1 00:00:03,533 --> 00:00:05,888 NARRATOR: They cover two thirds of our planet. 2 00:00:08,493 --> 00:00:11,803 They hold clues to the mysteries of our past, 3 00:00:13,413 --> 00:00:16,007 and they're vital for our future survival. 4 00:00:19,213 --> 00:00:23,286 But the secrets of our oceans have remained largely undiscovered. 5 00:00:24,133 --> 00:00:26,567 PAUL ROSE: I am with a six gill shark. 6 00:00:26,653 --> 00:00:28,530 Yes, yes! 7 00:00:29,613 --> 00:00:33,367 NARRATOR: Explorer paul Rose is leading a team of ocean experts 8 00:00:33,453 --> 00:00:36,843 on a series of underwater science expeditions. 9 00:00:38,293 --> 00:00:41,251 For a year, the team has voyaged across the world 10 00:00:41,333 --> 00:00:44,564 to build up a global picture of our seas. 11 00:00:44,653 --> 00:00:47,531 PHILIPPE COUSTEAU: We are doing some pretty uncharted research here. 12 00:00:47,613 --> 00:00:50,332 LUCY BLUE: That is psychedelically purple. 13 00:00:50,413 --> 00:00:53,689 We are here to try and understand the earth's oceans 14 00:00:53,773 --> 00:00:55,286 and put them in a human scale. 15 00:00:58,293 --> 00:01:01,410 NARRATOR: Our oceans are changing faster than ever. 16 00:01:01,493 --> 00:01:03,927 TOONI MAHTO: I'Ve neVer seen ice like this before. 17 00:01:05,133 --> 00:01:06,771 NARRATOR: There's never been a better time 18 00:01:06,853 --> 00:01:10,129 to explore the last true wilderness on earth. 19 00:01:21,293 --> 00:01:24,649 NARRATOR: The team has travelled to the edge of the mighty southern Ocean, 20 00:01:24,733 --> 00:01:27,645 a vast body of wild, cold water. 21 00:01:30,733 --> 00:01:33,167 Home to the infamous Roaring Forties, 22 00:01:33,253 --> 00:01:36,165 it's swept by the strongest winds in the world 23 00:01:36,253 --> 00:01:40,212 which create some of the roughest and most unpredictable seas. 24 00:01:44,173 --> 00:01:47,802 PAUL: And around those cliffs, there's just great boomers coming in, 25 00:01:47,893 --> 00:01:49,531 seas with a real Vengeance 26 00:01:49,613 --> 00:01:51,922 that you just feel are out to get you personally. 27 00:01:54,973 --> 00:01:58,010 NARRATOR: The southern Ocean flows around the bottom of our planet, 28 00:01:58,093 --> 00:02:00,129 completely encircling Antarctica. 29 00:02:02,413 --> 00:02:05,530 The Oceans team is braving some of the most remote 30 00:02:05,613 --> 00:02:07,968 and least chartered waters in the world. 31 00:02:09,213 --> 00:02:12,842 Hidden beneath their surface are unique marine environments, 32 00:02:12,933 --> 00:02:16,130 home to species that exist nowhere else on earth. 33 00:02:17,053 --> 00:02:19,203 And the southern Ocean can give us an insight 34 00:02:19,293 --> 00:02:21,966 into the future of all our oceans. 35 00:02:22,053 --> 00:02:24,851 it's on the front line of global climate change. 36 00:02:25,853 --> 00:02:29,641 parts of it are warming more than twice as fast as any other ocean. 37 00:02:30,013 --> 00:02:33,688 The team has come to investigate the impact that's having. 38 00:02:34,373 --> 00:02:36,762 PHILIPPE: Climate change is happening, 39 00:02:36,853 --> 00:02:40,482 and understanding how it's affecting the Southern Ocean 40 00:02:40,573 --> 00:02:43,451 is critical to understanding what's going to happen 41 00:02:43,533 --> 00:02:47,970 oVer the next few decades and centuries, for this planet and to us. 42 00:02:49,813 --> 00:02:51,929 NARRATOR: Environmentalist philippe cousteau 43 00:02:52,013 --> 00:02:55,050 is grandson of ocean pioneer Jacques cousteau. 44 00:02:55,453 --> 00:02:59,002 On this expedition, he will be investigating the profound effect 45 00:02:59,093 --> 00:03:02,085 that changing seas are having on the marine life here. 46 00:03:03,173 --> 00:03:06,563 PHILIPPE: Look at it. There's not a single liVing 47 00:03:06,653 --> 00:03:09,804 piece of plant material anywhere. 48 00:03:11,653 --> 00:03:15,248 NARRATOR: Tooni mahto is a marine biologist and oceanographer. 49 00:03:15,333 --> 00:03:17,847 she'll be searching unique marine habitats 50 00:03:17,933 --> 00:03:19,889 for scientific discoveries. 51 00:03:21,293 --> 00:03:23,568 TOONI: It's quite exceptional for a biologist 52 00:03:23,653 --> 00:03:25,132 to get to see these things. 53 00:03:25,213 --> 00:03:28,091 We normally only see them in seVeral hundred metres of water. 54 00:03:29,773 --> 00:03:32,685 NARRATOR: And maritime archaeologist, Dr Lucy Blue, 55 00:03:32,773 --> 00:03:36,402 will help to reveal the human cost of these violent seas. 56 00:03:37,053 --> 00:03:41,729 The weather effectiVely dictates the Very huge seas 57 00:03:41,813 --> 00:03:43,690 that can be generated in the Southern Ocean, 58 00:03:43,773 --> 00:03:45,729 and as a result there are lots of shipwrecks. 59 00:03:45,813 --> 00:03:48,202 Only a few have actually been discovered here, 60 00:03:48,293 --> 00:03:51,330 and not many of them have been explored extensively. 61 00:03:51,413 --> 00:03:54,803 This one has just been crushed by the power of the ocean. 62 00:03:56,653 --> 00:03:58,644 NARRATOR: Their first task is to investigate 63 00:03:58,733 --> 00:04:00,883 the impact of the warming seas here. 64 00:04:03,413 --> 00:04:04,971 so they've come to Tasmania, 65 00:04:05,053 --> 00:04:08,170 a rugged island lying south of the mainland of Australia. 66 00:04:13,773 --> 00:04:18,164 it's home to the biggest marine plant in the world, giant kelp. 67 00:04:19,093 --> 00:04:22,927 Kelp forests are one of the most important marine ecosystems here. 68 00:04:23,213 --> 00:04:26,091 They're vital to support life in this ocean. 69 00:04:31,133 --> 00:04:33,772 The kelp should be clearly visible from the air. 70 00:04:33,853 --> 00:04:37,732 so, expedition leader paul will survey the area by helicopter. 71 00:04:40,173 --> 00:04:42,641 I haVen't seen anything yet at all, nothing. 72 00:04:42,813 --> 00:04:44,531 NARRATOR: Only 1 0 years ago, 73 00:04:44,613 --> 00:04:48,606 kelp forests stretched the entire length of this coastline, 74 00:04:48,693 --> 00:04:53,369 so dense that they formed thick algal mats on the surface of the sea. 75 00:04:56,573 --> 00:04:59,963 Yeah, here we go. I think I'Ve got something. 76 00:05:00,053 --> 00:05:02,169 It's probably about, you know, 77 00:05:02,253 --> 00:05:04,892 400 metre square patch or something like that, 78 00:05:04,973 --> 00:05:07,203 but it normally would haVe been an extensiVe kelp forest. 79 00:05:07,293 --> 00:05:09,568 They use that great term, kelp forest, 80 00:05:09,653 --> 00:05:12,770 but that definitely is not a forest. 81 00:05:17,973 --> 00:05:20,692 NARRATOR: paul radios the coordinates through to the team. 82 00:05:21,653 --> 00:05:23,609 Tooni, Tooni, Paul. 83 00:05:23,693 --> 00:05:26,685 You know, it's a real shocker, this, and it really is a patch. 84 00:05:27,013 --> 00:05:29,481 It's just a small patch. 85 00:05:29,573 --> 00:05:31,803 But it's the very best i can find from up here. 86 00:05:31,893 --> 00:05:33,008 Okay, got that. 87 00:05:33,093 --> 00:05:36,165 I'll join you later and see you on board. OVer. 88 00:05:46,853 --> 00:05:48,889 NARRATOR: Along the east coast of Tasmania 89 00:05:48,973 --> 00:05:51,203 the size and number of giant kelp beds 90 00:05:51,293 --> 00:05:54,683 has declined dramatically over the past 1 0 years. 91 00:05:55,093 --> 00:05:58,927 in places, only five percent of the original area remains. 92 00:05:59,893 --> 00:06:02,805 Environmentalist philippe wants to find out why. 93 00:06:03,453 --> 00:06:04,806 PHILIPPE: I mean, I'm really kind of curious 94 00:06:04,893 --> 00:06:06,451 as to what's going on under there, you know. 95 00:06:06,533 --> 00:06:09,172 From the surface the kelp looks pretty pathetic actually. 96 00:06:09,253 --> 00:06:11,448 I mean, this is not much of a kelp forest 97 00:06:11,533 --> 00:06:15,526 and it's an absolute tragedy to think of what's happened and how quickly. 98 00:06:17,533 --> 00:06:21,924 MAN: Okay, fiVe, four, three, two, diVe. 99 00:06:27,773 --> 00:06:29,525 NARRATOR: Like rainforests on land, 100 00:06:29,613 --> 00:06:32,411 these towering seaweeds provide food and shelter 101 00:06:32,493 --> 00:06:34,370 for a rich array of marine life. 102 00:06:35,933 --> 00:06:40,802 PHILIPPE: You do get that sense of flying, flying through trees. 103 00:06:43,213 --> 00:06:46,967 NARRATOR: in good conditions, giant kelp can grow 30 metres high 104 00:06:47,053 --> 00:06:49,567 and shoot up half a metre a day. 105 00:06:50,413 --> 00:06:52,881 But these are not good conditions. 106 00:06:55,093 --> 00:06:57,084 PHILIPPE: And I haVe to say I'm not seeing much eVidence 107 00:06:57,173 --> 00:07:00,927 for a Very healthy kelp forest down here. 108 00:07:01,613 --> 00:07:04,446 There's not a lot of young kelp that looks Very healthy 109 00:07:04,533 --> 00:07:06,125 that's going to be growing to the surface 110 00:07:06,213 --> 00:07:10,650 to replace this more mature kelp that will be dying off relatiVely soon. 111 00:07:11,613 --> 00:07:13,444 It's not a great sign. 112 00:07:14,813 --> 00:07:16,246 NARRATOR: measuring the water temperature 113 00:07:16,333 --> 00:07:18,767 suggests a possible reason. 114 00:07:18,853 --> 00:07:22,050 I'Ve got the temperature reading, 1 4 degrees centigrade. 115 00:07:22,133 --> 00:07:26,172 PHILIPPE: 57 degrees Fahrenheit, actually quite warm. 116 00:07:27,533 --> 00:07:30,491 NARRATOR: Giant kelp can only thrive in cold water, 117 00:07:30,573 --> 00:07:33,804 growing best between six and 1 4 degrees centigrade. 