Compare Volcanic VS Solf Coral Marine Ecosystems _ Ep 8 _ Into The Blue S1

It is a real privilege to take a peek at one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The so-called Coral Triangle, a paradise overflowing with coral reefs and considered the area with the greatest marine biodiversity in the world. Like a heart for our planet, its mission is to pump oxygen continuously through the enormous field of coral that grow in its The currents transfer this oxygen to the oceans, generating life. This area provides a home and protection for more than 2,000 species of fish and animals of all kinds. 75% of all our planet's coral lives here. In this series, we have filmed over 300 hours of underwater images, two years of diving, having the chance to see up close the uniqueness of all its inhabitants and the beauty of its surroundings. Sadly, it is in serious danger of extinction. The Coral Triangle occupies an area of 6 million square kilometers. It covers 18,000 islands in an area where the seas of Southeast Asia and Oceania meet. We are going to take a look at one of the largest islands in the Triangle, Sulawesi in Indonesian, also known as the Celebes Islands, and more specifically the north, where we find Manado and Lembeh Island, two neighboring worlds, but different. This province is home to almost 3 million people. It is the northernmost part of the island, close to the Philippines in the north and surrounded by the Malucan Islands to the east. The Indonesian name of Sulawesi means Iron Island because of the large amount of iron ore that existed on the island, which perhaps helped to create a very powerful and lush ecosystem, both on the surface and in the sea. This area is one of the variety of peninsulas that form the island. A strip of mountainous land with sheer rocky cliffs on the coast and a great diversity of living scenarios. The Lembeh part, separated by a 12-kilometer strait, is a setting of dark waters formed of mud, sand and volcanic remains, and that is also its great virtue. Some creatures, like these bluefin trevallies, have found an excellent habitat here because the lava has led to a plethora of small sea creatures that they feed on. The lava, which creates fanciful shapes when it comes into contact with the sea, shows us an example of how it plays with the water in a mysterious exercise in sculpture. The sunlight filtering through allows us a glimpse of what at first looks like a crack in the rock, but if we investigate a little more and try to focus our gaze, we can see that it is actually an inviting home for a multitude of species. Some small, others unusual, and some, both of these things, like the orangutan crab. This individual from the spider crab family is less than two centimeters long and its name is not surprising when you see its covering of reddish hairs, the same color as the fur of the orangutan in the Indonesian jungle. This individual's front legs are fully occupied catching food with its hair before transferring it to its mouth. Or perhaps it's trying to scare us with this bodybuilder pose. Crabs use the cracks in the volcanic rock as a cozy home. Alternatively, they look for one of their own. This is what the hermit crab does. This species, which has no skeleton to give its structural consistency, looks for shelter and protection in any object that allows it to hide quickly when threatened. They have five pairs of legs. The rear two are responsible for holding up the house, and an independent optical system in each eye allows them to break down the image into different parts, like a photograph album. We will stay a little longer in this grotto, because something smells fishy. The light reveals a rare specimen, the decorator crab. It gets this name because it decorates, or rather disguises, its body with algae or sponges, depending on the bad smell they give off. It does this to scare off predators. It's like the skunk of the crab world, but in fancy dress version. Others, like this wire coral crab, blend in with the coral to avoid being seen. Don't move, we can see you. The harlequin crab is the shyest member of its species. It comes out at night, all four centimeters of it always dressed to impress. Its coloring gives it the appearance of a toxic nudibranch, but it hides whenever it can, because it is threatened with extinction. It has always been a victim of trawl fishing, and a much sought after ingredient in supposed traditional medicines and miracle balms. It always has one eye on its circle of life, but it is one of the most attractive inhabitants in this spot. We now leave the grotto that has given us a glimpse of some curious crabs, with the constant sensation that we are always being watched by the guardians of this environment. Now we're going to fly over a special coral, the finger coral. These are branch-like colonies of polyps that have left secretions over time, creating these highly unusual formations. They grow about nine millimeters a year, and some measure eight meters, which means that they are almost a thousand years old. It makes your head spin just to think of it. Here we have a staghorn coral, a very hard variety, and home to thousands of damselfish, which scurry to use it as a shelter in case of emergency. In Sulawesi, the colonies of damselfish, butterflyfish, sargents, and other reef fish reproduce very easily, taking advantage of the cracks in these coral fields to lay their eggs, which are safe from being devoured by other species. There is huge diversity. We seem to be witnessing an internal explosion of the seabed, with branches of coral bursting out all over the place. This marvelous place is an invitation to stop and take a closer look at everything around you, and in the distance, a surprise presents itself. Swimming around