Episode 603: Galápagos: Windows Into the Future

The unique oceanic conditions of the Galápagos Islands serve as a perfect natural laboratory to study how climate change may impact corals in the future. Naturally high levels of carbon dioxide in the water, as well as unusually warm sea temperatures during El Niño years, provide a glimpse into the conditions expected in other areas as the oceans continue to acidify and coral bleaching events increase. Scientists from various institutions spent a month in the archipelago to conduct research as part of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation’s Global Reef Expedition. Among other things, they are studying how corals, which have experienced severe bleaching events in the past, have recovered in the various pH conditions found around the archipelago.

A Co-Production with:

Experts

Meet the experts featured in this episode.

Image Credits

Changing Seas would like to thank the following individuals and institutions who kindly allowed their footage, images and other media to be used in this production:

Mathias Espinosa

Greg Estes
Galapagos Natural History Tours

Joshua Feingold

Peter Glynn

Karen Harpp
Colgate University Geology Department

Derek Manzello

Special Thanks:

Joshua Levy

Funding for this episode of Changing Seas was provided by: