0:00:02 > 0:00:05They cover two thirds of our planet.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11They hold clues to the mysteries of our past.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15And they are vital for our future survival.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23But the secrets of our oceans have remained largely undiscovered.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25I am with a six gill shark.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Yes! Yes!
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Explorer Paul Rose is leading a team of ocean experts
0:00:32 > 0:00:36on a series of underwater science expeditions.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39For a year, the team has voyaged
0:00:39 > 0:00:43across the world to build up a global picture of our seas.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46We are doing some pretty uncharted research here.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49That is psychedelically purple.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We are here to try and understand the earth's oceans
0:00:52 > 0:00:54and put them in a human scale.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Our oceans are changing faster than ever.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04I've never seen ice like this before.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10There's never been a better time to explore the last true wilderness on earth.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23This expedition will explore
0:01:23 > 0:01:27one of the most hostile bodies of water on the planet.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31The icy wastes of the Arctic Ocean.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37The water temperature hovers around zero.
0:01:37 > 0:01:43About two million square miles of the ocean's surface is permanently frozen.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52That's much colder ice, much firmer ice, actually breaking off.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55This is serious. Massive chunks breaking off.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01This is one of the least explored oceans on Earth.
0:02:03 > 0:02:09It's barely a century since the first ships penetrated this ice-covered world.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21The Arctic Ocean spans the North pole.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25It's the smallest and shallowest of the five great oceans.
0:02:25 > 0:02:31But, more than any other, it plays a vital role in regulating our climate.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38Only now global warming is changing this region dramatically.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42It's heating up twice as fast as anywhere else on Earth.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I think we're in a race with the Arctic Ocean.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50It's changing fast so we need to learn and understand
0:02:50 > 0:02:55what's going on while we can, because within our lifetime it's going to be unrecognisable.
0:02:59 > 0:03:06The team has come to see what these changes will mean for life here, and how they could affect us all.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14Marine Biologist and Oceanographer Tooni Mahto
0:03:14 > 0:03:17dives beneath the polar ice cap
0:03:17 > 0:03:20to reveal why it's vital to the health of our world.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26We are completely dependent on this stuff to keep the planet cool.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Maritime Archaeologist Dr Lucy Blue
0:03:33 > 0:03:38examines how man has exploited this ocean for hundreds of years.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42It was diving and it had blood, it was bleeding, it was pulling boats.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46It must have been absolutely horrendous.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51And Environmentalist Philippe Cousteau,
0:03:51 > 0:03:56grandson of ocean pioneer Jacques Cousteau, investigates how
0:03:56 > 0:03:59the Arctic's uniquely adapted marine life is under threat.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07These rely on the ice. I mean, without the ice, these can't exist.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Ice is the Arctic Ocean's dominant feature.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18The way the ice forms and melts and changes and circulates around,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21it governs the Arctic Ocean, it defines it.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27This ice is vital to help stop the earth overheating.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Up to 80% of the sunlight that hits the bright, white surface
0:04:31 > 0:04:34is reflected back into space.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39But climate change means the Arctic ice cap is shrinking.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43In the last 30 years,
0:04:43 > 0:04:49almost 1.5 million square miles of ice has disappeared.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51It's a major topic of concern,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55what's happening here, the ice melting
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and the implications that has for the rest of the world.
0:04:58 > 0:05:04Understanding why, and how fast the ice is melting, is crucial.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07But as getting here is so challenging,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09the Oceans team will be one of relatively
0:05:09 > 0:05:11few specialised expeditions,
0:05:11 > 0:05:16not only to study the ice from the surface, but to dive beneath it.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Most people's experience of the Arctic sea ice would be remotely,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24you know, scientists with remote sensing, satellite imagery,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28computers models and all that. So even the best scientists
0:05:28 > 0:05:31in the world who are studying Arctic sea ice
0:05:31 > 0:05:33often wouldn't get the chance
0:05:33 > 0:05:36to come to this remote location and go diving underneath it.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Working beneath the ice is hazardous.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48For this extreme diving, the team needs careful preparation.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52So the expedition begins by travelling to
0:05:52 > 0:05:54the islands of Svalbard,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58midway between the north pole and the tip of Norway.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Expedition Leader Paul has brought them to the relative safety
0:06:06 > 0:06:12of a frozen fjord to find out if they can handle the harsh conditions under the ice.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18You can't mess around with ice diving. It's essential we do this.