peacefully, a turtle, but not just any turtle. This is a green turtle. The green turtle doesn't get its name because its shell is this color. The name comes from the layer of fat between its internal organs and its shell, which is green. This is due mostly to the fact that it feeds almost exclusively on large algae and seagrass that grow on the bottom, giving its internal fat its greenish hue. Young individuals are usually submerged in the deep waters found in these areas of Sulawesi, until they grow and are bold enough to explore the shallower waters for longer. They weigh 200 kilos and can measure up to a meter and a half, although individuals weighing more than 300 kilos have been found. It's an absolutely protected species, but some are still found entangled in fishing nets. Their breeding period is every two years, and they return to the same area to lay their eggs. However, urban development has led to the disappearance of some nesting grounds, causing reproductive dysfunctions. It is distinguished from the hawksbill sea turtle, which we can see here, basically by its snout. The hawksbill is more developed, with the hooked beak it uses to break the coral it feeds on. The digestive process of turtles makes them essential in the development of marine life. The hawksbill helps new coral to grow by fertilizing new territories with its excrement. The green turtle does the same, but for algae and pocedonias, in more sandy terrain that transforms into fertile areas. And although they are not normally seen in pairs, someone is waiting for our travel companion. Hope to see you again soon. As we continue our journey around northern Sulawesi, we come across this starry sky of pyramid butterflyfish, and with a different shape and color, but just as attractive, a shower of red-toothed triggerfish, also known as sea piranha, because of their aggressive nature. Just look at this cascade of individuals flapping their fins in a curious manner. This exotic movement is due to the fact that the triggerfish moves by waving its dorsal and anal fins at the same time, reminiscent of a propeller. They can measure up to half a meter, and have very prominent red front teeth, which are very powerful. This species can change color depending on its mood, the food it has ingested, or the presence of danger. When threatened, they make a growling sound, a symbol of their aggressive nature. The appearance of a colony of snappers prompts them to move to other points on the reef, their home, and the home of thousands and thousands of fish that they live with day and night. Sulawesi, with manado and lembe as reference points for divers, are a source of living creatures, species that can multiply in this bountiful environment. Here is where damselfish, sergeant majors, drummers, surgeonfish, and more cross paths. At times there are literally clouds of fish. Is there room for any more? Of course, we want to see many more of them. This is why we have to care for these reefs, the rivers, the seas, the oceans. Only that way can we continue to enjoy these spectacular sights. In the manado area, one of Indonesia's first marine parks was created. The area also includes Bunaken, Siladen, Tua, Nain, and Manteage, with their exceptional biodiversity. This formula is being extended quite successfully to other areas in the triangle, which gives reason for greater optimism than a few years ago. The seas surrounding Sulawesi are always an intense blue. The seven seas, the cruise boat that is our permanent companion, knows this and never misses a chance to drop anchor in the most incredible spots to show us all the beauty that surrounds it. A beauty fed permanently by the intense light that nourishes the corals. And there is always someone looking upwards in search of the light. The jawfish is always gazing skywards, and the ghost goby is always alert. It eyes us warily because we've gotten very close. Its huge eyes are fixed on the camera. Don't worry, little friend. Take it easy. We only want to show you off. Here we have a beautiful specimen of ornate ghost pipefish, still in its juvenile phase. Its fins are not completely formed. They can be seen, though not easily, floating near gorgonias, whose appearance they mimic, so as not to be seen. They measure just 15 centimeters long. Their snout is very similar to that of seahorses, with which they have a close genealogical relationship. When they are adults, they become more robust, and their body develops hard plates for protection. We can see them here. They are usually found motionless, drifting in the currents, looking like algae or floating bits of coral. They may have shades of different colors, depending on their age and the surroundings. If you're watching this on a small screen, you'll find it difficult to make it out. This is another animal that mimics its environment, the leaffish. It always hides under the protection of rocks, with which it is easily confused. It has poison glands that make its dorsal and anal spines toxic, a defense mechanism. It lives in areas with little current and moves slowly, using its tail and its pectoral fins to propel itself forward. These restless creatures are the damselfish that we see constantly flitting above the corals, which they use as shelter and for spawning. In every lay, the female deposits 20,000 eggs. So it's not surprising that we see thousands of them gliding over the reef. And while we're talking about gliding, what about these yellowtail fusiliers and blue-striped fusiliers moving into the picture? The fusiliers form large schools to protect each other, but seeing them moving as a group is an impressive sight. When the yellowtail fusiliers are young, the yellow coloring is dominant, becoming bluer as they get older. The other species have