projekt with websites like "Humblebundle". I would pay for it as charity. :3

[@automategames]

good job ruth

[@scottm2553]

This is the only environmental story that has made me optimistic about the future. I hope more people share this vision about creating a healthy environment and sustainable future.

[@EntrepreneurNews]

No one else saw the irony that they're talking about pollution and then they jump on board a private jet? ... No? ... Just me?

[@Dcantu33]

Did you want them to walk? Lol

[@saltymonke3682]

Entrepreneur News so do they have to sail there?

[@EntrepreneurNews]

How do you usually travel internationally? Do you walk, sail or (and i know this might sound insane) use a commercial plane?

[@Dcantu33]

Entrepreneur News do you honestly believe that super expensive ocean remote sensor is going to survive the baggage crew on a commercial flight ? Lmao

[@saltymonke3682]

Entrepreneur News have you watch the video? They don't fly private just for going places, they put sensors on it to scan the ocean quickly. No commercial plane will do that for you.

[@theavreefguy3777]

What a fantastic video guys

[@R2Manny]

Nothing is as beautiful as nature's creations

[@ricosaquariums7992]

Very good video👍

[@AM-ci3gi]

Amazing! Start doing!

[@eznakai]

I just want to hug and kiss everyone trying to save the reefs!!

[@kimoykalinago4154]

This is soooooooooo fascinating!!!!!

[@joszarlar]

This is amazing, people like them are going to save the world and most people dont know them! VICE you should put a site or link where people can donate to this causes.

[@narendraanjinayya8727]

great work

[@jor7441]

what a shame, only 68k views. this deserves so much more

[@Coldwarlego]

SO cool!!

[@JF-gf1mv]

So cool why doesnt this have more views

[@RobBoryckiGolf]

As a reef keeper myself. It’s only the sps Acropora type corals it seems are bleaching. Soft corals and lps are still doing well

[@Naderium]

This is one of the only videos Ben has done that isn't PTSD inducing

[@yungwells6549]

7:30 science is truly amazing

[@blackheartgaming6121]

i have never seen a coral under a scope before i knew that they were alive but never seen them like that before i hope i can become a marine biologist soon

[@edr.2642]

Wow great work from these group of smart people.

[@takyrdai2432]

lol "smart" people.

[@una_llum2874]

Nice one Vice! Opportunity for improvement: Please add credits or contact references for people interested in getting involved.

[@bsr8129]

wasnt this posted like a year or so ago, i remember seeing this story some time ago

[@boggieman5741]

Wow that is magnificent ❣️

[@xoiiku]

I would have liked to see a bit of coverage on the upstream causes of coral reef loss. Particularly those causes which each of us can directly address by changing our habits and diet.

[@cSs876]

Being a Zoologist I can understand the hard work and dedication ❤.

[@IU-le8sz]

You hero's doing what I imagined in my wildest dreams

[@mba2ceo]

That is genius ...if capable of coral farming amazing !!!

[@botezsimp5808]

I've always thought this would work.

[@Gugner]

THiS is extremely important to carry out!! 100 million US dollars needed to finance it

[@evanwhite4134]

These guys have a great documentary on Netflix if you're interested and want to learn more. It's called Chasing Coral and I'd definitely recommend.

[@-----------g-]

This was also found in Blue Planet II. It's quite scary and unfortunate.

[@70ME3E]

looks great but why hasn't the link between corals dying and bad things happening been explained??

[@ambivertAG]

i wish.. this is exactly what should be taught in schools to children..as this is gonna be the biggest concern no one is concerned about. children can create and build ideas.. i hope it could be introduced in 'India' too so that our children must knw how beautiful is the ocean and we must conserve and protect it

[@forrestl5597]

way to go ruth

[@MCloven779]

Amazing.