0:06:18 > 0:06:24We couldn't even think about going north into the polar pack to dive
0:06:24 > 0:06:27unless everything was 100% perfect.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32It's not just the diving that's risky.
0:06:32 > 0:06:38Beside the ship are the paw prints of the Arctic's top predator, the polar bear.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43The crew is on armed watch.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48We wouldn't dream of coming out on this ice without someone looking
0:06:48 > 0:06:51after us, keeping an eye on polar bear.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55So we have one person always, with his rifle.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57There he is today. And his only job,
0:06:57 > 0:07:03and not to be distracted, is to keep entirely a look out for polar bear.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Paul has diving experience in these extreme conditions.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17For the rest of the team, it'll be their first time.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23It's a really big deal. It's a real temperature shock.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27And although I'm really well insulated, it's still going to be a shock.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Everyone needs to wear a lifeline.
0:07:32 > 0:07:38If something goes wrong we can get pulled out of the water and at least find our way back to the entrance.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43As you can see, if you don't come out the same way you went in, you're not coming out.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49The team must spend ten minutes beneath the ice to test their
0:07:49 > 0:07:54equipment and their own ability to withstand the physical stress.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04The icy water puts a huge strain on the body.
0:08:07 > 0:08:13Cold water robs it of heat 25 times faster than cold air.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19The first ever Arctic dive for me.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21It is cold.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27If hypothermia sets in,
0:08:27 > 0:08:33the divers can lose coordination and become confused.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Under the ice that could be fatal.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44There's no margin for error.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58We're slowly heading back.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01The test dive is over.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Tired through.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12Man, that's just ten minutes.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17After 45 minutes of that, you'd just be dead, dead on your feet.
0:09:19 > 0:09:25Up above you is this weird mass of solid ice that when you hit,
0:09:25 > 0:09:31it's just...its like knocking on a door but nobody's going to let you out.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34To understand the changes facing the Arctic Ocean, they'll need to
0:09:34 > 0:09:42dive under the polar ice cap, a solid mass of free-floating pack ice.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47The pack is so very different to this.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52This is a bit like diving in the swimming pool when you learn to dive and that is like the real ocean.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57It's a big step from this to what I know the pack ice really holds for us. It's a big challenge.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09The team leaves Svalbard and heads north towards the ice cap.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20It's a long way north.
0:10:20 > 0:10:2278 north here.
0:10:22 > 0:10:2680 north approximately there and the mainland Norway...
0:10:26 > 0:10:28way down here to the south.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32Our plan is to head directly north and when we hit the ice here,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35we'll be working through the whole pack.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39We want that very cold water, -1 or something, at least.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43It will be some of the most extreme sites in the world to do
0:10:43 > 0:10:46oceanography, do science, do diving, do our studies.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51The ice has that incredible power so it can be calm where we are but
0:10:51 > 0:10:55that pack is just moving and pushing and grinding with incredible forces.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58It's one of the ultimate extreme environments.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03This far north, the tilt of the earth's axis
0:11:03 > 0:11:07means that for four months of the year the sun never sets.
0:11:12 > 0:11:18They use the 24 hour daylight to force their way into the polar pack.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30It's about 20 nautical miles left so it's quite a way,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33and it's going to take quite a while going this slow
0:11:33 > 0:11:35and it's gradually going to get tighter
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and gradually going to get thicker.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54After eight hours, expedition leader Paul
0:11:54 > 0:12:00thinks they've penetrated far enough to start their exploration.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05We're at 80 degrees, 14 minutes, so it's 600 and something miles
0:12:05 > 0:12:07from the north pole. Nice feeling, isn't it?
0:12:09 > 0:12:15This huge mass of ice is floating on the ocean's surface and can drift several miles a day.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22The boat must be anchored to it so they move together.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29As global warming raises the air temperature,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31the surface of the ice melts.
0:12:33 > 0:12:38But this alone may not account for the amount of ice we know is being lost.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45So Paul and Tooni are going to dive beneath the polar-cap,
0:12:45 > 0:12:50to see what else might be causing this ice cover to shrink.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57First thing I want to do is get under there and find out if there's any evidence
0:12:57 > 0:13:00of how it's formed. Are there features
0:13:00 > 0:13:04we can look at, is there any evidence or any signs of melting?