118 00:07:35,733 --> 00:07:37,849 TOONI: So it means at the moment, they are growing 119 00:07:37,933 --> 00:07:40,288 right at the upper range of their temperature limit. 120 00:07:44,333 --> 00:07:47,882 NARRATOR: But then, they make another even more worrying discovery. 121 00:07:49,573 --> 00:07:53,407 PHILIPPE: Whoa! And some big black spiny sea urchins. 122 00:07:53,493 --> 00:07:56,132 Tooni, this is not a good sign! 123 00:07:56,253 --> 00:07:58,323 And this may help to contribute to the fact 124 00:07:58,413 --> 00:08:01,325 that these kelp forests are declining. 125 00:08:01,413 --> 00:08:03,449 These sea urchins are coVering the rocks 126 00:08:03,533 --> 00:08:06,331 and they feed on the baby giant kelp 127 00:08:06,413 --> 00:08:09,211 before they haVe a chance to grow large. 128 00:08:09,293 --> 00:08:11,853 Oh, Tooni, I got to tell you, this is not good. 129 00:08:15,533 --> 00:08:19,526 NARRATOR: This water should be too cold for these sea urchins to survive, 130 00:08:20,973 --> 00:08:24,283 but as it's warmed up, they've been able to migrate here 131 00:08:24,373 --> 00:08:26,603 and destroy the young seaweed. 132 00:08:29,853 --> 00:08:31,730 As the kelp is wiped out, 133 00:08:31,813 --> 00:08:35,328 so too is the crucial bio-diversity of these waters. 134 00:08:36,973 --> 00:08:38,929 And it's happening fast. 135 00:08:42,973 --> 00:08:46,648 TOONI: Ten years to go from great kelp forests to that is excessiVe. 136 00:08:46,733 --> 00:08:51,249 It just means nothing's got a chance to eVolVe or adapt to warmer conditions. 137 00:08:51,333 --> 00:08:54,006 It's just complete... It's waVe bye-bye. 138 00:08:54,093 --> 00:08:55,287 DeVastation, deVastation. 139 00:09:00,133 --> 00:09:02,283 NARRATOR: The water temperature along these shores 140 00:09:02,373 --> 00:09:05,922 has risen one and a half degrees in the last 50 years. 141 00:09:06,653 --> 00:09:09,884 The impact on the giant kelp has been enormous. 142 00:09:09,973 --> 00:09:13,602 A one and a half degree rise in water temperature in this region 143 00:09:13,693 --> 00:09:18,721 has pretty much caused the decline of 95./. of these kelp forests. 144 00:09:18,813 --> 00:09:22,010 It just seems like such a microscopic change, 145 00:09:22,093 --> 00:09:24,368 but the point about the kelp ecosystems 146 00:09:24,453 --> 00:09:29,083 is that they're such a great example of how a tiny, tiny change 147 00:09:29,173 --> 00:09:31,733 in such an important parameter, such as temperature, 148 00:09:31,813 --> 00:09:33,804 can haVe a completely decimating effect. 149 00:09:35,333 --> 00:09:38,723 NARRATOR: The loss of vast areas of Tasmania's kelp forests 150 00:09:38,813 --> 00:09:41,611 is also threatening the marine life that depends on them. 151 00:09:43,173 --> 00:09:47,291 The most vulnerable species are those which are so well adapted to the kelp 152 00:09:47,373 --> 00:09:49,603 they can survive nowhere else. 153 00:09:53,573 --> 00:09:55,803 philippe and Tooni are about to go in search 154 00:09:55,893 --> 00:09:57,770 of one of the most extraordinary. 155 00:09:58,973 --> 00:10:00,964 We are here to diVe in water 156 00:10:01,053 --> 00:10:05,888 which hopefully harbours a quite unique and mysterious animal. 157 00:10:06,573 --> 00:10:08,848 Yes, it's well camouflaged within their enVironment, 158 00:10:08,933 --> 00:10:10,446 so it's going to be 159 00:10:10,533 --> 00:10:14,287 a bit of a hunt for a Very, Very inconspicuous animal, 160 00:10:14,373 --> 00:10:16,364 but apparently they're incredibly exquisite. 161 00:10:16,453 --> 00:10:18,728 So, it's definitely worth doing. 162 00:10:18,973 --> 00:10:21,282 (ALL CHATTERING) 163 00:10:23,053 --> 00:10:26,443 MAN: FiVe, four, three, two, diVe, diVe, diVe! 164 00:10:31,053 --> 00:10:35,285 TOONI: So, we're looking for something about 50 centimetres long 165 00:10:35,373 --> 00:10:38,809 that looks exactly like a piece of seaweed. 166 00:10:39,893 --> 00:10:43,522 I'm haVing a good look right down underneath eVerything 167 00:10:43,613 --> 00:10:46,571 because the way that they protect themselVes from predators 168 00:10:46,653 --> 00:10:48,883 is to get right in amongst the kelp. 169 00:10:54,613 --> 00:10:56,490 Any luck, Philippe? 170 00:10:56,573 --> 00:11:00,122 PHILIPPE: No, so far, I haVen't found anything, Toon. 171 00:11:00,613 --> 00:11:04,162 Of course, that's the idea for them anyway. 172 00:11:04,253 --> 00:11:06,448 Stay hidden and surViVe. 173 00:11:06,533 --> 00:11:07,727 (TOONI CHUCKLES) 174 00:11:08,053 --> 00:11:11,204 They're doing a damn good job of it, if I do say so. 175 00:11:11,293 --> 00:11:14,046 TOONI: Apparently you'Ve got to look for the eye moVement, Philippe. 176 00:11:14,133 --> 00:11:18,172 You can just see the little eye moVement amongst the kelp fronds. 177 00:11:21,333 --> 00:11:24,211 NARRATOR: These rare animals are so perfectly evolved 178 00:11:24,293 --> 00:11:25,931 to blend in with the seaweeds 179 00:11:26,013 --> 00:11:28,368 that spotting one is incredibly difficult. 180 00:11:29,853 --> 00:11:31,411 Just keep looking. 181 00:11:40,093 --> 00:11:42,687 PHILIPPE: I got one, I found one! I found one, I found one! 182 00:11:42,773 --> 00:11:44,047 (TOONI WHOOPING) 183 00:11:44,893 --> 00:11:47,282 PHILIPPE: Oh, my God, it's beautiful! 184 00:11:47,373 --> 00:11:51,252 Tooni, I'Ve got a sea dragon oVer here. Come and look at this. 185 00:11:52,093 --> 00:11:55,802 NARRATOR: Found only in the kelp forests of south Australia and Tasmania, 186 00:11:55,893 --> 00:11:58,043 this is the weedy sea dragon. 187 00:11:58,973 --> 00:12:00,452 PHILIPPE: So brilliant! 188 00:12:00,533 --> 00:12:03,093 The blue and green and red! 189 00:12:04,213 --> 00:12:05,965 TOONI: They're related to the sea horses, 190 00:12:06,053 --> 00:12:08,408 but they're a slightly different species. 191 00:12:09,413 --> 00:12:12,485 PHILIPPE: And how effortlessly they swim through this, 192 00:12:12,573 --> 00:12:16,009 as we're getting tossed around like we're in a washing machine. 193 00:12:16,573 --> 00:12:18,370 TOONI: You see its fins all moVing. 194 00:12:18,453 --> 00:12:21,729 It just looks as though nothing is actually propelling it at all. 195 00:12:22,533 --> 00:12:26,048 Very, Very fine fin on its tail there. 196 00:12:27,293 --> 00:12:29,966 You can see why it's such a perfect camouflage, 197 00:12:31,013 --> 00:12:35,325 and they'Ve eVolVed just to look exactly like the kelp that they liVe in. 198 00:12:35,413 --> 00:12:37,881 And it protects them from predators 199 00:12:37,973 --> 00:12:40,567 'cause they're not particularly fast swimmers. 200 00:12:42,213 --> 00:12:46,570 It will not only use its camouflage for eVading predators, 201 00:12:46,653 --> 00:12:49,292 but also for sneaking up on its prey, 202 00:12:49,373 --> 00:12:52,331 small little crustaceans and Zooplankton. 203 00:12:52,413 --> 00:12:56,372 Things in and amongst and around the kelp floating in the water column. 204 00:12:56,453 --> 00:12:57,772 (PHILIPPE EXCLAIMS) 205 00:12:58,453 --> 00:13:00,045 NARRATOR: To help them catch prey, 206 00:13:00,133 --> 00:13:03,682 sea dragons have eyes that can move independently. 207 00:13:03,773 --> 00:13:07,209 While one eye looks forwards, the other can look backwards. 208 00:13:10,213 --> 00:13:12,602 This is a very rare sighting. 209 00:13:13,133 --> 00:13:15,408 Like their cousins, the sea horses, 210 00:13:15,493 --> 00:13:17,848 weedy sea dragons are under threat. 211 00:13:19,853 --> 00:13:21,411 TOONI: It's just so sad, isn't it? 212 00:13:21,493 --> 00:13:24,087 With the decline of the Tasmanian kelp forests, 213 00:13:24,173 --> 00:13:27,643 that actually means that the habitat for these beautiful creatures 214 00:13:27,733 --> 00:13:30,008 is getting smaller and smaller. 215 00:13:31,853 --> 00:13:34,208 The thing is, with something so perfectly adapted 216 00:13:34,293 --> 00:13:37,444 to one particular ecosystem, 217 00:13:38,213 --> 00:13:40,010 it's got nowhere else to go. 218 00:13:42,653 --> 00:13:45,213 PHILIPPE: I think it's time to let her go on her way. 219 00:13:46,613 --> 00:13:49,286 Wow, what a gift! 220 00:14:01,733 --> 00:14:05,726 NARRATOR: As our oceans continue to warm as a result of climate change, 221 00:14:05,813 --> 00:14:09,965 the devastation of this unique marine habitat offers a warning 222 00:14:10,053 --> 00:14:11,884 to others around the world. 223 00:14:15,053 --> 00:14:18,762 But these waters are warming much faster than any other ocean. 224 00:14:19,933 --> 00:14:22,606 The mystery is why, and will it continue? 225 00:14:23,853 --> 00:14:26,651 The team is on its way to help find out. 226 00:14:29,893 --> 00:14:31,121 There are signs it could be 227 00:14:31,213 --> 00:14:34,410 because of a shift in an important warm water current, 228 00:14:34,493 --> 00:14:36,245 the East Australian current. 229 00:14:37,173 --> 00:14:40,404 This is part of a huge ocean circulation system 230 00:14:40,493 --> 00:14:43,246 that transports warm water from the equator 231 00:14:43,333 --> 00:14:45,608 down the east coast of Australia. 232 00:14:46,333 --> 00:14:48,210 The way ocean circulations work is 233 00:14:48,293 --> 00:14:51,205 they work in these sort of giant gyres, they're called, 234 00:14:51,293 --> 00:14:55,047 and it's just a huge moVement of water in a circular motion. 