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00:00You
00:30Imagine you're cast at birth into a galaxy of tiny drifting creatures
01:00A speck lost in the ocean
01:09You never met your mother or father
01:16You have no one to show you where to go or what to do
01:23That's how life begins for this little sharp-nosed pufferfish. We'll call him Puff
01:31Just a couple of months old he's smaller than a fingernail
01:35Adrift in the ocean
01:37headed for an uncertain future
01:42This is Puff's world a vibrant coral reef home to thousands of creatures
01:49But to see what Puff sees you have to look closer
01:56Even closer
02:00Because the story of every coral reef starts with its tiniest creatures
02:12For the first time we have opened a window to their incredible microverse
02:20The world where drama unfolds on scales too small
02:25Too fast
02:28Or too slow for the human eye to perceive and
02:32From Puff's tiny point of view it must seem almost magical
02:39The reef as we've never seen it before
02:57To
03:02The naked eye the open ocean may seem lifeless
03:09But when you look closer billions of tiny creatures are revealed
03:16Some so minute that hundreds of individuals would fit in a single drop of water
03:22This is where Puff begins his life journey
03:27He hatched from an egg on the reef and drifted with the current out to sea to feed on tiny plankton
03:37This is how many reef fish begin their lives
03:51And
04:08But within months these microscopic morsels are no longer enough to sustain him
04:14He needs to find bigger things to eat
04:18And that poses a problem as big as the ocean
04:22How a puff find his way back to the reef?
04:36Something amazing happens when lots of creatures gather in the same place
04:41Crowds make noise and a coral reef is a busy place
04:52You
04:57Sound can travel for miles underwater. All puff has to do is listen
05:11Most of what you see here is built by animals smaller than the tip of your finger
05:17Thousands of lives and millions of stories are unfolding
05:21I don't believe me. Try looking from puffs perspective
05:51The smallest of these animals are no larger than a grain of sand
06:21A
06:24You
06:26You
06:49Puffs new world is a microverse of tiny creatures that live their lives unnoticed by Giants like us
06:56I
07:20Around three months of age puff is only the size of a jelly bean
07:25That's not just daunting. It's dangerous
07:32Fortunately for puff he has an ingenious way of defending himself
07:38He's toxic and he comes with a warning label
07:43The markings on his body say eat me and you'll regret it
07:55But being poisonous doesn't make him invincible
08:04And nearby a predator lurks
08:18A lionfish
08:25You
08:29This voracious hunters dazzling fins are perfect for herding small prey into tight spots
08:54You
09:19Most young reef fish don't survive their first year of life
09:24Luckily for puff the coral creates a maze of tiny passageways where a baby fish can hide for the night
09:32Out of sight and off the menu
09:44As puff sleeps the foundations of his world begin to stir
09:55You
09:58Every year the moon the tides and the water temperature all
10:03Signaled to billions of corals that tonight is the night to cast the young to the sea
10:16At the mouths of tiny coral polyps minuscule bundles of eggs and sperm appear
10:25You
10:29In near perfect synchronicity they lift off
10:37And journey to the surface
10:46The bundles drift with the current and mix with the spawn of thousands of other coral colonies
10:54You
11:19If among the billions of eggs released tonight one should meet its match
11:24You
11:26Something extraordinary happens
11:32A microscopic lava forms a barely visible creature on a quest to build a new coral colony
11:42It drifts for days
11:45Until it hears the call of the reef and dives
11:50Braving a minefield of predators and traps
12:20You
12:31When you the size of a speck a three centimeter long shrimp can be monstrous
12:50You
13:20You
13:29On the reef the lava searches for a perfect place to make its home
13:44When it finds the right spot it transforms
13:48From a free-swimming lava into a young coral
13:54As it grows its skeleton forms part of the reef
14:00With the help of other tiny construction workers the corals build living structures that create homes for countless other creatures