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Get underneath and see the ice for what it is from
0:13:06 > 0:13:10a different perspective - looking up rather than looking down on it.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Let's head under the ice.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40It's very, very dark here.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44It's the darkest it's been since I've been here
0:13:44 > 0:13:49in this land of 24-hour daylight.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55Unlike icebergs, which come from fresh water glaciers,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59this pack-ice forms when it gets so cold that the ocean freezes.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10The ice only forms at -1.8 degrees centigrade
0:14:10 > 0:14:13because of all the salt in the water.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20The ice is formed from these tiny, tiny crystals
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and forms into this huge mass of ice.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30This sea ice can grow as much as three metres thick.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37The shapes underneath reveal how different pieces drift together
0:14:37 > 0:14:39to become a vast ice sheet.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46As you can see, this has been formed
0:14:46 > 0:14:51by these big sea ice floes just pushing together.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53It's a bit like plate tectonics,
0:14:53 > 0:14:58when great geological plates slide together and form mountains.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Well, these things slide together and form great ridges above,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05and along with it, these fabulous keels down below.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Keels can extend down to 40 metres.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13They help stabilise the ice floes
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and stop strong winds from breaking them up.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20But there are signs that the keels are also shrinking,
0:15:20 > 0:15:25causing ice floes to break up more easily and melt even faster.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33Hey, Tooni, you see these features here?
0:15:33 > 0:15:35This is where it's melting.
0:15:37 > 0:15:43As it does, the underside of the ice develops a series of depressions and ridges.
0:15:47 > 0:15:53These are characteristic signs that the ice is melting underneath as well as on top.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58As ice cover decreases in the summer,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02the dark ocean absorbs more heat from the sun.
0:16:02 > 0:16:08The water warms up and begins to melt the underside of the ice.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12It's all our bubbles hitting the ceiling,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14finding all the little pockets, isn't it?
0:16:14 > 0:16:18You can literally stick your hand up, look, you lose your hand.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Some of this melting is seasonal.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32What's changing now is how much ice is disappearing.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36The whole of the Arctic ice cap is shrinking.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44It's a difficult thought to have when you're in
0:16:44 > 0:16:49-1 degree centigrade water and surrounded by ice.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01This shrinking is so important,
0:17:01 > 0:17:07it's being monitored by scientists around the world using satellites.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11But there are relatively few direct measurements.
0:17:11 > 0:17:18So Philippe and Lucy plan to head out onto the ice to measure its thickness.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Measuring sticks, some buckets.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28The thickness will indicate whether this ice is likely to survive the summer.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33The measurements they take will be sent to NASA.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38For a few decades now, NASA has been using satellite technology
0:17:38 > 0:17:40to track changes in the Arctic,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43changes in the area covered by ice and the thickness of the ice.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47But they need the truth, to verify that data with information on the ground.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50So that's what we're doing - we'll be sending this straight to them.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11Only ice over two metres thick is likely to make it through the summer.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13To measure the thickness,
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Philippe and Lucy need to drill right through the ice.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Pop that through.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32We've essentially got to measure the depth of this hole that we've just drilled.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36And this, if we lower this down...
0:18:36 > 0:18:40hopefully the bar will catch on the underside of the ice.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44The metal bar's horizontalled out so its sitting against the bottom.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49- I think we've got it. So it's locked up.- So that's the depth.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51So its one metre and then
0:18:51 > 0:18:56in the middle of this thing to that point, is 65.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58So we've got 1 metre 65.
0:18:59 > 0:19:05That's relatively thin and more likely to melt over the summer months.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10But one measurement is not enough.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13They need to drill several holes to take an average.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17- 1 metre...- 1 metre 76.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25So that's 1.56. So basically, all four holes
0:19:25 > 0:19:28have been less than two metres, so that's less than six foot.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34The results are consistent with those of other scientists.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36The majority of the ice in the Arctic
0:19:36 > 0:19:41is now comparatively thin and more likely to disappear in the summer.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47And this loss is accelerating.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51In 2007 and 2008,
0:19:51 > 0:19:57the extent of the summer sea ice was the smallest since records began.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01The less ice coverage, the more the Arctic will absorb solar radiation -
0:20:01 > 0:20:03it will get warmer, more ice will melt.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06It's a vicious circle.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09As the reflective sea ice disappears,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12the water warms up, and more ice melts.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16This leaves the ocean even more exposed
0:20:16 > 0:20:21to the heating effects of the sun and the whole process speeds up.