235 00:14:55,133 --> 00:14:56,566 so, the Eastern Australian current 236 00:14:56,653 --> 00:14:59,645 is actually bringing warmer water from around the equator, 237 00:14:59,733 --> 00:15:02,850 but with changes in ocean currents, it's bringing the warmer water 238 00:15:02,933 --> 00:15:05,970 further and further south down the coast of Tasmania. 239 00:15:09,653 --> 00:15:12,326 NARRATOR: The shift southwards is thought to be responsible 240 00:15:12,413 --> 00:15:15,689 for the rapid rise in water temperatures off Tasmania, 241 00:15:15,773 --> 00:15:17,286 but will it carry on? 242 00:15:17,373 --> 00:15:19,170 -Yeah, yeah. -MAN: Pretty much. 243 00:15:19,773 --> 00:15:21,286 TOONI: Precious cargo? MAN: Yeah. 244 00:15:21,373 --> 00:15:23,728 NARRATOR: Today the team is working with scientists 245 00:15:23,813 --> 00:15:26,168 at the forefront of ocean current research 246 00:15:26,253 --> 00:15:29,404 to trial a piece of cutting-edge technology. 247 00:15:30,813 --> 00:15:34,010 This glider will gather vital information about the current 248 00:15:34,093 --> 00:15:36,448 and whether it's continuing to move south. 249 00:15:39,053 --> 00:15:41,487 LINDSAY MACDONALD: I'm getting some communication from the glider now. 250 00:15:44,173 --> 00:15:49,247 FiVe, four, three, two, one, launch! 251 00:15:55,293 --> 00:15:58,330 PAUL: She's in and looks good at the moment. 252 00:16:00,973 --> 00:16:02,611 NARRATOR: The glider will collect data 253 00:16:02,693 --> 00:16:05,924 from deep within the East Australian current. 254 00:16:06,013 --> 00:16:08,083 This will be for the first time. 255 00:16:08,173 --> 00:16:12,246 Until now, only surface readings have been taken by satellite. 256 00:16:12,533 --> 00:16:15,366 Now we'll set her on a mission to diVe. 257 00:16:15,453 --> 00:16:16,647 NARRATOR: Oceanographer Tooni 258 00:16:16,733 --> 00:16:19,611 is working with senior engineer Lindsay macDonald 259 00:16:19,693 --> 00:16:22,730 as the glider needs to perform a successful test flight 260 00:16:22,813 --> 00:16:25,008 before it can start its first mission. 261 00:16:26,533 --> 00:16:29,809 LINDSAY: So we'll just load that mission and send it on its merry way. 262 00:16:31,973 --> 00:16:33,964 DiVing, starting to diVe. 263 00:16:34,053 --> 00:16:36,613 Paul, it's starting to diVe, it's starting to diVe. 264 00:16:36,693 --> 00:16:39,287 PAUL: Yes, she's away, Tooni. It's looking good. 265 00:16:39,933 --> 00:16:41,525 Six metres now, Tooni. 266 00:16:41,613 --> 00:16:44,332 It's interesting with a diVer in the water to know what depth it's at, 267 00:16:44,413 --> 00:16:46,404 'cause I haVe got no idea until I download the data. 268 00:16:46,493 --> 00:16:49,132 -We can giVe you real time information. -Yeah, you can. 269 00:16:49,213 --> 00:16:51,932 PAUL: And she's leVelled off at eight metres, 270 00:16:52,733 --> 00:16:55,088 and she's now heading back up. 271 00:16:55,173 --> 00:16:56,288 LINDSAY: Okay, it's talking. 272 00:16:56,373 --> 00:16:58,728 What does it record when it's in the water? 273 00:16:58,813 --> 00:17:00,087 It records scientific data. 274 00:17:00,173 --> 00:17:03,529 -So temperature, salinity... -Temperature, salinity, 275 00:17:03,613 --> 00:17:05,205 and there's an oxygen sensor in the tail. 276 00:17:05,293 --> 00:17:07,488 LINDSAY: For the oxygen content in the water. 277 00:17:07,573 --> 00:17:09,052 TOONI: Okay. 278 00:17:10,373 --> 00:17:12,841 NARRATOR: Temperature, salinity and oxygen levels 279 00:17:12,933 --> 00:17:15,322 give each current its own unique signature. 280 00:17:16,093 --> 00:17:19,369 The glider will measure these over a series of voyages 281 00:17:19,453 --> 00:17:24,322 to find out how far and how deep the East Australian current goes, 282 00:17:24,413 --> 00:17:27,007 and if it's still moving further south. 283 00:17:29,973 --> 00:17:31,088 Well, this looks really good. 284 00:17:31,173 --> 00:17:36,486 She's made a whole series of descents and ascents perfectly as planned. 285 00:17:36,573 --> 00:17:38,564 That's exactly what she should be doing. 286 00:17:41,653 --> 00:17:45,168 NARRATOR: The glider is now ready for its first month-long mission. 287 00:17:47,613 --> 00:17:49,604 it'll soon be providing information 288 00:17:49,693 --> 00:17:52,924 to help discover how ocean currents here are changing. 289 00:17:54,653 --> 00:17:55,881 And that's vital 290 00:17:55,973 --> 00:18:00,171 because changes in this ocean could have a much wider impact. 291 00:18:02,213 --> 00:18:04,807 PHILIPPE: The southern Ocean touches three other oceans. 292 00:18:04,893 --> 00:18:07,248 it touches the pacific, the Atlantic and the indian. 293 00:18:07,333 --> 00:18:11,645 And it carries currents all the way around the southern part of this planet. 294 00:18:12,173 --> 00:18:15,688 You disrupt those and it's going to have a domino effect. 295 00:18:15,773 --> 00:18:19,163 And it needs to be understood further because it is on the front lines 296 00:18:19,253 --> 00:18:21,892 of the change that we are facing in this world. 297 00:18:21,973 --> 00:18:25,010 And as it changes, so too will eVerything else. 298 00:18:27,173 --> 00:18:28,492 NARRATOR: For their next task, 299 00:18:28,573 --> 00:18:32,361 the team is going in search of evidence of the most fundamental change 300 00:18:32,453 --> 00:18:36,526 the southern Ocean has ever experienced, its creation. 301 00:18:38,973 --> 00:18:43,046 That evidence lies within some of the highest sea cliffs in the world. 302 00:18:43,933 --> 00:18:48,643 These towering columns of basalt rise 300 metres out of the ocean. 303 00:18:49,333 --> 00:18:53,042 They are riddled with a vast network of underwater caves, 304 00:18:53,133 --> 00:18:58,491 carved out over millions of years by the southern Ocean's pounding seas. 305 00:19:01,533 --> 00:19:05,526 Those same seas make diving here perilous. 306 00:19:07,213 --> 00:19:09,886 PAUL: The problem is with this big sea rolling 307 00:19:09,973 --> 00:19:12,885 it's going to be booming up in those caVes 308 00:19:12,973 --> 00:19:15,282 and I'Ve been hung up in sea caVes before, 309 00:19:15,373 --> 00:19:17,887 and you just can't be messing around in them. 310 00:19:18,253 --> 00:19:19,971 Hold it there, Pete! 311 00:19:20,053 --> 00:19:22,567 NARRATOR: Rather than put the rest of the team at risk, 312 00:19:22,653 --> 00:19:24,962 paul decides to check them out first. 313 00:19:25,053 --> 00:19:26,168 MAN: Okay, Paul. 314 00:19:26,253 --> 00:19:29,245 NARRATOR: He's been diving for 40 years 315 00:19:29,333 --> 00:19:31,801 and has made over 6,000 dives. 316 00:19:33,493 --> 00:19:38,123 PAUL: Wow! There's a lot of water moVing round here, boys. 317 00:19:38,533 --> 00:19:41,889 It's Very, Very hard to keep in position. Just look at that. 318 00:19:41,973 --> 00:19:45,409 (EXCLAIMING) Blimey! Hanging on to the weed. 319 00:19:54,333 --> 00:19:57,086 The Southern Ocean has got me in some kind of mad, 320 00:19:57,173 --> 00:19:59,846 industrial wash cycle at the moment! 321 00:20:03,653 --> 00:20:07,726 There's no way I can get in that caVe right now. 322 00:20:12,213 --> 00:20:16,604 NARRATOR: The team has been thwarted by the power of the southern Ocean. 323 00:20:19,533 --> 00:20:23,685 There's just no way. You get near it and it's just... 324 00:20:25,733 --> 00:20:27,883 Really got to try and work to come back here. 325 00:20:27,973 --> 00:20:31,363 You know, watch the waVes, watch the weather, diVe it at night, 326 00:20:31,453 --> 00:20:33,171 diVe it at 3:00 in the morning. Do whateVer we can. 327 00:20:33,253 --> 00:20:34,572 We'Ve got to come back and diVe it. 328 00:20:35,933 --> 00:20:37,002 (MACHINE BEEPING) 329 00:20:37,093 --> 00:20:41,484 NARRATOR: There's now an anxious wait for tomorrow's weather forecast. 330 00:20:41,573 --> 00:20:45,771 Tooni will be diving with paul. They've both trained as cave divers. 331 00:20:45,853 --> 00:20:50,404 MAN ON RADIO: A five will develop to the southwest of Tasmania today. 332 00:20:50,493 --> 00:20:53,610 A weak, cold front is passing to the south... 333 00:20:56,053 --> 00:20:57,645 NARRATOR: The forecast is better 334 00:20:57,733 --> 00:21:01,851 but paul is still concerned about the dangers of this cave dive. 335 00:21:01,933 --> 00:21:03,764 PAUL: All I can think about is Tooni and me 336 00:21:03,853 --> 00:21:08,324 getting shoVed up into a narrow grooVe by the force of the Southern Ocean. 337 00:21:08,413 --> 00:21:10,483 TOONI: Explain to me what the potential issues are. 338 00:21:10,573 --> 00:21:13,770 What we're learning from the locals is that the surges come in 339 00:21:13,853 --> 00:21:16,083 and then they call it... EVery once in a while they get a king swell 340 00:21:16,173 --> 00:21:20,007 which is a great big one, and pushes... Then it can push us up 341 00:21:20,093 --> 00:21:23,369 and what I'm worried about is being up in the foam 342 00:21:23,453 --> 00:21:25,921 and I think we can get stuck and trapped on the surface in there. 343 00:21:26,013 --> 00:21:28,243 LUCY: Well then, don't go! 344 00:21:28,333 --> 00:21:31,166 Well, I think time is so short that no matter what the conditions, 345 00:21:31,253 --> 00:21:32,481 almost no matter what the conditions, 346 00:21:32,573 --> 00:21:34,803 you and me need to get in and haVe a sniff of them, 347 00:21:34,893 --> 00:21:37,532 'cause if we can pull it off, it'll be blooming great. 