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