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Transcript/ScriptPACIFIC CORAL BLEACHING – Stone
HEADLINE: US Scientists: World on Verge of Historic Coral Bleaching
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT:
BYLINE: Jessica Stone
PRODUCERS: Jessica Stone
CONTRIBUTING:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: Jessica Stone
SCRIPT EDITORS: KEnochs; Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Feed, VOA, Reuters, Zoom, AFP, AP, NOAA, HDLNR
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:33
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((Anchor intro))
[[Pacific leaders are on high alert after U.S. scientists warned that the world is nearing a historic mass coral bleaching brought on by high water temperatures fueled by climate change. VOA’s Jessica Stone reports.]]
((NARRATOR))
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – typically an underwater rainbow of color … now parts of it are a spotted canvas of white.
It’s called a coral bleach – a symptom of soaring ocean temperatures that can lead to the death of a reef and the species who live there.
((RADIO: Derek Manzello is the coordinator of Coral Reef Watch at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.))
((Derek Manzello, NOAA Coral Reef Watch)) ((Zoom))
“Marine heat waves are unfortunately increasing in frequency, magnitude and severity. This is directly due to climate change and global warming."
((NARRATOR))
The high levels of heat stress mapped in 2023 prompted the United States' National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, to update its coral bleaching alert maps. In December, NOAA added three new levels to its bleaching alert levels, with Level 5 predicting “near complete mortality” for reefs.
((NARRATOR))
Marine ecologist Manzello says that the world is on the brink of a historic coral mass bleaching event, the fourth in history.
((Derek Manzello; NOAA Coral Reef Watch Director)) ((Zoom))
"Losing coral reefs is akin to chopping down the Amazon rainforest in terms of just losing species."
((Mandatory Courtesy: NOAA))
Species like tuna – a key food source and top export here in American Samoa. Manzello says he’s already helping the U.S. territory monitor the worst-hit reefs in their waters.
((End Courtesy))
((Derek Manzello, NOAA Coral Reef Watch)) ((Zoom))
"Coral reefs provide a lot of protein, in particular for places like the Pacific Islands where you have whole communities that are wholly dependent on the fisheries and the protein they get from coral reefs for their entire existence."
((NARRATOR))
((Mandatory Courtesy: National Geographic Pristine Seas/ JON BETZ))
Palau’s President, Surangel Whipps Jr., though, says the situation isn’t hopeless
((Mandatory Courtesy: National Geographic Pristine Seas/ MANU SAN FELIX )
and that corals can be resilient.
((End Courtesy))
((Surangel Whipps Jr.; president of the Republic of Palau)) ((Zoom))
"Every time we’ve had a coral bleaching event, some of those species have come back, and we’re just hoping that this event is not too widespread and destructive.”
((NARRATOR))
((Mandatory Courtesy: National Geographic Pristine Seas))
Alan Friedlander, the chief scientist at National Geographic’s Pristine Seas project, says Palau
((End Courtesy))
, the Marshall Islands and parts of Kirabati [prono: Kiribasse] possess what’s called super reefs – corals that recover more quickly from bleaching than other reefs.
((Alan Friedlander, Pristine Seas Project))
"These quote unquote super reefs are areas that should be set aside for protection because they can be the seed bank for other places that have been impacted."
((NARRATOR)) ((Mandatory Courtesy: Hawaii DNLR))
Seeding reefs with healthy baby corals is one of the few ways humans can speed up
the ((End Courtesy)) reef recovery process, say scientists.
Absent that, they say, it can take between 12 and 15 years for these ecological treasures to return to health.
((Jessica Stone; VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateMarch 20, 2024 14:21 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