348 00:21:37,613 --> 00:21:40,081 And eVen if we can't pull it off, we'll get an idea what it's all about. 349 00:21:40,173 --> 00:21:41,401 It's worth going for. 350 00:21:41,493 --> 00:21:43,245 TOONI: Yeah, I agree. 351 00:21:45,893 --> 00:21:48,566 NARRATOR: Next morning they set out for the sea caves 352 00:21:48,653 --> 00:21:50,883 and a dive that could allow them to investigate 353 00:21:50,973 --> 00:21:53,328 the birth of the southern Ocean. 354 00:21:54,253 --> 00:21:58,644 Every metre they descend will take them further back in geological time. 355 00:22:01,013 --> 00:22:04,483 They're searching these cliffs for fossils of ancient sea creatures 356 00:22:04,573 --> 00:22:07,451 that lived over 300 million years ago 357 00:22:07,533 --> 00:22:11,048 and might hold clues to the southern Ocean's formation. 358 00:22:11,973 --> 00:22:15,522 TOONI: We're kind of looking for small boulders that we can pick up 359 00:22:15,613 --> 00:22:17,649 because the idea is to bring them back out of the caVes, 360 00:22:17,733 --> 00:22:19,007 send them up on a lift bag 361 00:22:19,093 --> 00:22:20,811 and then haVe a look at them on the back of the deck 362 00:22:20,893 --> 00:22:23,453 because our time down there is so limited. 363 00:22:30,693 --> 00:22:33,924 NARRATOR: This time the surge is much more manageable. 364 00:22:34,013 --> 00:22:37,210 PAUL: This is the entrance, this is it. 365 00:22:37,293 --> 00:22:41,206 NARRATOR: But the power of this sea can never be underestimated. 366 00:22:42,853 --> 00:22:46,289 TOONI: I can feel myself being pushed in by the waVes. 367 00:22:48,853 --> 00:22:50,605 NARRATOR: Once they enter the cave system, 368 00:22:50,693 --> 00:22:53,810 all communications with the surface will be lost. 369 00:22:55,253 --> 00:22:58,211 TOONI: Gosh, it's so narrow. 370 00:22:58,293 --> 00:23:00,443 PAUL: Yeah, you're right. It looks Very tight indeed 371 00:23:00,533 --> 00:23:03,605 but I do think it's worth going for. 372 00:23:03,693 --> 00:23:06,890 NARRATOR: They only have enough air to dive for 30 minutes 373 00:23:06,973 --> 00:23:11,842 so they need to find the fossils as fast as these treacherous tunnels will allow. 374 00:23:12,733 --> 00:23:15,930 TOONI: It's hard work swimming against this surge. 375 00:23:18,253 --> 00:23:20,687 NARRATOR: With metres of solid rock above them, 376 00:23:20,773 --> 00:23:23,003 escape to the surface is not an option. 377 00:23:26,653 --> 00:23:29,406 TOONI: It's pretty tight in here as well. 378 00:23:30,333 --> 00:23:34,087 There are now 40 metres of tunnels behind them. 379 00:23:34,173 --> 00:23:37,245 They've got just 20 minutes of usable air left. 380 00:23:39,773 --> 00:23:44,642 But then they emerge into a much bigger cave strewn with rocks. 381 00:23:44,733 --> 00:23:47,531 PAUL: The trick with finding these fossils is I'm not quite sure 382 00:23:47,613 --> 00:23:51,128 what to look for because there's just loads of boulders. 383 00:23:53,093 --> 00:23:56,881 TOONI: Well, we spot them by looking for something exactly like that. 384 00:23:56,973 --> 00:23:58,611 PAUL: Oh, hey! 385 00:23:59,173 --> 00:24:01,403 TOONI: There's a great depression in that one. 386 00:24:01,493 --> 00:24:05,771 Looks exactly like the markings of a cockle, doesn't it? See? 387 00:24:05,853 --> 00:24:07,127 That's exactly what we want, 388 00:24:07,213 --> 00:24:10,728 an indication that there is something more enticing inside. 389 00:24:11,493 --> 00:24:13,848 NARRATOR: This is a fossil brachiopod, 390 00:24:13,933 --> 00:24:18,484 a type of shellfish that lived over 300 million years ago. 391 00:24:18,573 --> 00:24:21,883 it's an important clue to the southern Ocean's past. 392 00:24:24,373 --> 00:24:25,806 TOONI: Look at that one. 393 00:24:26,973 --> 00:24:31,091 It looks like a mollusc almost, it looks something like a scallop. 394 00:24:31,173 --> 00:24:34,688 PAUL: I think that's probably enough. It's quite heavy, that. 395 00:24:34,773 --> 00:24:38,402 I'm just going to put some air in this bag and lift them a little bit. 396 00:24:38,493 --> 00:24:41,132 They're too heavy for us to swim it up. 397 00:24:43,173 --> 00:24:45,289 Perfect, come on, buddy. 398 00:24:51,493 --> 00:24:57,090 Paul, surface. This is Lucy. HaVe you found the fossils. OVer? 399 00:24:57,173 --> 00:25:00,483 Yeah, hi, Lucy, we're about to send her up actually. 400 00:25:01,493 --> 00:25:03,006 Here she goes! 401 00:25:07,373 --> 00:25:09,011 LUCY: Here they are, here they are! 402 00:25:09,093 --> 00:25:10,162 -You'Ve got them? -Here they are. 403 00:25:10,253 --> 00:25:11,322 Wow, well done. 404 00:25:11,413 --> 00:25:14,803 -Was it good, was it good? -Oh, it was a great diVe. 405 00:25:14,893 --> 00:25:17,009 PAUL: There's the one, there it is. TOONI: You can see pretty much 406 00:25:17,093 --> 00:25:18,287 eVery crenulation of the shell. 407 00:25:18,373 --> 00:25:20,967 -PAUL: Yeah, that's fantastic. -I wonder, can we hit into these? 408 00:25:21,053 --> 00:25:23,613 PAUL: You might find... We're just going to stick our masks on quick 409 00:25:23,693 --> 00:25:25,604 so look out for your eyes, Lucy. 410 00:25:27,893 --> 00:25:31,488 PAUL: That is a beauty. You can see the real delicate pattern in the shell. 411 00:25:31,573 --> 00:25:32,926 LUCY: What is it? 412 00:25:33,013 --> 00:25:35,322 Those are brachiopods 413 00:25:35,413 --> 00:25:38,485 and they used to be Very, Very abundant 414 00:25:38,573 --> 00:25:42,885 in sort of shallow seas, basically where you find a lot of mussels now. 415 00:25:42,973 --> 00:25:47,091 NARRATOR: But there's something else that's remarkable about these fossils. 416 00:25:47,173 --> 00:25:52,122 They're identical to fossils found in Antarctica, almost 2,000 miles away, 417 00:25:53,213 --> 00:25:58,810 clear evidence that this coast and Antarctica were once joined together. 418 00:25:58,893 --> 00:26:00,770 So as Tasmania split from the Antarctic, 419 00:26:00,853 --> 00:26:05,210 that was the birth of the Southern Ocean and we'Ve found eVidence of it. 420 00:26:09,693 --> 00:26:12,161 NARRATOR: The separation of these two land masses 421 00:26:12,253 --> 00:26:15,643 started around 53 million years ago. 422 00:26:15,733 --> 00:26:19,169 They took 1 5 million years to tear apart. 423 00:26:20,733 --> 00:26:24,442 This was the final stage in the southern Ocean's formation 424 00:26:24,533 --> 00:26:26,603 and it created a body of water 425 00:26:26,693 --> 00:26:30,288 with some of the most unpredictable weather in the world. 426 00:26:35,573 --> 00:26:38,690 PAUL: It feels like fiVe minutes ago it was a beautiful day. 427 00:26:38,773 --> 00:26:43,847 You can't guarantee a day's perfect weather here in the Southern Ocean. 428 00:26:43,933 --> 00:26:47,164 Yeah, just as soon as we turn around we get more weather coming in 429 00:26:47,253 --> 00:26:48,368 and that's exactly what's happened 430 00:26:48,453 --> 00:26:51,889 so we are going to haVe to pull out of here 'cause it's going to be rough. 431 00:27:08,413 --> 00:27:10,483 It's amaZing. I mean, I knew it was going to change quick, 432 00:27:10,573 --> 00:27:11,972 but maybe not quite that quick. 433 00:27:12,053 --> 00:27:14,521 From now it'll be a bit dodgy and then it'll ease off again. 434 00:27:14,613 --> 00:27:15,648 -Ease off? -Yeah. 435 00:27:15,733 --> 00:27:19,043 As you can see there is clear sky coming again now. 436 00:27:23,093 --> 00:27:28,611 NARRATOR: The extreme weather is largely caused by one unique feature. 437 00:27:28,693 --> 00:27:32,891 With the south pole at its centre, the winds and waves of the southern Ocean 438 00:27:32,973 --> 00:27:38,491 circle continuously eastward without any land to slow them down. 439 00:27:38,573 --> 00:27:43,852 Here, the world's longest current flows around the globe for 1 3,000 miles, 440 00:27:43,933 --> 00:27:46,493 driven by the world's strongest winds. 441 00:27:47,933 --> 00:27:53,212 it creates the notorious Roaring Forties from 40 to 50 degrees south. 442 00:27:54,773 --> 00:27:58,049 One of the things that is significant about the context of the Southern Ocean 443 00:27:58,133 --> 00:28:02,729 is these incredibly strong winds, the Roaring Forties. 444 00:28:02,813 --> 00:28:08,092 And as a result of that, you know, she has taken many Victims as it were. 445 00:28:08,173 --> 00:28:10,243 There are literally, you know, hundreds of shipwrecks 446 00:28:10,333 --> 00:28:13,769 around the shores of Tasmania, let alone the bigger ocean, 447 00:28:13,853 --> 00:28:17,448 and only a Very small number haVe actually been located. 448 00:28:20,533 --> 00:28:23,206 NARRATOR: maritime archaeologist Dr Lucy Blue 449 00:28:23,293 --> 00:28:25,648 has been researching the wreck of the Nord, 450 00:28:25,733 --> 00:28:29,487 an eighty metre long cargo vessel which sank while trying to evade 451 00:28:29,573 --> 00:28:32,804 a violent storm in 1 9 1 5. 452 00:28:32,893 --> 00:28:35,202 You can see oVer here, these are the Hippolytes 453 00:28:35,293 --> 00:28:38,649 and she tried to naVigate between the large one and the smaller one, 454 00:28:38,733 --> 00:28:42,248 and basically hit a small rock that's just... 455 00:28:42,333 --> 00:28:45,405 Look, you can see there where the water's breaking on this rock 456 00:28:45,493 --> 00:28:46,892 just below the surface. 