Capturing Life's Genesis: Coral Spawn Collection
Clip: Season 3 Episode 1 | 3m 52sVideo has Closed Captions
M. Sanjayan witnesses the ingenious net capturing of coral spawn.
Professor Peter L. Harrison from Southern Cross University and his team use specialized nets to capture precious coral spawn before it drifts away on the current. This ingenious device allows the spawn, a vital mixture of eggs and sperm, to rise to the surface, where it's gently caught, preserving the genesis of entire coral reefs.
Capturing Life's Genesis: Coral Spawn Collection
Clip: Season 3 Episode 1 | 3m 52sVideo has Closed Captions
Professor Peter L. Harrison from Southern Cross University and his team use specialized nets to capture precious coral spawn before it drifts away on the current. This ingenious device allows the spawn, a vital mixture of eggs and sperm, to rise to the surface, where it's gently caught, preserving the genesis of entire coral reefs.
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Will the corals we checked earlier actually spawn, or not?
Peter and the team use special nets to catch as much spawn as possible before it drifts away on the current.
“You can see how this ingenious device works.
” “It just allows the spawn to come up and it catches ” “it in a sort of mosquito net really, ” “and just traps everything up there, ” “because that spawn just wants to rise ” “to the top of the surface.
” “There.
Yes, there!
” “That's it!
” “Oh, that's one of them.
” “Just going up to the surface.
” “Little globules of fat, eggs ” “and sperm in a bundle together.
” “That's where this entire reef comes from.
” “That beginning.
” “There's all these guys coming out now.
” “You can really see it now.
” “It's just kicking off.
” “Oh, hundreds, hundreds and hundreds.
” “It is just great science in action ” “Just to see it in front of me.
” “To go today, find this coral, ” “know that it might be breeding tonight ” “and then come back here.
” “It's amazing.
” “Absolutely amazing.
” “Good job, Peter.
” “Thank you.
” “Honestly, thank you.
” “This is a once in a lifetime.
” “How cool was that?
” “Look at this.
Look at them!
” “There's got to be thousands of larvae ” “we could try and rear from these.
” “That was way better than even what I expected.
” “So thank you.
” “You're very welcome.
” “I'm so glad you're here on such a magic night, ” “because this is really important for the reef.
” “This is when the reef gets reborn.
” “Yeah.
” “Oh, look at that.
” “Such a good sight.
” “You know, I can smell them.
” “Yes, you can ” “and that's the smell of coral spawn.
” “So I know when corals spawning by the smell.
” “Yeah.
” “I bet you that's how fish figured out too.
” “Yeah, absolutely.
” “I mean, it really smells like... ” “...like uni, you know, like sea urchin eggs if you have sushi.
” “...because I was smelling something, ” “but I didn't want to ask.
” “It was like, is that, that or is that you?
” “Yeah, it's me!
” “Well, we're all going to stink of coral spawn ” “after tonight, but it's a good smell to have.
” The future of the reef could be determined by this bucket full of smelly spawn.
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