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Great Barrier Reef

Steve Backshall visits Australia's Great Barrier Reef to discover the conditions that let a tiny coral building block create Earth's largest living structure.

Steve Backshall goes beneath the surface of Australia's Great Barrier Reef to discover the crucial conditions that allowed a tiny coral building block to create the largest living structure on the planet. He unravels the complex mosaic of reef environments to reveal the key to the microworld's success, but discovers that life on this coast is not always easy. Nutrient-poor water, enormous storms and rising seas should make it impossible for such a vibrant ecosystem to exist here, so what allows the Great Barrier Reef to not only survive but flourish as the largest reef on Earth?

30 minutes

Last on

Fri 16 Apr 2021 16:15

Clip

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:02

    Florence + the Machine

    Cosmic Love

  • 00:02

    Florence + the Machine

    Cosmic Love

  • 00:13

    Snow Patrol

    You Could Be Happy

  • 00:24

    The xx

    VCR

Credits

Role Contributor
Narrator Steve Backshall
Series Producer Doug Mackay-Hope
Executive Producer Wendy Darke
Executive Producer Cerys Griffiths
Production Manager Bronwen Thomas
Executive Producer Nick Shearman

Broadcasts

  • Wed 30 Jan 2013 20:30
  • Thu 31 Jan 2013 01:45
  • Fri 26 Apr 2013 18:30
  • Fri 26 Apr 2013 20:00
  • Wed 11 Sep 2013 19:30
  • Thu 12 Sep 2013 00:30
  • Fri 25 Oct 2013 22:00
  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 19:30
  • Sat 23 Mar 2019 09:30
  • Fri 16 Apr 2021 16:15

Insect Worlds

Insect Worlds

Steve Backshall explores insects and their relatives, the arachnids and crustaceans.