Attenborough's expedition consults scientific experts on the reef's past and future changes, proving astounding resilience. Wiped out by geological changes or sea level rise, it managed to return at a different track along the Australian coast and regenerated partial destruction, as by cyclones, amazingly fast. However never was the disruption as fast as now, so it's unlikely to adapt naturally in time to global warming, hence experiments to simulate this and attempt selective breeding to speed it up. Besides a catalog of other threat, mainly pollution, David finds some hope diving deeper then ever in a hemispheric submersible to discover deep ocean species, and some corals beneath normally visible light, which are hoped to recolonize climate-flooded reefs.
—KGF Vissers