14:09It takes hundreds sometimes thousands of years for generations of tiny reef builders to construct puffs coral metropolis
14:18You
14:33Inside his reef hiding place puff is safe for now, but he needs to brave the predators and head out to find food
14:41And
14:47Once again the corals help out because corals produce energy that feeds the animals of the reef
14:58It all starts with single-celled plant-like creatures living within the corals the zoo's antheli
15:05Don't let that big name fool you
15:09everything here
15:10really small
15:13These little guys are the corals life partners
15:17Harvesting energy from sunlight to feed their coral hosts
15:21And as the corals grow and thrive they share their energy with the rest of the reef
15:32Some creatures consume the energy directly by eating the coral
15:37This
15:40Baby crown-of-thorns starfish uses tiny eyespots on the end of each arm to locate coral colonies
15:52The keen sense of underwater smell helps it find the right species
16:01And it devours the coral polyps leaving a scar on the reef
16:08You
16:13Not all inhabitants feed on the coral directly
16:17If they did they'd soon demolish their reef city
16:22Fortunately, there's another way coral supply food
16:27They do it with slime
16:38Corals shed mucus too fine for creatures like puff to eat
16:45But an ancient group of organisms makes sure this energy is not lost
16:53Sponges
16:55To the naked eye they may appear motionless, but if you speed up time their vital role on the reef is revealed
17:08Sponges pump huge volumes of water through their bodies filtering out the coral mucus and using the energy to grow
17:25After they've had their fill the sponges concentrate organic waste on their surfaces
17:32creating a bite-sized buffet for tiny creatures to feed on
17:38And
17:43Those animals are eaten by slightly bigger creatures. Oh
17:49No, no, no, no just slightly bigger not that's that's way too big that's huge that's massive this yes, that's better
17:56Some of the recycled sponge food also washes up the water column where it's captured and consumed by filter feeders
18:05like the Christmas tree worm
18:07easily the most festive worm of the sea
18:26This
18:36Almond-sized porcelain crab uses feathery claws to capture tiny particles of food from the water
18:56Down here every surface is covered with life. Nothing goes to waste
19:09On the back of a sea snail the size of an olive even smaller creatures make their home
19:26Without all these little creatures recycling the energy captured by the corals the larger ones would have nothing to eat
19:38Life on the reef is dependent on thousands of creatures working together each with a vital role to play
19:44A
19:53Puff is perfectly adapted to hunt in this tiny world
19:58But the grim fact is most things that eat can also be eaten
20:15Not all corals are harmless
20:22Some are predators
20:25Their tentacles covered in deadly cells that harpoon and paralyze speck-sized prey
20:44So
21:14So
21:44So
22:08If he's going to survive the depths of the reef
22:11Puff must learn all the secrets of its dark recesses
22:18Some alleyways are more treacherous than others
22:35This anglerfish is about as long as your thumb a
22:39Giant in this micro world
23:09I
23:39I
24:09I
24:17Puffs discovered his pufferfish superpower
24:21He could blow up like a balloon in a fraction of a second a trick that has just saved his life
24:27But
24:37Being one of the smallest fish on the reef means puff is in constant danger
24:57I
25:07His superpower may keep predators at bay for a while, but other forces are beyond his control
25:27Above the waves a storm brews in a world that puff can never know
25:35Its brutal force delves deep into the ocean
25:56I
25:58I
26:00I
26:24Despite its abundance of food the reef remains a treacherous place for a baby fish
26:31I
26:35Instinct tells him there may be safer waters beyond the coral metropolis
26:43But to find this haven he must cross a strange new world the sand floods
26:54Among the sand grains, it's every crab for herself
27:01I
27:08The planes are home to creatures that scavenge sift and borrow
27:30I
27:32I
27:57Out here, it's a fish a brittle star world
28:02I
28:15In the dunes puff finds a mollusk hauling its shell through a garden of walking dendros