0:20:21 > 0:20:27And as the Arctic gets warmer, this accelerates global warming.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31This isn't something that's going to happen down the road,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33to our children, something in the future.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35This is happening to us, now.
0:20:37 > 0:20:43There's been permanent ice cover in the Arctic Ocean for thousands of years.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45But as this NASA animation shows,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49the ice cover in the summer has been changing fast.
0:20:49 > 0:20:55In the 1980s it was receding by an average of about 3% per decade.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Now it's over 11%.
0:20:58 > 0:21:04There will come a time when that will be a very, very different
0:21:04 > 0:21:10animation because all of this ocean will be probably be blue come summer time. That's the projection.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14It's all done on computer models, so computer modelling is an attempt
0:21:14 > 0:21:17to predict the future which is incredibly difficult.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22One estimate suggests the Arctic Ocean
0:21:22 > 0:21:26could be ice free in the summer by 2013.
0:21:26 > 0:21:32That would mean the loss of almost two million square miles of sea ice.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36You see those images of polar bears floating on bits of ice and...
0:21:39 > 0:21:42It doesn't really become tangible until
0:21:42 > 0:21:46you're actually in it and witnessing it and seeing images like this.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51And then you realise how in fact, the potential is, it's going to really impact on all of us.
0:21:51 > 0:21:57The fundamental importance of this ocean to the rest of the world just really can't be overstated.
0:21:57 > 0:22:03If the ice keeps melting, if the Arctic becomes this very, very much warmer ocean
0:22:03 > 0:22:05in the way that scientists are predicting,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09then that is going to change the entire planet.
0:22:12 > 0:22:18A warmer Arctic Ocean would not just contribute to global warming.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21It would affect the world in other ways.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Salty water cooled by the Arctic
0:22:24 > 0:22:27helps to drive global ocean circulation,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31a conveyor belt of currents that connects every ocean.
0:22:31 > 0:22:38Cooling salty water from the Arctic region sinks to the ocean depths.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43It moves towards the equator, mixes with warmer currents,
0:22:43 > 0:22:48and eventually becomes lighter and flows back towards the pole.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51This does two important things.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56It helps to keep our oceans alive by moving oxygenated water
0:22:56 > 0:22:58and nutrients around the planet.
0:22:58 > 0:23:04And it regulates our weather by transferring heat around the globe.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07If it's affected, it could radically change climate patterns
0:23:07 > 0:23:11and have an impact on the health of our oceans worldwide.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17And it all begins under the Arctic ice.
0:23:21 > 0:23:28The team's preparing for their next mission, to search for what's living beneath the ice.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30But then, something catches their attention.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36We were part way ready for a dive
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and bridge watch called out there's a polar bear coming.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42He's come on quick so it's all stop for the moment.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51This is the icon of the Arctic finally. I would have been disappointed
0:23:51 > 0:23:55- if I'd come all the way up here and not seen a polar bear. - You and me both.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59The polar bear is the world's largest terrestrial carnivore.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05Males can be up to 10 feet tall and weigh close to 800 kilograms.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09They have that slow, ponderous lolloping kind of walk,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11but they cover huge distance.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Polar bears are well adapted to Arctic conditions.
0:24:15 > 0:24:21They have two layers of fur and black skin that absorbs heat from the sun.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Beneath this is ten centimetres of fat.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30So they can have trouble keeping cool.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33It's so cold out here that the reason they go so slowly
0:24:33 > 0:24:35is they're so well insulated.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40Here we are all freezing, and the polar bear has to go slowly so it doesn't overheat.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43It's crazy!
0:24:44 > 0:24:48But being so highly specialised makes them amongst
0:24:48 > 0:24:51the most vulnerable creatures in the Arctic.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56The polar bear is absolutely dependent on these ice floes to exist.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02Today there are about 25,000 polar bears.
