Biscayne: Coral Reefs and the Florida Keys (Full Episode) | America's National Parks | Nat Geo

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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Biscayne: Coral Reefs and the Florida Keys (Full Episode) | America's National Parks | Nat Geo
https://youtu.be/5KsV53mwhI0

National Geographic
https://www.youtube.com/natgeo

The Florida coast is host to one
of the biggest gatherings of animals

in the United States.

Mullet in the millions

heading south past Miami Beach,

toward a very special national park.

A journey that is fraught with danger.

The mullet have ten miles to go
before they reach Biscayne National Park.

But first they need to run
a gauntlet of predators.

Biscayne National Park.

Right on the doorstep of Miami.

These inviting waters are home
to Florida's most iconic animal.

The manatee.

They're here thanks to one

of the most important
habitats on the planet.

Seagrass meadows,

the rain forests of the sea.

They provide oxygen

and lock in carbon with their roots,

helping to protect our natural world.

For a manatee mom and her calf,

it takes somewhere special
to provide everything they need.

Warm, shallow, sheltered water

and seagrass, lots of it.

Mom needs to eat around 66 pounds a day.

Luckily, almost half of this park is seagrass.

Once full, she can relax and feed her calf.

The family will spend the summer
hunting for the best grazing.

Their travels take them past the park's islands,

its tropical mangrove forests

and further north past Miami.

But it won't be easy.

Finding good grazing in Florida's waters

is becoming difficult for manatee moms.

In polluted water, algal blooms
smother the seagrass meadows,

preventing sunlight from reaching them
and cause the grass to die.

Florida has lost 50%
of its seagrass beds since the 1950s.

As a result, manatees are declining too.

But along a coastline struggling
to preserve this precious habitat,

Biscayne's seagrass meadows
are a vital oasis.

Manatees are not alone
in depending on the seagrass.

It's also home to one
of the park's smallest inhabitants.

The dwarf seahorse,

just one inch tall.

And a surprisingly bad swimmer.

To keep from being swept away,
they use their tails to hold on.

They feed by sucking in passing food.

So quick, that if you blink,
you'll miss it.

But it's their love life
that causes a stir.

In the seahorse world, males have babies.

His partner merely drops her eggs

into his kangaroo-like pouch,

leaving him to do the rest.

Eleven days later...

...birth starts.

Once out, the little ones
are on their own.

Some are reluctant to leave
the safety of Dad's pouch,

even during birth.

Their instinct to hang on is strong.

Dad gives birth
to up to 16 young at a time.

By fish standards, seahorses
have a fairly high survival rate.

Coral Barrier Reef

But the future of these tiny critters

is heavily reliant on the health
of the seagrass beds.

Luckily this youngster's new home
is within the protected waters

of Biscayne National Park.

95% of it is underwater.

The park's seagrass beds
and resident seahorses

are kept safe
from the wild Atlantic Ocean...

...by the third largest coral reef
in the world.

The Florida Reef rises up
out of deep water,

creating a protective wall 360 miles long.

Shielding six million people
from waves and storm surges.

The true unsung hero
of Biscayne National Park.

The coral barrier reef
marks the park's Atlantic edge.

American Crocodile

On its western boundary
lies an unlikely sanctuary

for one of the park's largest predators.

Meet the American crocodile,

weighing in at 400 pounds
and 10 feet long.

Classic ambush hunters,

nothing is off the menu
for this crocodile.

Unlike her more fearsome
Australian and African cousins,

he's no man-eater.

Hers is a story of hope and survival.

By the early '70s there were less than
300 American crocodiles left in Florida.

Now there are thousands.

Thanks to an unlikely savior.

In the 1970s, Turkey Point's
nuclear power station

was built next door to what
would become Biscayne National Park.

It's now home to nearly a quarter
of the American crocodile population.

Their fierce reputation
does them a disservice.

Croc moms are surprisingly caring.

Eleven weeks ago,

she buried around 30 eggs
in this shallow nest.

Hatchlings

She's checking on her brood
with increasing regularity.

Listening for the sound of chirping
within the eggs.

Hatching has started.

The sound of their siblings
chirping from inside the eggs

spurs the hatchlings
to stage a mass breakout.

The hatchlings are nearly a foot long.

Equipped with sharp teeth
and ready to go.

But this great escape
isn't so easy for everyone.

Breaking out of the tough shells
is hard work.

He'd better hurry.

Mom is waiting
to carry them to the water.

Without her help and protective presence,

he'll be vulnerable.

Best not get left behind.

Even if your sibling walks all over you.

For 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
♪ ♪