457 00:28:46,973 --> 00:28:48,850 So she obViously didn't see it, 458 00:28:48,933 --> 00:28:50,332 thought that she could get through and... 459 00:28:50,413 --> 00:28:51,448 (LUCY EXCLAIMS) 460 00:28:55,373 --> 00:28:58,285 NARRATOR: The captain tried to steer the Nord to safety 461 00:28:58,373 --> 00:29:01,331 but huge seas swamped the ship's engines. 462 00:29:02,293 --> 00:29:03,726 she sank fast. 463 00:29:05,013 --> 00:29:09,450 You know, these waters are dangerous waters and I can't help but imagine 464 00:29:09,533 --> 00:29:11,524 what it was like that night when she went down. 465 00:29:11,613 --> 00:29:14,081 It would haVe been absolute pandemonium on board. 466 00:29:14,173 --> 00:29:17,051 I'm going to think of those men while I'm on it. 467 00:29:18,053 --> 00:29:20,806 NARRATOR: The Nord lies in deep water. 468 00:29:20,893 --> 00:29:25,045 it's a dive only paul has the training and experience to make. 469 00:29:25,133 --> 00:29:28,762 Lucy will be monitoring his exploration from the surface. 470 00:29:31,333 --> 00:29:35,008 They want to know how the Nord is faring after nearly 1 00 years 471 00:29:35,093 --> 00:29:38,005 beneath the southern Ocean's merciless seas. 472 00:29:40,613 --> 00:29:43,173 PAUL: Well, this is it. This is the wreck of the Nord. 473 00:29:43,253 --> 00:29:45,448 And just look at this thing. 474 00:29:45,533 --> 00:29:49,321 You can get an idea of the extent of the damage here. 475 00:29:49,413 --> 00:29:53,372 'Cause some shipwrecks on the bottom look like perfect ships, you know, 476 00:29:53,453 --> 00:29:57,731 but this one has just been crushed by the power of the ocean. 477 00:29:57,813 --> 00:30:02,967 Just look here, how the superstructure has sheared off so cleanly. 478 00:30:08,333 --> 00:30:11,166 LUCY: As the skipper of a vessel, you're thinking, ''Right, well, i'm okay. 479 00:30:11,253 --> 00:30:13,528 ''i'm in the southern Ocean. i've got the westerlies behind me. '' 480 00:30:13,613 --> 00:30:16,810 But eVen though there's less land to sort of wreck against, 481 00:30:16,893 --> 00:30:20,681 your instinct when the winds pick up is to go closer to land, to take shelter, 482 00:30:20,773 --> 00:30:24,163 to get in the lea of the island and yet the winds change 483 00:30:24,253 --> 00:30:26,244 and, you know, you're at the bottom. 484 00:30:29,213 --> 00:30:32,728 You can imagine at the other end of this rudder, 485 00:30:32,813 --> 00:30:36,965 those frantic moVements those men will haVe done trying to saVe her. 486 00:30:37,053 --> 00:30:41,126 I can't help but think what it must haVe been like for those guys. 487 00:30:45,133 --> 00:30:47,772 NARRATOR: This ship was one of over a thousand vessels 488 00:30:47,853 --> 00:30:52,051 that perished in the treacherous waters of this unforgiving sea. 489 00:30:56,413 --> 00:31:01,123 But the southern Ocean was also a route for a very different cargo, 490 00:31:01,213 --> 00:31:02,771 human cargo. 491 00:31:02,853 --> 00:31:05,242 MIKE: Paul, surface, Paul, surface, 492 00:31:05,333 --> 00:31:07,847 check your computer, check your computer. OVer. 493 00:31:07,933 --> 00:31:11,403 PAUL: Yeah, computer good. We're now heading back to the line 494 00:31:11,493 --> 00:31:14,007 and slowly coming up. All good. 495 00:31:21,173 --> 00:31:25,803 NARRATOR: Tasmania was the final destination for 75,000 convicts 496 00:31:25,893 --> 00:31:30,523 shipped halfway round the world from Britain. 497 00:31:30,613 --> 00:31:33,411 LUCY: The journey over would have taken five to six months. 498 00:31:33,493 --> 00:31:36,803 They were pretty crammed into the boats. 499 00:31:37,413 --> 00:31:40,007 I mean, they took adVantage of the Southern Ocean and the winds 500 00:31:40,093 --> 00:31:42,129 and the currents, you know, to bring them here 501 00:31:42,213 --> 00:31:44,408 but it's really extreme conditions out there 502 00:31:44,493 --> 00:31:47,212 and a lot of ships carrying conVicts actually wrecked 503 00:31:47,293 --> 00:31:50,171 so, you know, a lot of them didn't eVen make it here. 504 00:31:51,333 --> 00:31:55,212 NARRATOR: But for those who did, the southern Ocean kept them trapped here. 505 00:31:55,293 --> 00:31:58,046 No one ever escaped from Tasmania. 506 00:32:03,613 --> 00:32:06,411 Even today these often violent waters 507 00:32:06,493 --> 00:32:09,565 keep much of Tasmania virtually inaccessible. 508 00:32:12,573 --> 00:32:16,646 The south-western tip is home to some bizarre sea creatures, 509 00:32:16,733 --> 00:32:20,009 so difficult to reach that they've barely been studied. 510 00:32:22,813 --> 00:32:25,964 However, the team is hoping to do just that. 511 00:32:26,053 --> 00:32:29,966 But to get there the weather will have to be perfect. 512 00:32:30,053 --> 00:32:35,810 We'Ve got probably a chance here of a two or three day decent weather window, 513 00:32:35,893 --> 00:32:40,250 and I'm not sure if, in our expedition period, we're going to get that again. 514 00:32:40,333 --> 00:32:44,087 But I think it would be such a good use of time if we took this weather window 515 00:32:44,173 --> 00:32:46,528 and Tooni and me went round to the southwest 516 00:32:46,613 --> 00:32:50,049 and got the target of the sunken Valley because it's a remote spot. 517 00:32:50,133 --> 00:32:52,931 It strikes me as such a unique place 518 00:32:53,013 --> 00:32:55,447 that if we'Ve got the opportunity to go now, we should just grab it. 519 00:32:55,533 --> 00:32:57,922 But what that would mean though is that you two then could get on 520 00:32:58,013 --> 00:33:00,402 with the other expedition targets based from here. 521 00:33:00,493 --> 00:33:03,530 We could push off and try and get the sunken Valley done 522 00:33:03,613 --> 00:33:06,002 and then link up again in two or three days. 523 00:33:06,093 --> 00:33:07,924 Yeah. That's a good tactic. 524 00:33:08,013 --> 00:33:11,642 PAUL: Thanks, guys, I'll giVe you a hand. What's first? 525 00:33:13,333 --> 00:33:17,406 NARRATOR: Tooni and paul are heading for a place known as the sunken valley. 526 00:33:17,493 --> 00:33:22,362 Here, deep sea animals, normally living hundreds of metres below the surface, 527 00:33:22,453 --> 00:33:25,445 can be found thriving in shallow water. 528 00:33:25,533 --> 00:33:28,331 The deep sea is so inaccessible, it's so difficult to get to, 529 00:33:28,413 --> 00:33:31,211 it's so difficult to work in the deep sea, you know. 530 00:33:31,293 --> 00:33:33,727 And so being able to get to the sunken Valley 531 00:33:33,813 --> 00:33:36,327 and to be able to personally witness what's happening 532 00:33:36,413 --> 00:33:40,725 in a deep sea enVironment in six or seVen metres of water, it's my ideal. 533 00:33:51,493 --> 00:33:55,327 NARRATOR: Their journey takes them far away from civilisation. 534 00:34:00,133 --> 00:34:03,762 My first impressions are Very much that Tasmania is an untouched place. 535 00:34:03,853 --> 00:34:07,209 I mean, the water's clean, the air feels clean and fresh. 536 00:34:07,293 --> 00:34:10,490 You know, round on the southwest out there, there's no access at all. 537 00:34:10,573 --> 00:34:14,168 And it's a remote, pristine, true wilderness down there. 538 00:34:15,853 --> 00:34:18,651 NARRATOR: They round the southwest tip of Tasmania. 539 00:34:18,733 --> 00:34:21,486 Here the sheltered waters of Bathurst channel 540 00:34:21,573 --> 00:34:25,691 lead to the final passage into the sunken valley. 541 00:34:26,493 --> 00:34:28,768 Well, we're here. Look, we'Ve just slowed down. We're here. 542 00:34:28,853 --> 00:34:31,048 This is our site, this is our first site. 543 00:34:35,093 --> 00:34:39,245 NARRATOR: The first thing that strikes them here is the stillness. 544 00:34:46,333 --> 00:34:49,131 A unique combination of landscape and elements 545 00:34:49,213 --> 00:34:52,683 creates a very unusual phenomenon in the sunken valley. 546 00:34:53,653 --> 00:34:58,443 The strange brown colour of the surface waters gives a hint of what's to come. 547 00:35:01,773 --> 00:35:03,252 TOONI: It's such a beautiful place 548 00:35:03,333 --> 00:35:06,245 and I know that it's going to be such a special diVe 549 00:35:06,333 --> 00:35:08,130 so it just fills me with a real sense of excitement 550 00:35:08,213 --> 00:35:10,522 to be getting in the water in a minute. 551 00:35:16,093 --> 00:35:19,244 NARRATOR: it's like entering an alien world. 552 00:35:19,333 --> 00:35:22,405 TOONI: The water, it's kind of blood red. 553 00:35:24,013 --> 00:35:26,846 NARRATOR: This extraordinary colour comes from tannins 554 00:35:26,933 --> 00:35:29,527 washed out of the peaty soil on land. 555 00:35:30,853 --> 00:35:34,766 it turns the top three metres of the water into a dark soup. 556 00:35:36,693 --> 00:35:40,208 This mimics some of the conditions that would normally only exist 557 00:35:40,293 --> 00:35:42,853 hundreds of metres below the surface. 558 00:35:45,093 --> 00:35:46,924 TOONI: The tannin layer is important 559 00:35:47,013 --> 00:35:49,481 because it stops the light penetrating through, 560 00:35:49,573 --> 00:35:52,087 so what you get is a deep sea community. 561 00:35:52,173 --> 00:35:53,970 PAUL: Got it. 562 00:35:54,053 --> 00:35:56,772 TOONI: So what we're diVing through now are sea whips, 563 00:35:56,853 --> 00:35:59,492 which are a form of deep water coral. 564 00:36:01,973 --> 00:36:06,364 It's quite exceptional as a biologist to get to see these things. 