Coral reefs are one of the richest ecosystems on Earth, home to a quarter of all marine life. They also protect communities on land from the sea and offer an invaluable source of food. 

But these ecosystems are dying because of pollution, overfishing, and the effects of climate change. And if the corals die, so will many other animals that depend on them. 

What can be done? Can we repair the damage? Can these and other precious ecosystems like sea grasses and mangroves not only be preserved, but also actively restored? 

To answer these questions we speak with Prof Carlos Duarte, Executive Director of the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP), and with an ocean acidification expert and IPCC contributor, Prof Jean-Pierre Gattuso, also research director at the Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche-sur-Mer.

And at the end of the episode you’ll hear from Mission Blue founder, legendary oceanographer, and pioneer in the use of modern scuba gear, Sylvia Earle. 

Hosted by Jeremy Wilks. 

Produced by Naira Davlashyan and Natalia Oelsner. 

Editing is by Lory Martinez, Chiara Santella and Luis Lopez from Studio Ochenta. 

The theme music is by Gabriel Dalmasso. 

Our editor-in-chief is Sophie Claudet. 

For more from Carlos Duarte click here. 

For more on Jean-Pierre Gattuso’s work click here. 

To learn more about Sylvia Earle click here.

Created in partnership with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and is hosted by Euronews science reporter Jeremy Wilks.

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