ZSL #041 Reimagining Coral Reefs

Out of sight…but not out of mind? Coral reefs exist largely out of sight for the majority of the world's population, so the vast array of ecosystem services they provide for local communities are often forgotten, leading conservation efforts to feel like an uphill battle. In this episode, we talk to the people trying to tackle this problem; from using the sounds that healthy and degraded coral reefs make to monitor their restoration, to bringing people closer to coral reefs using virtual reality.   Overview 00:13    Introduction to the topic from Harriet McAra 01:26    Ben Williams, PhD student at the Institute of Zoology and UCL, on coral reefs' importance, coral soundscapes and the Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System 08:30    Introduction to the Datascape Realities Project 08:52    John Zhang and Lourenco Viveiros, co-founders of Datascape Realities, and Jason Lynch, UCL and Institute of Zoology 28:14    Outro and further information Resources If there's a topic you'd like to hear on a future podcast, or if you'd like to share your thoughts, email the ZSL Wild Science Podcast at: [email protected] Check out our science and conservation work at: www.zsl.org/Science or www.zsl.org/conservation Ben Williams: https://www.zsl.org/about-zsl/our-people/ben-williams Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System: https://www.buildingcoral.com/ and https://www.buildingcoral.com/news/mars-data-scientists-turn-their-skills-to-coral-reef-restoration Datascape Realities: https://www.datascaperealities.com/ and @datascape_real   Get in touch  Email [email protected] with your questions, comments, and thoughts for future episodes! Tweet us @ZSLScience with the hashtag #ZSLWildScience Follow us on Facebook @ZSLScienceAndConservation