28:25These walnut-sized corals live on the sand absorbing sunlight and feeding on tiny creatures
28:33But it isn't all sunbaking and snacks
28:45They're in constant danger of being toppled or buried alive a death sentence for a coral that needs sunlight
28:53But
28:58Sometimes help comes from unexpected places
29:02Like really unexpected places in this case from a wormhole
29:18The peanut worm lives in a hole in the base of the dendro
29:23I
29:25The worm keeps its coral landlord upright
29:30In return the dendro offers protection as its slippery tenants scours the sand for food
29:37Towing its coral caravan along for the ride
29:46There are no small roles here only small organisms
29:52I
30:02The journey across the sand flats may not be a great distance but for a baby fish, it's an odyssey
30:15Out here, there's nowhere to hide and not much to eat
30:23Just
30:26When it seems like the sand might go on forever an oasis appears on the horizon a
30:37Labyrinth of mangrove roots pockets and passageways plenty to eat and fewer ways to be eaten
30:44The
30:51Ideal place for a thumbnail sized fish to feed grow and perfect the skills. He'll need to survive
31:14And
31:20He's not the only one to have made this pilgrimage the shallows are a haven for all kinds of baby reef fish
31:44I
31:53Half has found his fish nursery things are looking up
32:15It's been days since his last proper meal he's so hungry he could eat a horse
32:24Well, maybe not but he does need to find food and fast watching how the locals do it could help him
32:44Pinky
32:51Sized seahorses are expert hunters in this tiny world. They target crustaceans smaller than a grain of rice
33:01These tiny grazers spend their time munching on algae and microscopic animals in the seagrass
33:08they play an essential role in the food web here a
33:11Link between the plants and larger creatures like puff
33:41I
34:11In
34:21The meadows of the lagoon algae and seagrasses harvest energy from the Sun
34:34Supplying food for the community as well as producing oxygen for the rest of the planet
34:40It's a big job for these tiny plants
34:58Seagrass flowers are smaller than dandelions
35:09And they attract swarms of the tiny crustaceans that puff and the seahorses love to eat
35:17Like bees the crustaceans can carry pollen from flower to flower
35:40The
35:43Lagoon is a cosmos of worlds within worlds the closer you look the more you find
35:49On
36:09A blade of seagrass a microscopic enter propped rolls the contents of its tiny stomach
36:19Very little is known about this world. It's just too small
36:49I
37:20After
37:23Six months in the shallows puff is now an adolescent and he's eating like one
37:39He's quadrupled in size and his confidence is growing
37:49But
38:03He can't let his guard down even this idyllic nursery has ambush predators
38:10This
38:18Scorpion fish is perfectly camouflaged waiting for unsuspecting victims to cruise by
38:40But
38:54Sometimes the camouflage can backfire
39:10The
39:20Lagoon is a network of relationships everywhere. You look tiny stories are unfolding
39:40You
39:46This guard crab doesn't like baby fish taking bites out of his home
39:54And he's not gonna put up with any trouble from a grape-sized butterfly fish
40:10Just when he thought his work was done a hermit decides to trample his polyps
40:19And clearly that's not okay
40:39The
40:50Crab might look tough when he's dispatching intruders, but without his coral refuge. He too could end up as someone's dinner
41:01The crab needs its coral as much as the coral needs its crab
41:04Every
41:09Creature is dependent on others for its survival
41:28Little puff has grown to the size of a human thumb
41:32Just over two inches long and he's finally outgrown this nursery
41:40Now that he's bigger the abundant food back at the reef seems more attractive
41:48He'll have to cross the sand flats again, but this time puff sets out as a young adult in search of his forever home
42:02I
42:21Early into the crossing puff comes across a blind zombie snail sniffing out its next meal
42:32I
42:36Tiny scavengers like him are the oceans cleanup crew. It's a dirty job. Someone's got to do it
43:02a
43:08Predatory cone snail is on the hunt
43:14And he catches the scent of a zombie snail on the current
43:22A low-speed chase begins
43:33Like a lion hunting a gazelle on the African plains the action is thrilling