0:25:02 > 0:25:08But as the ice cap recedes, the population could decline fast.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12That's because the ice is a valuable source of food.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19We look around and it kinda looks like a big white desert but it's actually a very diverse ecosystem
0:25:19 > 0:25:23and it's critical to understand what is going on,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26what lives here on the fringes of existence.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Life in the Arctic depends on the spring bloom.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36It occurs after months of complete darkness.
0:25:36 > 0:25:42When the sunlight begins to reappear, there's an intense growth of algae.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46But this bloom is short-lived.
0:25:46 > 0:25:52To survive, life here needs to store enough energy to make it through the long, dark winter.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02Tooni and Paul plan to search for the creatures that provide the energy the Arctic relies upon
0:26:02 > 0:26:06to see how they cope with the severe conditions.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11To me, it seems like the most extreme environment living in minus degree centigrade waters
0:26:11 > 0:26:16just underneath the ice and there is life that is perfectly adapted to those very specific conditions.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Life at the edge is just so fascinating.
0:26:22 > 0:26:28The whole team gears up to work on the surface and beneath the ice.
0:26:30 > 0:26:37Paul and Tooni will search underneath the ice cap for amphipods and copepods, the miniscule creatures
0:26:37 > 0:26:40which help support this ecosystem.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45They're hard to see.
0:26:45 > 0:26:52So once these crustaceans have been collected, Philippe and Lucy will identify them on the surface.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59The data they collect will be sent to The Census Of Marine Life,
0:26:59 > 0:27:05a survey being conducted by hundreds of scientists around the world.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16But first they've got to find the tiny creatures.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23Yeah, it's pretty hard.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27For a start, our bubbles are blowing them around.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32Maybe that will dislodge them from the little crevices.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43Oh, there you go, look. I can see some.
0:27:43 > 0:27:44There you go, look.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Get it, go on. Catch it!
0:27:47 > 0:27:48You got it?
0:27:53 > 0:27:57To survive here, life must adapt to the icy conditions.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04The creatures here have got proteins in their blood
0:28:04 > 0:28:09that act as a kind of anti-freeze so they can actually keep on moving
0:28:09 > 0:28:13and working in these sub-zero temperatures.
0:28:15 > 0:28:21The water is clouded with algae as the expedition has arrived during the spring bloom.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27It's the ideal time to track down the crustaceans.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34Thank you. Fantastic.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Because there's still so much to learn about the fauna of the Arctic,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Philippe is keen to document what they find.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- Oh, yeah, well done. - Couple more. Oh, yeah, definitely.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Well, we definitely got a few species of amphipods
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and definitely some copepods in here.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57We should get them out of there quickly cos the amphipods eat the copepods.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59The last several years of work that I've been doing
0:28:59 > 0:29:03in terms of conservation, I've heard so much about amphipods.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05These are the classic base of the food chain in the Arctic.
0:29:05 > 0:29:10I mean, grey whales travel 6,000 miles to feed on these all the way from Mexico.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19And living along with the amphipods are these tiny copepods, just a few millimetres long.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25These species hold the secret to survival in the Arctic.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29They feed on algae and convert it into fat.
0:29:30 > 0:29:36Fat acts like a biological battery, a long-term store of energy.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41So everything living here relies on fat to get through the Arctic winter.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Copepods will live underneath the ice feeding on the algae,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51sometimes only for a few months of the year.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56They build up these fat layers and can go for eight to ten months without feeding.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59The fact that these things are so high in fat
0:29:59 > 0:30:05means they can pretty much fuel the rest of the food chain in the Arctic
0:30:05 > 0:30:08and that fat gets passed on up the food chain
0:30:08 > 0:30:11up to the fish, the fish gets eaten
0:30:11 > 0:30:14by the seals, the whales the polar bears.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18So fat is an incredibly important currency.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20And these are the basis of the food chain.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23I mean, this is such an important creature.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30No-one knows how many different species of amphipods exist.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33This world is so little explored,
0:30:33 > 0:30:37that even a single sample can uncover a find.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40That's a new one. It's very different to the others.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42Definitely an amphipod.
