
This installment of Earth Focus provides a special look into Studio of the Sea, a group of biologists equipped with camera equipment that are studying the underwater effects of global warming on coral reefs in Phoenix Island, a sparsely populated chain of atolls in the Pacific Ocean. Their footage provides insight into the delicate balance of underwater ecosystems, as well as the devastating effects of even the slightest temperature changes on the health, size and vibrancy of the "rainforests of the sea." The Planetary Coral Reef Foundation's crew has been working off the research vessel, the RV Heraclitus, for more than 12 years, which is the only ship continually at sea studying coral reefs on a planetary basis. According to PCRF's findings, two-thirds of the world's coral reefs and their ecosystems are at risk for devastation due to climate change, pollution and other harmful underwater trends. Other segments in this Earth Focus broadcast include: a look at the dangers facing wild horses in Palomino Valley, California; a report on a growing number of commercial bottle water companies, such as Ethos and Belu, that donate a portion or all of their proceeds from sales to global causes; and a startling exposé on annual seal hunting in Canada and a resulting boycott against Darden Restaurants, the multi-billion-dollar company that owns Red Lobster, and the entire Canadian seafood industry.
