07x06 - Dive to the Coral Reefs

[bunniefuu]

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

The blue water
means we will have

Good visibility
on the reef.

Here?

This is the spot.

Hi. If mike white
says this is the spot,

Then this is it.

He is a ranger at
the national marine sanctuary,


Of key largo, florida.

It may seem like
we're in the middle of nowhere,

But this is a park,

An underwater park.

I'll drop the anchor.

There's a whole
different world beneath the sea.

It is
especially exciting here

Where there
is a living coral reef.

Coral reefs only grow
in warm, tropical waters.

Not everybody
can see them.

Some underwater photographers
have brought the reefs to you

In this book...

Did you know
that there is a city

Full of fantastic
shapes and structures

That lies beneath
the surface of the sea?

It is built and inhabited

By millions
of incredible creatures.

It is
the living coral reef.

Coral reefs grow
in tropical oceans

All over the world.

To find out about

These underwater
coral communities,

The new england aquarium

Sent a team of scientists
and divers

To explore a coral reef.

Reefs are built
very, very slowly by corals,

Tiny animals
that actually make up

The mounds and branches
called a coral reef.

Each coral animal,
or polyp,

Is about the size
of a pencil eraser.

Some people are surprised
to find out

That corals are animals

Because many
look more like plants.

There is something amazing
about corals

That helps to explain
their plantlike shapes.

Scientists have discovered
that inside,

Coral animals
are also part plant.

Each coral polyp
uses minerals from sea water

To build a limestone skeleton.

Different species of coral
form different shapes.

These corals
build hard skeletons,

But sea fans, sea whips,
and other soft corals

Have flexible skeletons.

In ocean currents,

Soft corals bend and sway
like tree branches in a breeze.

The reef is home to millions
of plants and animals.

In deep reefs,
you might see an octopus,

A moray eel,

Or an enormous sponge,

So large
a diver can stand inside.

Because everything
fits together like a puzzle,

One change in the reef

Can create problems
for everything else.

Human and natural disasters
can cause destruction.

Despite their hard skeletons,

Stony corals are easily damaged
by anchor-dragging boats.

Coral reefs
can only be preserved

Through wise ocean care.

So maybe someday,

You, too,
can put on scuba tanks

And explore this fantastic
underwater world.

It's not every day
we can see a bk come to life.

Today we're going to
scuba-dive the coral reefs.

A diver wears a special suit
called a wet suit.

It's designed to make you
more like a fish.

A wet suit is your skin.

It doesn't have scales,

But it keeps you
warm and protected.

I don't have gills,
and there's no air underwater.

I take air
in this t*nk.

The air goes through this tube
and a hole in the mouthpiece,

Which is called
a regulator.

Breathe normally.

Sounds a little bit
like darth vader,

But the fish don't mind.

In order to keep your mask
clear from fog underwater,

You spit...

Swish...

And then dunk.

Don't ask me how it works.
It just does.

Finally,
with all this equipment on,

It's hard to move around
under there.

So to propel ourselves around,
we use these fins.

Hey, mike.

Looks like
a great day
to go diving.

Mike will be
my dive partner.

It is safer and more fun
to dive with a buddy.

We have this reef
to ourselves.

Just about ready?

Just about ready.

Ok.

I'll check you out,

And then you
check me out.

Air is on.

Your weight belt is on.

Air in your vest.

Let me check you.
Air is on.

Air pressure?

Plenty.

Weight belt is on.
Air in the vest.

Check your regulator.

Here it is.

I'll go first

And wait for you
in the water.

I love this feeling
of floating and gliding

Through the water.

It's like being weightless
in outer space.

Look at the incredible world
down here.

It's a beautiful
underwater garden.

There's some soft coral
growing on this rock.

It feels spongy
when you touch it.

The fish that live in the reef
are really colorful.

This atlantic spadefish
let us come really close...

For a while.

See this school
of gray snapper?

Isn't it pretty?

Here's a school of grunt
hiding under a coral ledge.

Hello, grunt.
Don't mind us.

Just passing through.

This cluster
of sea feathers

Feels like a pile
of goose feathers.

I feel adventuresome.

Hey, mike.
I'm going to take the lead.

Wow!

A natural coral arch.

I'm going to swim through it
like the fish do every day.

Aha!

There's a red and white
stoplight parrot fish.

Parrot fish
snack on coral.

This blue parrot fish
must have just finished supper.

If you look closely,

You can see it releasing
a stream of sand.

That's what happens
to the coral it digests.

Some scientists
think parrot fish

Help make our beaches.

Now this part of the reef
is full of elkhorn coral.

It grows
like the horns of an elk,

Or a moose.

Come here for a minute.

I've got to show you something.

See this white-tipped coral?

It's called
leafy fire coral,

And, man, can it sting.

Don't ever touch
a leafy fire coral.

Uh-uh.

This coral, with the ridges,
is one of my favorites.

Can you guess
what it's called?

Brain coral.

When fish swim together,

It protects them
from predators,

Or bigger fish,
that might eat them.

Ha ha ha!

Whoo!

Wow!

How incredible!

Wasn't that pretty?

That lobster
was amazing!

Oh, boy.

He was so fast.

And all the color
down there.

I am amazed
at how much life

There is around
these coral reefs.

Coral may look sturdy,
but it's really fragile.

People or boats
can damage or destroy it.

Scientists are looking for ways
to save coral.

Harold hudson,
the reef doctor,

Operates on his patients
underwater.

[Harold hudson]
most people dive
to the coral reefs

To enjoy the beauty.

My assistant paige and I
are here on business.

We're looking for coral
we can move

To where the natural beauty
has been destroyed.

Elkhorn coral
grows easily and quickly.

I think
this piece will do nicely.