less variation. They feed on plankton and consequently are not aggressive towards other sea animals. How many can we see here? Hundreds? Thousands? They are diurnal and they like to explore areas where the volcanoes have left their imprint. They form one of the images that most represent the seas of the Celebes or Sulawesi. That and the huge fields of Acroporas that cover areas of thousands of hectares. In these waters, we might also bump into more lethal species. Watch out. This animal watching us is actually a cuttlefish. At first sight or from a distance, it might appear to be a dog or perhaps a baby pygmy rhinoceros. It walks like a mammal and kills like a snake. It is a metasepia feferi, commonly known as the flamboyant cuttlefish. It is without doubt the strangest cuttlefish and the most difficult to see. Because it has a highly toxic poison in its muscle tissue and because of the way it moves, it has always been considered a very extravagant, not to say defined species. If ingested, it can kill a person in a short time. Its coloring ranges from brown to black, with red elements that are an attempt to dissuade possible predators. And because of its morphology, it can only move by floating a few meters, which is why its habitat is the sandy seabed. Here we see it in defensive pose. There's no doubt that it is one of the most unusual creatures in Sulawesi and in the coral triangle in general. A colony of snappers crosses our path and we'll have to ask them to move aside a little, please, so that we can get a good view of these clumps of coral and the spectacular lush gorgonia before picking up a magnifying glass to take a closer look at our next protagonist. It's a red-colored bargeband or pygmy seahorse. It lives in gorgonian coral of the genus Mursela, and it measures less than two centimeters across. Its body is dotted with protuberances that imitate the form and color of the gorgonia, which it clings onto with its tail, resisting the current. The detail of the tubercles on its skin is incredible. The species may be pinkish like this one or yellow. It was discovered by chance when analyzing a gorgonia in a marine biology laboratory a number of years ago. Its common name is pygmy seahorse and it is one of the smallest of its species. This area of the coral triangle is its habitat, which stretches as far as the eastern coast of Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. This seahorse competes with it in size and it goes by the name of Denise. It is a different variety of the pygmy class, discovered in 2003. The yellow bargeband has this coloring because it lives in the Mursela paraplactaria variety of gorgonia, and here we can see them living as a couple. Gorgonias have been found that were home to 28 pairs of pygmy seahorses. They are monogamous animals. The males incubate the young, which are inserted by the females through an ovipositor. The incubation period is three weeks, and here we have no fewer than three individuals. Unsurprisingly, it is a protected species, because they are also very sensitive to changes in the temperature or composition of the water. A few meters away, a spiny seahorse is resting peacefully. It is bigger, measuring around 10 centimeters. It is also on the list of endangered species. Every year, around 30 million seahorses are ripped out of their habitat, the majority by the hand of man, destined to become ingredients in some kind of traditional medicine used by different civilizations. Those civilizations discovered centuries ago that the sea could provide benefits for man by extracting certain elements. But everything evolves, and now we know that the benefit is obtained by looking after the sea. Because what a healthy ocean has to contribute is much greater than exploitation of corals, uncontrolled fishing, or dumping chemical waste. A healthy ocean provides oxygen and food. That way, the marine fauna increases, and when it increases, it has to look for new areas. And so the benefit increases exponentially. This feedback leads to a circle of life from which man can obtain maximum return. This will happen if we are able to use common sense to control our actions. Coral Triangle exemplifies what can come from a healthy ocean full of life. An increase in diving tourism. Thousands of divers book whole weeks to admire the areas that experienced cruise companies take them to, to observe the seas and their extraordinary fauna. Manado, with recently discovered diving havens, is a fine example. Expert divers can take us to see a nudibranch called the Chinese Dragon Nudie. Its name is perfect. It is reminiscent of those dragons that can be seen in marvelous traditional Chinese street celebrations, even the way they move from side to side. All that's missing are the fireworks, and those fireworks could be used to celebrate this couple's love. And to cheer up this other nudibranch, which looks angry. A Roboastra, which is very similar to the Nembrotha Nudie. They have a really unusual shape and color. Talking of color, our friend here is somewhat lacking. Oops, looks like he heard us. The last member of this collage of original nudibranchs is this yellow ceratosoma. The area called Banca, also in northern Sulawesi, is surrounded by impressive reefs that have become the standard bearer for spectacular soft corals and gorgonias. Some look as though they were drawn by famous designers. Natural decors that are every bit as beautiful as the most laboriously created sets. Every now and again, we find areas that seem literally to explode with life from within. And gorgonias that look like crystallized structures, as though they were springing from small leaks emanating from the earth. Perhaps a gap opened up here, and life sprang forth. If someone did that, and carried on