0:30:44 > 0:30:49DNA analysis will be needed to be certain,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52but this may be a new species.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55You know, people just think that we've explored it all,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57and there's just so little we actually know.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01And here's just a case in point, a perfect example.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- Now, then. - Good work y'all, I gotta say.
0:31:04 > 0:31:09- Let's have a look.- We got a couple things laid out here for you.
0:31:09 > 0:31:10You see these really big...
0:31:10 > 0:31:13I mean, look what you found, these big amphipods.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18These are the ones that walk upside down underneath the ice, we was watching them.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20But as the ice shrinks,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24these species could disappear faster than we can discover them.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26These rely on the ice.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31Without the ice these can't exist, and while that doesn't mean
0:31:31 > 0:31:35necessarily that the whole ecosystem will collapse
0:31:35 > 0:31:38but it definitely means it will be changing.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41We'll see a shift in bio diversity, and we don't know what that means.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45They're a hugely underrated resource in the Arctic ecosystem.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Nobody's ever interested in invertebrates.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Invertebrates hold the key to the giant charismatic mega fauna
0:31:50 > 0:31:52that we're all so concerned about.
0:31:52 > 0:31:58If the ice retreats, we could lose many of these tiny creatures.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02Then all life here will be threatened.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13The team is now heading south, back to the islands of Svalbard.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Maritime archaeologist Dr Lucy Blue
0:32:17 > 0:32:19wants to explore the remains of a global industry
0:32:19 > 0:32:23that almost wiped out entire species here.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Whaling.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35It's estimated that in the last 400 years,
0:32:35 > 0:32:39more than 2.5 million whales were killed worldwide.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56This channel would have been absolutely teeming with whales.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01- Kinda incomprehensible.- I know. Completely is, completely is.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07This is one of the places where the Arctic industry began.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12In the early 1600s, the Dutch and English came here in droves
0:33:12 > 0:33:16to satisfy the growing demand for whale oil.
0:33:16 > 0:33:21It led to the wholesale slaughter of these ocean giants.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26There was a lot of competition, particularly at the beginning the early 1600s.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30They were actually fighting for the rights to catch the whales here.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Particularly somewhere like this fjord.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39These waters in Northern Svalbard attracted huge numbers of whales.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43The whales come in here because there were slightly shallower waters
0:33:43 > 0:33:46to feed so, I mean, it was just a prime hunting area.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57A Dutch settlement of up to 200 people grew here.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01It was called Smeerenburg - Blubbertown.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09You look at this and you look out into the fjord.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13I mean, you can just imagine the 17th century ships moored up.
0:34:13 > 0:34:20They would have been out there in the deeper waters and the smaller whalers chasing this living whale.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Contemporary paintings captured the scene.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30The first person would harpoon it. They needed as many harpoons...
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Every time it came up, you had to get another one in it.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39And eventually, the thing would get exhausted from the fact
0:34:39 > 0:34:44it was diving, it had blood, it was bleeding, it was pulling boats.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47I mean, it must have been an absolutely horrendous exercise...
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- A bloodbath. - I know, completely and utterly.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57It wasn't just the number of whales that made them choose this location.
0:34:57 > 0:35:03One of the main reasons they settled here was because of this shallow sloping shoreline here.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08It was like a natural ramp in a way, to winch the whales onto the beach.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14Once on land, the blubber could be cut away,
0:35:14 > 0:35:20boiled down into the precious oil and sent back to Europe.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24This was the beginning of an industry that continued for hundreds of years,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26becoming more and more intense.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Every species of whale in the Arctic was targeted.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35One of the hardest hit was the Greenland Right Whale.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39So called because it was the "right whale" to hunt.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43Big and slow moving - it was easy to catch.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48But the greatest advantage of all was that it floated when it was killed,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51making it simpler to haul back to shore.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Over the course of the, sort of, 200-300 years
0:35:57 > 0:36:02they were hunting the whales, about 120,000 were killed.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05To almost the point of extinction.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07It's quite remarkable.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12But then, they were easy prey in a way.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14The right whale.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22The right whale population never really recovered here.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Today, there are almost none in the waters around Svalbard.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40As larger whales became scarce, hunters turned to smaller species.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47One was the beluga whale, which was hunted mercilessly.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53Some of its oil was so fine, it was used to lubricate watches.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59Having worked to conserve many species of whales,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Philippe is keen to see how the belugas here are doing.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09You know, that stark white colour is so unique.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12There are no other whales that look like that.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15A bit like dolphins, actually, less like a whale.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18They do have a little bit of a dolphin look, like a smile.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21But that melon is so distinctive on its head.