565 00:36:06,453 --> 00:36:08,330 The great thing about these sea whips is the fact 566 00:36:08,413 --> 00:36:11,644 that you normally only see them in seVeral hundred metres of water, 567 00:36:11,733 --> 00:36:15,203 and we're in seVen metres of water. 568 00:36:18,173 --> 00:36:22,086 NARRATOR: Like many deep sea corals, sea whips grow very slowly 569 00:36:22,173 --> 00:36:24,846 and may be hundreds of years old. 570 00:36:24,933 --> 00:36:27,128 Although they might look like plants, 571 00:36:27,213 --> 00:36:30,444 sea whips are actually colonies of animals. 572 00:36:30,533 --> 00:36:33,843 Each one is made up of hundreds of polyps that feed 573 00:36:33,933 --> 00:36:38,006 using tiny tentacles to catch plankton swept by in the current. 574 00:36:42,373 --> 00:36:44,648 TOONI: Look, look. This is what I wanted to see. 575 00:36:44,733 --> 00:36:45,802 PAUL: Yeah? What is it? 576 00:36:45,893 --> 00:36:50,364 This is a basket star. Now at the moment it's got all its tentacles retracted. 577 00:36:50,453 --> 00:36:57,086 It's kind of like a starfish but it likes to use these sea whips as a base 578 00:36:57,173 --> 00:36:58,891 because it's a filter feeder. 579 00:36:58,973 --> 00:37:03,046 It climbs up the sea whip and gets its arms right out into the current 580 00:37:03,133 --> 00:37:07,649 so it can take adVantage of all the food coming past it as well. 581 00:37:08,893 --> 00:37:12,124 NARRATOR: The sea whips reveal one final secret. 582 00:37:12,213 --> 00:37:13,362 PAUL: Tooni, here's one. 583 00:37:13,453 --> 00:37:16,126 TOONI: Oh, there's a shark egg case, there's a shark egg case! 584 00:37:16,213 --> 00:37:18,408 PAUL: Look at that. 585 00:37:18,493 --> 00:37:21,451 TOONI: You can actually see the embryo inside. 586 00:37:21,533 --> 00:37:24,525 Look at that, that is a shark in there. 587 00:37:25,773 --> 00:37:28,207 NARRATOR: This has been laid by the draughtboard shark, 588 00:37:28,293 --> 00:37:32,172 another species more usually found in much deeper water. 589 00:37:32,253 --> 00:37:34,767 TOONI: They'Ve basically eVolVed to these conditions as well 590 00:37:34,853 --> 00:37:38,926 but what happens is they tie their eggs onto the sea whips 591 00:37:39,013 --> 00:37:41,368 because the sea whips are static. 592 00:37:41,453 --> 00:37:43,842 It's Very, Very intricately knotted. 593 00:37:44,933 --> 00:37:48,482 NARRATOR: No one's ever seen how they do this but the tangled knots are 594 00:37:48,573 --> 00:37:52,725 probably formed by the shark swimming round and round the sea whip. 595 00:37:56,173 --> 00:37:58,607 TOONI: it felt really untouched to me. PAUL: Yeah. 596 00:37:58,693 --> 00:38:02,129 It's really diVerse down there. There's loads of life. 597 00:38:02,213 --> 00:38:06,206 You know, you get all those sea whips standing Very proud right in the current 598 00:38:06,293 --> 00:38:08,568 and you can see them quiVering. 599 00:38:10,653 --> 00:38:14,043 NARRATOR: The sunken valley has revealed some fascinating marine life 600 00:38:14,133 --> 00:38:16,727 beneath its dark surface waters 601 00:38:16,813 --> 00:38:21,204 and there's another even stranger group of deep sea animals to study, 602 00:38:21,293 --> 00:38:25,889 but with the light fading, that will have to wait until tomorrow. 603 00:38:34,093 --> 00:38:36,482 With paul and Tooni at the sunken valley, 604 00:38:36,573 --> 00:38:40,361 Lucy and philippe want to investigate a local marine mystery. 605 00:38:42,893 --> 00:38:45,487 They're at the south-eastern tip of Tasmania, 606 00:38:45,573 --> 00:38:49,532 in a small bay separated from the ocean by a narrow strip of land, 607 00:38:49,613 --> 00:38:51,365 Eaglehawk Bay. 608 00:38:53,173 --> 00:38:56,404 This is the only place in the world where dozens of octopus, 609 00:38:56,493 --> 00:39:00,486 the largest in the southern hemisphere, become stranded and die. 610 00:39:03,253 --> 00:39:05,244 philippe wants to know why. 611 00:39:07,533 --> 00:39:10,366 PHILIPPE: This is the spot so... Pretty remarkable unique place. 612 00:39:10,453 --> 00:39:11,852 LUCY: Why here? 613 00:39:11,933 --> 00:39:14,811 Well, I mean, you know, that's the question. That's a great question. 614 00:39:14,893 --> 00:39:19,205 We don't know so I'm thinking we haVe a chance to see them from the surface. 615 00:39:19,293 --> 00:39:23,002 We'Ve got some powerful flashlights and it's shallow water. 616 00:39:23,093 --> 00:39:24,731 It's pretty clear. 617 00:39:24,813 --> 00:39:27,122 LUCY: Well, let's get the torches out, then. 618 00:39:28,653 --> 00:39:32,612 NARRATOR: There are theories as to why these large maori octopus are found here 619 00:39:32,693 --> 00:39:34,570 but no clear answers. 620 00:39:36,093 --> 00:39:37,526 We know it has something to do with the moon 621 00:39:37,613 --> 00:39:39,365 and it's right around the full moon right now, 622 00:39:39,453 --> 00:39:40,886 and it's coming into high tide. 623 00:39:40,973 --> 00:39:45,285 It's dusk, which is the right time to look, so I'll be thrilled if we see one. 624 00:39:49,733 --> 00:39:51,564 PHILIPPE: That's a powerful light you'Ve got there. 625 00:39:53,693 --> 00:39:58,050 So far no octopus. All I'm seeing is kind of murky murkiness. 626 00:39:59,613 --> 00:40:03,083 NARRATOR: With no sign of them from the boat, the search moves underwater. 627 00:40:09,013 --> 00:40:11,573 PHILIPPE: You know, I'm really curious to see what it looks like in there. 628 00:40:11,653 --> 00:40:13,644 I mean, why are they coming here? 629 00:40:13,733 --> 00:40:16,042 But there's no precedent in the world for this 630 00:40:16,133 --> 00:40:19,205 so, yeah, I really don't know what to expect. 631 00:40:19,293 --> 00:40:21,443 Doesn't matter how many questions you ask, 632 00:40:21,533 --> 00:40:26,926 there doesn't seem to be an answer, so, I mean, I'm just intrigued. 633 00:40:42,013 --> 00:40:45,972 PHILIPPE: Wow! Visibility is just awful. 634 00:40:48,253 --> 00:40:51,484 NARRATOR: The sea bed here is silty and featureless. 635 00:40:51,573 --> 00:40:54,770 Octopus usually like rocky crevices to hide in. 636 00:40:54,853 --> 00:40:58,209 so this is a very strange place for them to be found. 637 00:41:04,013 --> 00:41:05,924 LUCY: Philippe, Philippe! 638 00:41:06,013 --> 00:41:07,969 PHILIPPE: That's incredible. 639 00:41:08,053 --> 00:41:09,168 (PHILIPPE LAUGHS) 640 00:41:09,253 --> 00:41:12,245 NARRATOR: At last, a maori octopus. 641 00:41:12,333 --> 00:41:14,563 PHILIPPE: Wow! Look at that. 642 00:41:17,293 --> 00:41:20,763 NARRATOR: They have an arm span of up to three metres. 643 00:41:21,853 --> 00:41:25,528 PHILIPPE: What do you think, Lucy? LUCY: It's beautiful actually. 644 00:41:25,613 --> 00:41:29,526 I'Ve neVer in my life seen an octopus so huge. 645 00:41:34,733 --> 00:41:37,372 PHILIPPE: When they get this siZe, they're about a year or so old 646 00:41:37,453 --> 00:41:41,765 and they're at their maturity, sexual maturity, and they stop feeding, 647 00:41:42,933 --> 00:41:46,687 so definitely this animal is not here to eat. 648 00:41:48,013 --> 00:41:50,288 NARRATOR: A fully-grown octopus like this 649 00:41:50,373 --> 00:41:54,286 ought to be preparing for the final act of its life, spawning. 650 00:41:54,973 --> 00:41:59,649 PHILIPPE: The problem is there's nowhere for it to effectiVely lay its eggs. 651 00:41:59,733 --> 00:42:02,850 They do so on a rocky substrate bottom area. 652 00:42:02,933 --> 00:42:05,242 There's nothing like that here. 653 00:42:12,053 --> 00:42:14,726 NARRATOR: so what has drawn them here? 654 00:42:14,853 --> 00:42:18,402 Octopus would normally follow cues from the moon and tides 655 00:42:18,493 --> 00:42:22,406 to find their spawning grounds on rocky reefs in the open sea. 656 00:42:23,613 --> 00:42:26,525 perhaps these have been led into the neck of the bay 657 00:42:26,613 --> 00:42:31,129 only to find their final passage blocked by a narrow spit of land. 658 00:42:34,293 --> 00:42:37,012 PHILIPPE: It's a tragic, tragic story. 659 00:42:37,093 --> 00:42:39,004 Tragedy of topography. 660 00:42:39,533 --> 00:42:44,926 These octopus stay here, most likely unable to haVe the energy to leaVe. 661 00:42:47,453 --> 00:42:49,091 NARRATOR: As the tide retreats, 662 00:42:49,173 --> 00:42:52,165 the exhausted octopus are stranded on the beach 663 00:42:52,253 --> 00:42:56,610 with just a hundred metres of land separating them from the open ocean. 664 00:43:06,453 --> 00:43:10,002 At the sunken valley, it's day two of the team's exploration, 665 00:43:10,093 --> 00:43:12,323 and they're making an early start. 666 00:43:12,813 --> 00:43:15,247 PAUL: it's a very atmospheric morning but it's a bit cold and damp. 667 00:43:15,333 --> 00:43:16,766 i mean, look at it, there's a whole mystery. 668 00:43:16,853 --> 00:43:19,287 We could be anywhere but it's good, though. 669 00:43:19,373 --> 00:43:22,445 probably the best natural harbour on the planet. 670 00:43:22,573 --> 00:43:25,531 So, you know, a good sleep and a good breakfast, 671 00:43:25,613 --> 00:43:27,171 another cup of tea, go diVing. 672 00:43:28,973 --> 00:43:31,885 NARRATOR: Because the deep ocean is so difficult to get to, 673 00:43:31,973 --> 00:43:35,886 studying any kind of animal behaviour there is incredibly hard. 674 00:43:37,333 --> 00:43:40,803 But in the sunken valley, Tooni is hoping for the opportunity 675 00:43:40,893 --> 00:43:44,602 to record a behaviour that's never been filmed here before. 