Biscayne: Coral Reefs and the Florida Keys (Full Episode) | America's National Parks | Nat Geo
-
0:03 - 0:08The Florida coast is host to one
of the biggest gatherings of animals -
0:09 - 0:11in the United States.
-
0:14 - 0:17Mullet in the millions
-
0:20 - 0:23heading south past Miami Beach,
-
0:24 - 0:27toward a very special national park.
-
0:31 - 0:34A journey that is fraught with danger.
-
0:45 - 0:50The mullet have ten miles to go
before they reach Biscayne National Park. -
0:53 - 0:57But first they need to run
a gauntlet of predators. -
1:09 - 1:11Biscayne National Park.
-
1:13 - 1:16Right on the doorstep of Miami.
-
1:22 - 1:27These inviting waters are home
to Florida's most iconic animal. -
1:32 - 1:33The manatee.
-
1:34 - 1:36They're here thanks to one
-
1:36 - 1:38of the most important
habitats on the planet. -
1:44 - 1:46Seagrass meadows,
-
1:49 - 1:51the rain forests of the sea.
-
1:54 - 1:57They provide oxygen
-
1:57 - 2:00and lock in carbon with their roots,
-
2:00 - 2:03helping to protect our natural world.
-
2:17 - 2:19For a manatee mom and her calf,
-
2:21 - 2:25it takes somewhere special
to provide everything they need. -
2:28 - 2:31Warm, shallow, sheltered water
-
2:33 - 2:36and seagrass, lots of it.
-
2:39 - 2:42Mom needs to eat around 66 pounds a day.
-
2:46 - 2:50Luckily, almost half of this park is seagrass.
-
3:06 - 3:11Once full, she can relax and feed her calf.
-
3:17 - 3:21The family will spend the summer
hunting for the best grazing. -
3:25 - 3:29Their travels take them past the park's islands,
-
3:31 - 3:34its tropical mangrove forests
-
3:44 - 3:46and further north past Miami.
-
3:54 - 3:57But it won't be easy.
-
4:00 - 4:03Finding good grazing in Florida's waters
-
4:03 - 4:06is becoming difficult for manatee moms.
-
4:09 - 4:13In polluted water, algal blooms
smother the seagrass meadows, -
4:13 - 4:19preventing sunlight from reaching them
and cause the grass to die. -
4:21 - 4:26Florida has lost 50%
of its seagrass beds since the 1950s. -
4:29 - 4:33As a result, manatees are declining too.
-
4:36 - 4:40But along a coastline struggling
to preserve this precious habitat, -
4:44 - 4:48Biscayne's seagrass meadows
are a vital oasis. -
4:53 - 4:56Manatees are not alone
in depending on the seagrass. -
4:58 - 5:02It's also home to one
of the park's smallest inhabitants. -
5:06 - 5:08The dwarf seahorse,
-
5:08 - 5:10just one inch tall.
-
5:12 - 5:15And a surprisingly bad swimmer.
-
5:17 - 5:21To keep from being swept away,
they use their tails to hold on. -
5:28 - 5:31They feed by sucking in passing food.
-
5:35 - 5:38So quick, that if you blink,
you'll miss it. -
5:56 - 6:00But it's their love life
that causes a stir. -
6:02 - 6:06In the seahorse world, males have babies.
-
6:07 - 6:09His partner merely drops her eggs
-
6:09 - 6:12into his kangaroo-like pouch,
-
6:12 - 6:14leaving him to do the rest.
-
6:19 - 6:21Eleven days later...
-
6:23 - 6:25...birth starts.
-
6:50 - 6:53Once out, the little ones
are on their own. -
7:01 - 7:04Some are reluctant to leave
the safety of Dad's pouch, -
7:04 - 7:06even during birth.
-
7:09 - 7:12Their instinct to hang on is strong.
-
7:19 - 7:23Dad gives birth
to up to 16 young at a time. -
7:34 - 7:38By fish standards, seahorses
have a fairly high survival rate. -
7:47 - 7:48Coral Barrier Reef
-
7:50 - 7:55But the future of these tiny critters
-
7:55 - 8:00is heavily reliant on the health
of the seagrass beds. -
8:02 - 8:06Luckily this youngster's new home
is within the protected waters -
8:06 - 8:09of Biscayne National Park.
-
8:13 - 8:1695% of it is underwater.
-
8:24 - 8:28The park's seagrass beds
and resident seahorses -
8:28 - 8:32are kept safe
from the wild Atlantic Ocean... -
8:35 - 8:39...by the third largest coral reef
in the world. -
8:45 - 8:49The Florida Reef rises up
out of deep water, -
8:50 - 8:54creating a protective wall 360 miles long.
-
8:59 - 9:04Shielding six million people
from waves and storm surges. -
9:10 - 9:14The true unsung hero
of Biscayne National Park. -
9:25 - 9:29The coral barrier reef
marks the park's Atlantic edge. -
9:30 - 9:30American Crocodile
-
9:32 - 9:37On its western boundary
lies an unlikely sanctuary -
9:38 - 9:41for one of the park's largest predators.
-
9:45 - 9:48Meet the American crocodile,
-
9:50 - 9:56weighing in at 400 pounds
and 10 feet long. -
9:58 - 10:01Classic ambush hunters,
-
10:02 - 10:06nothing is off the menu
for this crocodile. -
10:12 - 10:16Unlike her more fearsome
Australian and African cousins, -
10:17 - 10:19he's no man-eater.
