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S2 E38: Before the Flood: How Fossils Built the Great Barrier Reef (and the Pyramids!)
Manage episode 523423474 series 3552171
What do the Egyptian Pyramids, the Greek Parthenon, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Melbourne's Parliament House all have in common? They are all built out of fossilised reefs, aka limestone!
Today we’re taking a journey through deep lime - I mean time - to answer some of those burning questions like: How old is the Great Barrier Reef? What ancient forces built this coral colossus? Why are there fossilised reefs hundreds of metres above sea level and kilometres inland? And perhaps most importantly... What do these lessons from the ancient karst - I mean past - mean for our future?
To help us dig up the answers, we’re joined by Russell Kelley - a coral geologist, biologist, and author of the acclaimed Be Your Own Guide coral identification book series - who knows corals both living and extinct like the back of his hand.
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PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!
- Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
- Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
- Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
- Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
- Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
- Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
- WWF Australia: Protect Nature
- Rising Tide: ...
Chapters
1. Strange Worlds: Introducing Russell Kelley (00:00:00)
2. Diving in a Sand Mine: Fossil Reefs of Moreton Bay and Stradbroke Island (00:05:07)
3. Reefs with Altitude: Strolling through Fossil Reefs in Papua New Guinea (00:11:37)
4. Living in the Karst: A Journey Back in Lime through Europe's Watery History (00:21:37)
5. How Was the GBR Formed? (00:27:57)
6. Indigenous History & Ancient Reefs (00:35:28)
7. Ancient Climate Change vs. Modern Climate Change (00:37:54)
8. The Old-Growth Corals and Fish Are Gone: Russell's Experiences of Changing Marine Ecosystems (00:42:47)
9. What the Future Holds & What We Can Do About It (00:49:31)
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