drawing a coral paradise, they did not forget to draw a plethora of fish to complete the circle within a natural triangle. At first sight, these silhouettes crossing our path are reminiscent of the first fish painted by our ancestors in caves and etchings. A simple form of majestic intensity. These are surgeonfish. Surgeonfish measure, on average, 30 centimeters long. They weigh around 8 kilos and live for about 15 years. This species, with its intense blue coloring that contrasts with the lighter backdrop of the sea, visits points known as cleaning stations, where another species, the wrasse, have specialized in cleaning reef fish of parasites and dead tissue. It has been shown that fish that receive this treatment grow more quickly and bigger than the rest. Their cognitive ability and capacity to search for food is more efficient if they are clean. This is something common to living creatures on our planet, including humans. When they undergo these cleaning sessions, some fish change color to a paler hue. We can see one here. The Lembeh Strait has always had exceptional conditions for marine life. Years ago, it was normal to see whale sharks cruising around these waters, something unheard of nowadays. Overfishing and waste dumping have led to a decline in the presence of large species. This, however, has led to a great increase in small sea creatures, which have fewer dangers nearby. Obviously, this means the young have greater capacity for survival and their numbers increase. And all these little fish create a wealth of sediments that also allow the coral to develop and grow. The currents entering through the ends of the strait also contribute nutrients that multiply this capacity. The result? Despite being an area that has suffered at the hands of man, it has adapted to the circumstances remarkably well. And if you ask a diver, they will tell you that Lembeh is a paradise where you can delight in Many of them are endemic. In other words, you can only see them in Lembeh. You can see them if you have a good eye or a good macro lens. For example, for seeing one of the smallest creatures that photographers yearn for. Say hello to the hairy shrimp, which measures between one and five millimeters. That's right. Between one and five millimeters. Smaller than a grain of rice. Its favorite position is motionless on a rock or an algae. It doesn't swim. It just goes with the flow of the current. The hairy shrimp can be green, white, brown, or red. It has a raised tail, which gives it this highly stylized appearance. In fact, what we're actually seeing is its belly. And in this case, it's gestating its eggs. It's perfectly camouflaged with its algae habitat. Although it can also be found on Acroporas. If you're lucky and sufficiently patient. Luck is also what you need to see a juvenile puffer file fish like this one. Or a diamond file fish. Both of them are just a centimeter long. When they grow, they will add an extra half centimeter to their length. Considerably bigger is this sea cucumber, whose feeding system is reminiscent of a finely oiled machine. With a gentle rhythm, it collects plankton with its tentacles and transfers them to its stomach to be digested. Over and over again. Like it has been doing for 400 million years. Since its origins in the Silurian period. In the Paleozoic era. Back then, the sea level was much higher than today. And now, get ready for a high voltage animal. An electric clam. It looks as though it's in the middle of a lightning storm or accumulating energy. In fact, this species of clam has soft tissue on its top edge that is whitish in color and reflects the light because of silica particles, which flash when it opens repeatedly. This is a visual trick used as a defense system to scare off possible predators. But the effect is genuinely striking. Having seen this extraordinary clam and moving off again to cruise the blue waters of Sulawesi, its capacity to amaze us is limitless. In just a few meters, you can go from being incredulous at the sight of such amazing creatures you never imagined could exist, to experiencing the most absolute admiration of nature's ability to create such creatures. And seems as beautiful as this. Your emotions can range from surprise to seething anger when you see the new individuals floating in the seas. Plastics. The coral triangle is highly exposed to plastic waste. Apart from waste dumped on purpose, torrential rains drag with them all kinds of rubbish produced by people. With the effect of water and sunlight, plastic breaks down into microparticles, which have a direct effect on species that filter the water to feed on plankton. Some manta rays, for example, can swallow up to 40 pieces of plastic an hour. Other animals cannot withstand an alteration in the water caused by chemical waste. It's painful to see dead fish, or plastics that are taking center stage. We don't want plastics in the sea. Today, we have taken a trip around the north of the Celebes Islands, or Sulawesi in the local language. We have seen numerous unusual species, many of them endemic to this area. The majority of them small in size, but with an enormous capacity for subsistence. Some of them surprising, and others spectacular. Dragons, hairy shrimps, orangutan crabs, triggerfish, pygmy seahorses, and even an electric cloud. The Coral Triangle covers six million square kilometers. Its waters lap around the shores of six countries. The beauty of the more than 18,000 islands takes your breath away. It is the place with the greatest marine biodiversity on the planet. 76% of sea coral species grow here, together with more than 2,000 species of reef fish. 300 species are unique to this area, and they are threatened by climate change, abuse of fishing, chemical waste, and plastics.