676 00:43:48,373 --> 00:43:50,091 TOONI: God, it's pitch blank, isn't it? 677 00:43:50,173 --> 00:43:53,165 We really are descending into the pitch blank. 678 00:43:54,773 --> 00:43:57,082 It's like being on a night diVe. 679 00:43:57,213 --> 00:43:59,488 PAUL: Here's the bottom, Tooni. 680 00:44:02,533 --> 00:44:04,728 NARRATOR: They're searching for creatures which look as though 681 00:44:04,813 --> 00:44:08,362 they've come from a science fiction film, sea pens. 682 00:44:10,853 --> 00:44:14,243 TOONI: They're beautiful, yet Very, Very strange creatures, aren't they? 683 00:44:14,333 --> 00:44:16,608 PAUL: Yeah. TOONI: They're called sea pens 684 00:44:16,693 --> 00:44:19,924 because they look like those beautiful old feather quills 685 00:44:20,013 --> 00:44:23,130 -that people used to write with. -Okay. 686 00:44:23,213 --> 00:44:25,522 NARRATOR: Like everything else beneath the tannin layer, 687 00:44:25,613 --> 00:44:27,683 these sea pens are animals. 688 00:44:28,053 --> 00:44:31,443 There's so little light here, no plants can survive. 689 00:44:32,413 --> 00:44:35,769 TOONI: There are some big sea pens here, aren't there? 690 00:44:35,853 --> 00:44:38,811 Look, you can see it turning with the current. 691 00:44:38,893 --> 00:44:40,292 PAUL: Yeah. 692 00:44:40,773 --> 00:44:43,367 NARRATOR: Each of these sea pens isn't a single animal 693 00:44:43,453 --> 00:44:46,809 but a colony of individuals working together as one. 694 00:44:47,773 --> 00:44:50,845 Different parts of the colony have specialised functions, 695 00:44:50,933 --> 00:44:54,812 such as pumping water, reproduction or catching prey. 696 00:44:55,693 --> 00:44:58,730 TOONI: So it's like the ultimate in community liVing. 697 00:44:59,373 --> 00:45:02,888 PAUL: I'Ve got myself conVinced that I'm at 1 50 metres 698 00:45:02,973 --> 00:45:04,929 because it's cold and dark, 699 00:45:05,013 --> 00:45:07,971 and there's loads of weird creatures down here. 700 00:45:12,933 --> 00:45:15,208 NARRATOR: sea pens come in and out of the sediment 701 00:45:15,293 --> 00:45:19,206 but no one can see this behaviour because it happens so slowly. 702 00:45:20,133 --> 00:45:22,488 so the team has set up a time-lapse camera 703 00:45:22,573 --> 00:45:25,963 to try to record it here for the very first time. 704 00:45:26,053 --> 00:45:30,046 TOONI: That one there has actually almost completely disappeared. 705 00:45:30,373 --> 00:45:34,730 They pump water into themselVes to bring themselVes out of the sediment 706 00:45:34,813 --> 00:45:36,883 and then when they want to go back down, 707 00:45:36,973 --> 00:45:39,771 they release that water so they can retract. 708 00:45:43,933 --> 00:45:47,243 NARRATOR: The speeded-up footage shows how, over four hours, 709 00:45:47,333 --> 00:45:51,849 some of the sea pens gradually deflate and bury themselves in the sea bed. 710 00:45:55,853 --> 00:46:00,165 it's thought this behaviour might protect sea pens from predators, 711 00:46:00,253 --> 00:46:01,811 and this may be the first time 712 00:46:01,893 --> 00:46:04,885 that evidence has been captured to confirm it. 713 00:46:09,093 --> 00:46:13,166 close examination of the time-lapse clip shows a yellow sea slug, 714 00:46:13,253 --> 00:46:17,610 a sea pen predator, enter the scene and make contact with some of them. 715 00:46:19,613 --> 00:46:23,049 Each sea pen it touches withdraws into the sediment. 716 00:46:26,293 --> 00:46:30,525 This has never been seen before and will help us to understand 717 00:46:30,613 --> 00:46:33,650 this little-known world of deep sea creatures. 718 00:46:41,733 --> 00:46:44,645 The sunken valley has allowed us a privileged glimpse 719 00:46:44,733 --> 00:46:47,611 into the lives of its deep sea inhabitants. 720 00:46:49,173 --> 00:46:50,970 The deep sea is almost impenetrable 721 00:46:51,053 --> 00:46:54,602 and therefore the only opportunity that I get to see deep water creatures 722 00:46:54,693 --> 00:46:57,651 within my capabilities is here. 723 00:46:57,773 --> 00:47:01,209 So I think it's been a really special part of the expedition. 724 00:47:18,333 --> 00:47:21,166 NARRATOR: Next day, the team is re-united. 725 00:47:21,453 --> 00:47:23,284 PAUL: Here they come. 726 00:47:24,653 --> 00:47:26,166 TOONI: Hello! PAUL: Hey, hey, hey! 727 00:47:29,693 --> 00:47:33,003 NARRATOR: it's the final leg of the southern Ocean expedition. 728 00:47:35,013 --> 00:47:36,969 LUCY: Ah! There's some. There, there, there, look. 729 00:47:37,053 --> 00:47:38,725 NARRATOR: As they round Tasman island, 730 00:47:38,813 --> 00:47:41,930 they spot a large group of Australian fur seals. 731 00:47:42,013 --> 00:47:46,529 Oh, there are loads of them on that flat section there. 732 00:47:46,613 --> 00:47:48,604 NARRATOR: Hunted almost to extinction, 733 00:47:48,693 --> 00:47:51,651 these fur seals are now a protected species. 734 00:47:52,973 --> 00:47:55,248 But their recovery's been slow 735 00:47:55,493 --> 00:47:58,610 so to see such a big colony is very encouraging. 736 00:47:59,973 --> 00:48:01,372 Good to go. 737 00:48:01,973 --> 00:48:06,091 Lucy and marine biologist Tooni want to check them out underwater. 738 00:48:10,533 --> 00:48:14,208 TOONI: You see how much of a good look they're giVing us. 739 00:48:14,293 --> 00:48:16,124 Really, really looking. 740 00:48:18,093 --> 00:48:20,004 You see the way they power themselVes. 741 00:48:20,093 --> 00:48:23,324 They just giVe that massiVe pull down of their front flippers 742 00:48:23,413 --> 00:48:26,325 and then they streamline and twist and turn. 743 00:48:33,253 --> 00:48:34,925 Lucy, come on! 744 00:48:35,693 --> 00:48:38,207 NARRATOR: Australian fur seals have dense coats 745 00:48:38,293 --> 00:48:42,684 with coarse outer hairs that trap air to insulate them against the cold. 746 00:48:43,453 --> 00:48:46,729 As the seals dive, the air is released as bubbles. 747 00:48:48,333 --> 00:48:51,803 TOONI: They're so streamlined underwater, aren't they? 748 00:48:55,653 --> 00:48:58,565 NARRATOR: Their incredible speed and agility underwater 749 00:48:58,653 --> 00:49:02,168 allow them to catch even fast-moving prey such as squid. 750 00:49:04,293 --> 00:49:06,887 TOONI: Faster than a speeding bullet. 751 00:49:07,813 --> 00:49:11,249 NARRATOR: The presence of so many boisterous and playful seals 752 00:49:11,333 --> 00:49:14,006 seems to bode well for this population. 753 00:49:20,453 --> 00:49:22,967 it's clear that the waters of the southern Ocean 754 00:49:23,053 --> 00:49:26,125 still support an amazing amount of marine life. 755 00:49:28,293 --> 00:49:30,011 But they are changing, 756 00:49:30,093 --> 00:49:33,244 and much faster than anywhere else in the world. 757 00:49:37,493 --> 00:49:41,532 The team has seen the devastating effects of warming waters here, 758 00:49:41,613 --> 00:49:43,729 especially on kelp forests. 759 00:49:45,133 --> 00:49:47,806 so, can anything be done to save them? 760 00:49:48,493 --> 00:49:50,131 TOONI: people don't care about kelp. 761 00:49:50,213 --> 00:49:52,443 EVeryone's worried about the dolphins and the whales, 762 00:49:52,533 --> 00:49:54,649 and they should be worried about the kelp 763 00:49:54,733 --> 00:49:56,803 'cause they are the ecosystem engineers. 764 00:49:56,893 --> 00:49:58,611 They're the ones that create the structure 765 00:49:58,693 --> 00:50:00,923 for the rest of the habitat. 766 00:50:01,013 --> 00:50:03,652 It's one of the reasons why ecosystem management 767 00:50:03,733 --> 00:50:07,612 is one of the most important things in marine conserVation and marine biology. 768 00:50:07,693 --> 00:50:10,605 You'Ve got to look at the ecosystem, you can't just pick one species 769 00:50:10,693 --> 00:50:13,048 and attempt to conserVe that because it doesn't work. 770 00:50:17,453 --> 00:50:20,331 NARRATOR: philippe has heard about a ground-breaking new study 771 00:50:20,413 --> 00:50:24,247 that could help restore balance to Tasmania's kelp ecosystems. 772 00:50:28,213 --> 00:50:30,602 Today, he and Tooni are joining this project 773 00:50:30,693 --> 00:50:32,809 to take part in a special event, 774 00:50:32,893 --> 00:50:36,681 one that's the culmination of years of research and planning. 775 00:50:38,373 --> 00:50:39,852 TOONI: Hi. PHILIPPE: Hello. 776 00:50:39,933 --> 00:50:41,127 -Good morning. -I'm Tooni. 777 00:50:41,213 --> 00:50:43,283 NARRATOR: Dr craig Johnson and his team 778 00:50:43,373 --> 00:50:46,206 plan to release hundreds of large rock lobsters 779 00:50:46,293 --> 00:50:48,249 into damaged kelp areas. 780 00:50:48,573 --> 00:50:51,485 So these guys haVe been out for a little while so they're fairly docile. 781 00:50:51,573 --> 00:50:52,688 PHILIPPE: Yeah. 782 00:50:52,773 --> 00:50:56,004 NARRATOR: He's collected the lobsters from deep offshore waters. 783 00:50:56,093 --> 00:50:59,005 They're one of the few natural predators of the sea urchins 784 00:50:59,093 --> 00:51:02,130 that have been decimating Tasmania's kelp beds. 785 00:51:04,853 --> 00:51:09,290 craig's team is hoping these lobsters will feast on the sea urchins. 786 00:51:09,453 --> 00:51:11,648 This could bring their numbers under control 787 00:51:11,733 --> 00:51:14,725 so the dwindling kelp has a chance to recover. 788 00:51:16,333 --> 00:51:19,882 About two-thirds of the animals will be released on the urchin barren 789 00:51:19,973 --> 00:51:22,533 and one lot into the adjacent seaweed. 