43:40Not really, but it's pretty exciting when you speed it up
43:51Out here you can run
43:55But you can't hide
43:57Not from a cone snails highly developed sense of smell
44:27The
44:52Cone snail dispatches the zombie with a venomous harpoon
44:58Ruthless
45:12It's a snail eat snail world
45:15but puff is learning to take all the murder and mayhem in his stride and
45:20Right now he's more concerned with grabbing some fast food on the long journey back to the reef
45:28As
45:50Puff approaches the reef. He finds a changed world
45:58Strange colors signal that the corals are suffering
46:13The water temperature is well above their comfort zone
46:27I
46:30Within the corals as those anthellae are stressed and the corals start to expel them
46:38Without their little life partners supplying food they begin to bleach and starve
46:48The corals are dying
46:57I
47:28You
47:40Puffs underwater metropolis
47:44Constructed over thousands of years is reduced to rubble by a warming ocean
47:58Many of our planets coral reefs are already in this catastrophic state
48:05Every year the collapse continues
48:10Unless we change the way we do things in our world puffs world will cease to exist
48:27You
48:42This was supposed to be journey's end for puff
48:46But he can't stay here
48:48He'll have to move on in search of a healthy reef to call home
48:57I
48:59You
49:01You
49:23At around two years of age puff is now ten times longer than when he first arrived on the reef
49:30About the size of the palm of your hand
49:35It's that time of year again when the cycles of the moon and the temperature of the water
49:40Trigger the reproductive systems of billions of corals on Australia's Great Barrier Reef
49:59You
50:29You
50:43What starts as a trickle soon floods the sea with hope
50:48A
50:57New generation sets off to repair restore and create new coral reefs
51:12On the same night thousands of other reef creatures join the mass spawning
51:19It's the biggest reproductive event on earth
51:35With a little luck some of these microscopic heroes will drift to a place
51:40Where the fish are healthy?
51:42The water is clean and the temperature is just right
51:49You
51:55If they do they may against incredible odds complete their vital mission
52:03To build and maintain the largest living structure on earth
52:18You
52:25Puff has finally found his happy place a healthy coral reef
52:48You
53:18Now that he's bigger and more confident old enemies that once bullied him steer clear
53:48You
53:57Yeah, keep swimming lionfish just keep swimming
54:06All grown-up puff will soon find a territory an area he will get to know like the back of his fin and
54:13He'll defend it from other male pufferfish in the hope that someday he might find a mate
54:43You
55:06Puff and his mate could live for almost a decade
55:09You
55:11One day, they're young will be cast into the ocean to play a vital role in this wonderful ecosystem
55:21And they'll have some big shoes to fill
55:27Our window to this micro world is only just opened
55:31Its tiny creatures are revealing themselves to be intelligent and complex beyond our imagining
55:39There are still places to swim with sharp-nosed pufferfish camouflage monsters and colorful corals
55:49These extraordinary little beings are doing all they can to maintain their fragile world
55:57The rest is up to us
56:09I
56:25Got no
56:29Whatever it is
56:34You should let it go
56:38Dance when you wanna dance.
56:40Sing when you wanna sing.
56:43Live how you wanna live.
56:45Let yourself be free.
56:47Dance when you wanna dance.
56:50Sing when you wanna sing.
56:52Live how you wanna live.
56:55Let yourself be free.
56:58Can't nobody turn me around.
57:03Can't nobody slow me down.
57:08I got this feeling way down in my soul.
57:13It got a hold of me and it just won't let me know.
57:17Dance when you wanna dance.
57:20Sing when you wanna sing.
57:22Live how you wanna live.
57:24Let yourself be free.
57:27Dance when you wanna dance.
57:29Sing when you wanna sing.
57:32Live how you wanna live.
57:34Let yourself be free.
57:37Dance when you wanna dance.
57:39Sing when you wanna sing.
57:41Live how you wanna live.
57:44Let yourself be free.
57:47Dance when you wanna dance.
57:50Sing when you wanna sing.
57:53Live how you wanna live.
57:55Let yourself be free.
58:02Thanks for watching!