-
10:29 - 10:33Hers is a story of hope and survival.
-
10:36 - 10:41By the early '70s there were less than
300 American crocodiles left in Florida. -
10:44 - 10:47Now there are thousands.
-
10:48 - 10:51Thanks to an unlikely savior.
-
10:54 - 10:58In the 1970s, Turkey Point's
nuclear power station -
10:58 - 11:03was built next door to what
would become Biscayne National Park. -
11:07 - 11:12It's now home to nearly a quarter
of the American crocodile population. -
11:18 - 11:21Their fierce reputation
does them a disservice. -
11:25 - 11:29Croc moms are surprisingly caring.
-
11:33 - 11:35Eleven weeks ago,
-
11:35 - 11:38she buried around 30 eggs
in this shallow nest. -
11:39 - 11:40Hatchlings
-
11:51 - 11:54She's checking on her brood
with increasing regularity. -
11:57 - 12:00Listening for the sound of chirping
within the eggs. -
12:04 - 12:06Hatching has started.
-
12:12 - 12:16The sound of their siblings
chirping from inside the eggs -
12:16 - 12:21spurs the hatchlings
to stage a mass breakout. -
12:49 - 12:51The hatchlings are nearly a foot long.
-
13:05 - 13:09Equipped with sharp teeth
and ready to go. -
13:15 - 13:19But this great escape
isn't so easy for everyone. -
13:20 - 13:24Breaking out of the tough shells
is hard work. -
13:27 - 13:29He'd better hurry.
-
13:29 - 13:32Mom is waiting
to carry them to the water. -
13:34 - 13:37Without her help and protective presence,
-
13:37 - 13:40he'll be vulnerable.
-
13:43 - 13:46Best not get left behind.
-
13:53 - 13:54Even if your sibling walks all over you.
-
13:56 - 13:58For hatchlings struggling to escape, Mom will step in to help.
14:10
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
14:21
For this little guy, there's no need to shout for Mom. ♪ ♪
14:31
Freedom. (chirping)
14:38
The American crocodile's future here at Turkey Point is looking bright.
14:44
With the addition of these newborns, numbers are on the rise.
14:52
Between the park and the power station, the crocodiles have over 170,000 acres
14:58
of protected area to roam. More than enough space for this clutch of growing youngsters.
15:07
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
Mangroves
15:15
Every corner of Biscayne National Park provides shelter and a home.
15:21
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
15:28
The salt water-loving mangrove forests are no different. (distant squawking)
15:35
Rising from the sand, they're one of Biscayne's most valuable resources.
15:41
♪ ♪ These tangled trees absorb the power from storm surges...
15:50
♪ ♪ ...protecting the coastline and millions of people
15:58
from destructive waves and erosion. ♪ ♪
16:06
Alongside the seagrass, mangrove forests are a powerful tool
16:11
in the fight against climate change.
16:16
They can store five times more carbon than tropical forests like the Amazon.
16:25
The role they play here is priceless. ♪ ♪
16:32
♪ ♪
16:37
Above water, birds roost in the branches. (birds calling)
Lemon Shark
16:43
Underneath, mangroves hide a secret world,
16:49
with easy pickings... for those in the know.
16:55
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
17:03
The tightly packed roots of the mangroves are a perfect location
17:09
for a fish nursery. A safe and sheltered home to grow up in
17:16
before leaving for the reef beyond. ♪ ♪
17:23
♪ ♪
17:29
But every neighborhood has its troubles. ♪ ♪
17:44
A juvenile lemon shark cruises Biscayne National Park, here to learn one thing: how to hunt.
17:53
♪ ♪
17:59
The fish have the size advantage in this deadly game of hide-and-seek. ♪ ♪
18:06
♪ ♪
18:12
♪ ♪
18:19
The lemon shark needs to be patient. ♪ ♪
18:30
Luckily, he's got the time. He will hunt in the safety of the mangroves
18:38
until he's seven or eight years old, before moving out to live and hunt
Loggerheads
18:45
along Florida's sandy coastal shallows. ♪ ♪
18:50
♪ ♪
- Title:
- Biscayne: Coral Reefs and the Florida Keys (Full Episode) | America's National Parks | Nat Geo
- Description:
-
Just below Miami, hidden beneath the waves, is a giant nursery - Biscayne National Park - where thousands of animals come to rear their young.
America's National Parks | S2, E2
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Tenor: http://on.natgeo.com/31b3KocBiscayne: Coral Reefs and the Florida Keys (Full Episode) | America's National Parks | Nat Geo
https://youtu.be/5KsV53mwhI0National Geographic
https://www.youtube.com/natgeo - Video Language:
- English
- Duration:
- 44:18
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Margarida Ferreira edited English subtitles for Biscayne: Coral Reefs and the Florida Keys (Full Episode) | America's National Parks | Nat Geo | |
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Margarida Ferreira edited English subtitles for Biscayne: Coral Reefs and the Florida Keys (Full Episode) | America's National Parks | Nat Geo | |
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Margarida Ferreira edited English subtitles for Biscayne: Coral Reefs and the Florida Keys (Full Episode) | America's National Parks | Nat Geo |