790 00:51:22,613 --> 00:51:24,092 We don't know anywhere else in the world that's... 791 00:51:24,173 --> 00:51:26,971 -Wow! -...moVed such a large number of 792 00:51:27,053 --> 00:51:30,728 large lobsters to look for ecosystem leVel effects like this. 793 00:51:30,813 --> 00:51:32,531 TOONI: Yeah, right. 794 00:51:33,093 --> 00:51:35,402 Oh, my God, the weight of him. 795 00:51:36,333 --> 00:51:38,244 NARRATOR: All the lobsters need to be scanned 796 00:51:38,333 --> 00:51:40,642 for individual microchip numbers. 797 00:51:40,733 --> 00:51:42,769 Then they can be tracked after their release. 798 00:51:42,853 --> 00:51:44,809 CRAIG: 4480, done. 799 00:51:47,333 --> 00:51:49,642 Look at that. Look at that. 800 00:51:51,413 --> 00:51:53,369 A monster, it's amaZing. 801 00:51:55,133 --> 00:51:56,725 PHILIPPE: Easy there, buddy. 802 00:51:56,813 --> 00:51:58,212 Oh! 803 00:51:58,733 --> 00:51:59,768 I'Ve got a liVe one. 804 00:51:59,853 --> 00:52:02,048 PHILIPPE: We'Ve got a reVolt in the bucket oVer here, Tooni. 805 00:52:02,133 --> 00:52:03,282 (TOONI LAUGHING) 806 00:52:03,373 --> 00:52:06,251 A lobster rebellion. BehaVe! 807 00:52:06,573 --> 00:52:10,566 It's going on a walkabout. I know you're in Australia but... 808 00:52:10,653 --> 00:52:12,450 NARRATOR: The clock is ticking. 809 00:52:12,533 --> 00:52:14,683 The lobsters need to be taken to the release site 810 00:52:14,773 --> 00:52:17,924 and put back in the water as quickly as possible. 811 00:52:35,213 --> 00:52:38,808 At the release site, craig's team is already in position. 812 00:52:39,613 --> 00:52:42,923 CRAIG: The real problem for us right now is when they're in the warmth, 813 00:52:43,013 --> 00:52:45,083 they do start to deteriorate quite quickly 814 00:52:45,173 --> 00:52:47,084 so our priority now is to really 815 00:52:47,173 --> 00:52:50,131 try and wham these down as quickly as we can. 816 00:52:54,733 --> 00:52:57,247 This has neVer been done before and I think it's fascinating, 817 00:52:57,333 --> 00:53:00,291 the idea of reintroducing these Very mature lobsters 818 00:53:00,373 --> 00:53:01,965 back into the ecosystem. 819 00:53:02,053 --> 00:53:03,884 You know, this is really cutting edge science at work 820 00:53:03,973 --> 00:53:07,852 so being able to see kind of it happening at its inception, 821 00:53:07,933 --> 00:53:09,161 I think is Very exciting. 822 00:53:09,253 --> 00:53:10,686 CRAIG: Okay. 823 00:53:12,293 --> 00:53:13,885 And in you go. 824 00:53:18,813 --> 00:53:21,043 NARRATOR: The first batch of lobsters is being released 825 00:53:21,133 --> 00:53:23,966 into an area that was once a lush kelp bed. 826 00:53:24,733 --> 00:53:27,531 PHILIPPE: This is definitely an urchin barren. 827 00:53:27,613 --> 00:53:30,491 I mean, look at it. There's not a single 828 00:53:30,573 --> 00:53:34,168 liVing piece of plant material anywhere. 829 00:53:34,733 --> 00:53:38,772 So this is the culprit right here. Look at the spines on this sucker. 830 00:53:38,853 --> 00:53:40,286 (TOONI EXCLAIMING) 831 00:53:40,373 --> 00:53:42,250 Big, nasty sea urchin. 832 00:53:43,173 --> 00:53:47,530 And so it takes these big lobsters to reach around the sea urchin, 833 00:53:47,973 --> 00:53:52,251 flip it oVer and be able to get right in there. 834 00:53:52,333 --> 00:53:56,770 That is where the sea urchin is the most Vulnerable, where its mouth is. 835 00:53:57,133 --> 00:53:59,886 TOONI: Very little actually kills these things off. 836 00:53:59,973 --> 00:54:03,443 That's why the lobster reintroduction is so important. 837 00:54:06,733 --> 00:54:09,930 NARRATOR: Large lobsters are a rarity in many kelp forests 838 00:54:10,013 --> 00:54:12,322 because they've been fished out. 839 00:54:12,613 --> 00:54:17,243 But by bringing these giants here from deeper water, that's about to change. 840 00:54:18,373 --> 00:54:19,965 (PHILIPPE AND TOONI EXCLAIMING) 841 00:54:20,133 --> 00:54:23,284 TOONI: They're pretty desperate to get out I think. 842 00:54:23,373 --> 00:54:24,442 (PHILIPPE LAUGHING) 843 00:54:24,533 --> 00:54:26,649 NARRATOR: These lobsters use their powerful tails 844 00:54:26,733 --> 00:54:28,371 to escape from predators. 845 00:54:29,213 --> 00:54:30,248 (PHILIPPE LAUGHING) 846 00:54:30,333 --> 00:54:33,291 (PHILIPPE GROANING) 847 00:54:33,733 --> 00:54:35,451 (TOONI LAUGHS) 848 00:54:35,933 --> 00:54:37,366 PHILIPPE: He got me right on the hand there. 849 00:54:37,453 --> 00:54:39,728 That's going to leaVe a mark. 850 00:54:41,453 --> 00:54:42,852 NARRATOR: Over the coming months, 851 00:54:42,933 --> 00:54:45,925 craig's team will track the movement of these lobsters 852 00:54:46,013 --> 00:54:49,926 and monitor the impact they're having on the urchin population. 853 00:54:50,973 --> 00:54:52,088 (PHILIPPE EXCLAIMING) 854 00:54:52,173 --> 00:54:53,925 NARRATOR: if the experiment works, 855 00:54:54,013 --> 00:54:58,643 it could provide hope for the long-term survival of Tasmania's kelp forests. 856 00:54:59,893 --> 00:55:01,292 There we go. 857 00:55:01,533 --> 00:55:05,811 It's so fantastic to haVe packed these into the crates 858 00:55:06,253 --> 00:55:09,609 and now to actually bring them to their new home, 859 00:55:10,213 --> 00:55:15,526 where hopefully they're going to start eating these Very big sea urchins. 860 00:55:20,733 --> 00:55:22,928 NARRATOR: philippe and Tooni's final job 861 00:55:23,013 --> 00:55:25,607 is to release the last few crates of lobsters 862 00:55:25,693 --> 00:55:28,412 into the second of craig's study areas. 863 00:55:28,493 --> 00:55:30,848 PHILIPPE: Look in here! 864 00:55:30,933 --> 00:55:32,207 (TOONI LAUGHING) 865 00:55:32,293 --> 00:55:37,128 TOONI: Do you know what, Philippe? I can feel mine bursting to get out. 866 00:55:37,413 --> 00:55:39,290 Here we go! 867 00:55:39,773 --> 00:55:42,003 NARRATOR: Here the kelp is still healthy. 868 00:55:42,093 --> 00:55:44,653 The hope is that this lobster re-introduction 869 00:55:44,733 --> 00:55:46,610 will help keep it that way. 870 00:55:46,693 --> 00:55:50,766 PHILIPPE: This is the kind of habitat these lobsters should be in. 871 00:55:51,253 --> 00:55:53,323 TOONI: There we go, one more. 872 00:55:53,413 --> 00:55:54,971 (PHILIPPE WHOOPING) 873 00:55:55,893 --> 00:55:59,090 PHILIPPE: There's just lobster flying eVerywhere. 874 00:55:59,773 --> 00:56:03,163 NARRATOR: if it's successful, this project's approach could offer hope 875 00:56:03,253 --> 00:56:06,768 to other threatened marine ecosystems around the world. 876 00:56:09,613 --> 00:56:10,762 (SHOUTS) 877 00:56:10,853 --> 00:56:12,650 Mission accomplished. 878 00:56:14,093 --> 00:56:15,731 TOONI: I got a bit oVerexcited down there. 879 00:56:15,813 --> 00:56:17,371 Felt like being part of something good, 880 00:56:17,453 --> 00:56:19,171 kind of, you know, being part of the solution. 881 00:56:19,253 --> 00:56:20,288 Yeah. 882 00:56:20,373 --> 00:56:23,126 And, you know, you really, really hope that those lobsters 883 00:56:23,213 --> 00:56:27,411 are going to chow on those sea urchins. There's enough of them down there. 884 00:56:27,493 --> 00:56:28,721 TOONI: But didn't you think for craig 885 00:56:28,813 --> 00:56:31,088 and the scientists working on this project today, 886 00:56:31,173 --> 00:56:33,164 and that release event is like the culmination 887 00:56:33,253 --> 00:56:35,767 of years of work for them? 888 00:56:35,853 --> 00:56:38,048 i just think it's fantastic that we're actually here... 889 00:56:38,133 --> 00:56:39,168 -PHILIPPE: Yeah. -...to witness that. 890 00:56:39,253 --> 00:56:41,403 Well, it's the forefront of conserVation biology. 891 00:56:41,493 --> 00:56:43,768 I mean, that's what it's all about. 892 00:56:56,013 --> 00:56:58,652 NARRATOR: it's the end of the southern Ocean expedition 893 00:56:58,733 --> 00:57:02,089 and it's been a challenging but inspiring journey. 894 00:57:03,933 --> 00:57:06,401 The team has felt the power of these seas 895 00:57:06,493 --> 00:57:09,087 and seen the damage they can inflict. 896 00:57:11,533 --> 00:57:14,923 But these waters have also revealed hidden treasures, 897 00:57:16,013 --> 00:57:18,004 extraordinary marine life 898 00:57:18,493 --> 00:57:21,087 in unique but often fragile habitats. 899 00:57:24,893 --> 00:57:28,283 PHILIPPE: i never appreciated just how devastated the kelp forests had become 900 00:57:28,373 --> 00:57:30,250 until i saw it with my own eyes. 901 00:57:30,333 --> 00:57:36,329 That encapsulated both the importance of the Southern Ocean 902 00:57:36,413 --> 00:57:39,166 and the peril that we face as it changes. 903 00:57:41,133 --> 00:57:42,885 NARRATOR: There can now be no doubt 904 00:57:42,973 --> 00:57:47,603 that changes are having a profound impact on life in the southern Ocean 905 00:57:47,693 --> 00:57:50,730 but this is an ocean connected to three others, 906 00:57:50,973 --> 00:57:54,886 and what is still unknown is how the rapid changes here 907 00:57:54,973 --> 00:57:57,487 could affect the rest of the world. 908 00:58:03,933 --> 00:58:09,166 Next time the Oceans team travels to the pristine southern Red sea. 909 00:58:11,293 --> 00:58:15,730 They explore coral thriving in some of the world's warmest waters. 910 00:58:16,813 --> 00:58:20,169 They dive a shipwreck carrying a deadly cargo. 911 00:58:20,333 --> 00:58:23,211 LUCY: There are thousands of bombs here. 912 00:58:23,293 --> 00:58:26,365 NARRATOR: And they witness the birth of an ocean.