People call me
the reef doctor.

I help heal the reef
by mending broken corals,

Treating sick corals,

And transplanting new corals
to damaged reefs.

We'll measure the coral

And track its growth
at the new site.

Paige records its measurements
and takes notes

On a waterproof pad
with a waterproof pencil.

Next, we carefully
remove the coral,

Chiseling away
at the base,

Not harming
the live coral on top.

Living coral tissue

Can be injured
by too much handling.

It is a good rule
to look and not touch,

Unless,
like the reef doctor,

You must
to do your work.

Besides the elkhorn,

We remove two other corals
for transplant--

Brain and stag horn.

The coral
could easily break.

Handing it to elizabeth
on deck

Is the most dangerous part
of the transplant process.

Coral can't live outside
its natural environment.

We place it in sea water
while it's above the surface.

Those do look nice.

These are beauties.

Can we pull one out,

See how the base looks?

Why, sure. Just like
a piece of crystal.

Isn't it gorgeous?

This piece of staghorn
is just getting started.

These are
the new growing tips.

The white areas
are new growth on the coral.

Each of those little
tips you see

Contains
a tiny coral animal.

There are thousands
of these animals

All over this surface,

Each growing
in its own house

To create this beautiful
piece of architecture,

Which we call a coral.

This is a nice piece
of brain coral.

That really is.

That should
be nice.

It resembles a brain.

Not a blemish on it.
Absolutely perfect.

That's
the kind we like.

Look at the base.

This isn't alive
all under here.

Right. That's
the dead underside
of the coral.

The only living part

Is this thin layer
of tissue on the outside.

As the animal grows,

It produces
this beautiful head of coral.

I feel the slime.

That's the coral's
defense mechanism--

One of the few
that he has

Besides living
in a stone house.

Feel how
slippery that is?

Yes.

That's the coral's
natural protection.

We better get him
back in the water.

Oh, now, this
is a real beauty.

That sure is.

Now, remember,
the living surface

Is just this very thin skin
that you see.

Everything underneath
is stone.

Or like a skeleton.

Right, that
he's left behind

As he continues
to grow.

We have a beautiful base
for transplanting.

This is the area

Where we're going to place
the transplant.

A large freighter went off
its course here

And completely
destroyed the coral.

That's why it's flat,
barren, and lifeless.

This coral will be
its first new inhabitant,

Renewing the cycle of life.

We need a good, stable rock
to anchor the coral to.

I'll check the rock
to make sure the coral fits.

When I know it's right,

I send paige up
for some special cement.

Here you go.

This cement is made
to work underwater,

But it hardens quickly.

We must get it in place
immediately.

It is made of a powder
that sheds easily.

This makes it quite difficult
to work with.

Once the cement
is in place,

We fit the coral
onto the rock and press.

After we're certain
it's attached,

We know our job is done.

It's up to nature
to take its course.

This coral
will help bring life

Back to a part
of the reef

That would have been lost
for centuries.

@@
If you love the ocean
as much as I do,

You'll want to read
more about it.

Here are some books
you can dive right into.

Have you ever wondered
what lives in the sea?

If so,
this book's for you.

Creatures of the sea

Is about the fish and animals
that live in the sea.

For example,
the clown fish

And a turkey fish.

The puffer fish gulps water

And puffs
to the siz of a basketball.

The crocodile fish
looks like a crocodile.

It's hard to see.

It lies at the bottom
of the ocean.

I'm amanda bernsohn.

This is a great book.

It made me want to dive
to the bottom of the ocean.

Wouldn't it be neat if
you could camouflage yourself?

In how to hide an octopus,
that's what the creatures do.

There are different creatures
in this book

That camouflage themselves.

This means they can hide
from other fish.

For example, the octopus hides
by changing its color.

Can you see
the octopus?

A sea dragon
is most bizarre.

It's bright red
and hides in the red weeds.

I'm tristin smith.

This is a fantastic book.

You'll discover new things

And have fun
finding the creatures.

Hello, I'm nefertiti brown.

I'd like to tell you
about a fantastic book,

I can be an oceanographer.

Oceanographers
are scientists

Who study all aspects
of the sea.

They study fish
and minerals

And the rising
and falling tides.

One kind of oceanographer
is a marine geologist.

It might be neat to study
volcanoes under the sea.

In my opinion, the best thing
that oceanographers do

Is scuba-dive.

They see all kinds
of different animals,

Probably things
you've never seen before.

If you're fascinated
with the water,

I recommend this book.

It will open up a new world--
the ocean.

There is an amazing universe
beneath the ocean.

You can't imagine
how magnificent it is

Until you see it.

Scuba-diving isn't the only way
to get there.

Snorkeling is a terrific
window into the sea

And it's easy.

You float on the surface

And breathe
through a snorkel tube.

When I first thought about
exploring the underwater world,

I had a feeling
it would be thrilling.

You know what?
It really has been.

This place
is spectacular.

It's beautiful,
isn't it?

The greatest thing
about being underwater

Is that there's always
something new to see.

You never know
what you'll discover

When you take your next plunge.

I can't resist.
I'm going back in.

I'll see you next time.

♪ Butterfly
in the sky ♪

♪ I can go
twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know
and ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow... ♪

♪ Butterfly
in the sky ♪

♪ I can go
twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪♪

Today's reading rainbow books
are...

Dive to the coral reefs
by elizabeth tayntor,

Paul erickson,
and les kaufman,

Published by crown publishers,
incorporated.

Creatures of the sea,

Text and photographs
by john christopher fine,

Published by atheneum.

How to hide an octopus
& other sea creatures

By ruth heller,

Published by grosset & dunlap.

I can be an oceanographer

By paul p. Sipiera,

Published by childrens press.