0:37:21 > 0:37:26This big melon, it's the typical beluga shape.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29These belugas were filmed in captivity.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34Getting close to them in the wild will be much more difficult.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38I've heard that they're quite hard to actually see in the wild.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41- Especially in this region. - They are supposed to be quite shy.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44That's why I wanted to see footage ahead of time.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49The team will try to find some belugas to help assess the health of
0:37:49 > 0:37:54the population in this part of the Arctic. But the fjords are immense.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58So, to cover more ground, Paul and Tooni take a boat each.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05It'll be a long cold trip, man.
0:38:09 > 0:38:15Phillipe and Lucy stand by to go to whichever boat finds any belugas.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21They centre their search along
0:38:21 > 0:38:25the edge of the massive glaciers at the head of the fjord.
0:38:27 > 0:38:33As the glacier's coming down, it stirs up all this silt, till,
0:38:33 > 0:38:36and that helps to create a really nutrient rich area.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41You have fresh water flowing in, so there's lots of fish, lots of stuff living in there.
0:38:41 > 0:38:47These are ideal conditions for polar cod, fish the belugas feed on.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50So it's perfect for the belugas, for them to hunt.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54So this is prime...beluga zone.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01We're just going to keep going looking this whole way along the glacier front.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Belugas are not easy to spot.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Their white colour is excellent camouflage.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14I'm looking for things that look like breaking waves or lumps of ice
0:39:14 > 0:39:20which is a bit confusing considering there are quite a few lumps of ice knocking around these parts.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26We found a seal, I guess it doesn't count though...
0:39:28 > 0:39:34This is a bearded seal, the largest species of Arctic seal.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36They've got these red heads, and that's because
0:39:36 > 0:39:40when they've been rooting around on the bottom for their food,
0:39:40 > 0:39:44they're rubbing against all the iron ore that's up in the fjord.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47So these are the only ones of these seals that have got red heads,
0:39:47 > 0:39:49from rooting around on the bottom.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01After several hours of searching, still no sign of belugas.
0:40:01 > 0:40:07That's frustrating. It's a massive area, there's no question, but...
0:40:09 > 0:40:13They're here somewhere, the little belugas.
0:40:13 > 0:40:14We just got to find them.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23Finally, Tooni has good news.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25So, we've spotted the belugas.
0:40:25 > 0:40:31I literally just looked round and it looked like this block of ice was coming up and going down again.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34And we stopped the boat and I can see a few of them.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41The whales are moving quickly towards the expedition ship.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45It's the opportunity Philippe has been waiting for,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48to assess the population of belugas at close quarters.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55This is very rare, and, like, very lucky.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05There's one over there.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Look, look!
0:41:19 > 0:41:23We are surrounded by belugas.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34Philippe and Lucy estimate
0:41:34 > 0:41:38there are about 30 swimming around the boat.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41They're very shy. I can't believe we're getting this close.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Wow.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48Look, they're literally just off the bow.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Belugas are adapted to life in these ice-covered seas.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57It's weird because there isn't a dorsal fin,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00which you'd expect to see on most cetaceans or certainly dolphins.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04We think they've evolved to not have them for one of two reasons.
0:42:04 > 0:42:10When they're under the, ice it's much easier to swim along the ice without a dorsal fin sticking out.
0:42:10 > 0:42:16The other reason is, it reduces the surface area that's out in the water that's not insulated so that
0:42:16 > 0:42:21they stay warmer than having a whole area where there's blood flowing through that can cool.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26This pod of belugas is all adults.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30They don't turn completely white until they are at least seven years old.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38Around 40% of their body weight is blubber.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41One of the reasons they were attractive to the whalers.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00I've never seen belugas in the wild before so that was brilliant.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05- I say mission accomplished.- The best thing was to see so many of them,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07- to see that they were so healthy. - Dozens of them.
0:43:13 > 0:43:18While this pod might look healthy, the beluga whale could face a new threat.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25A warming Arctic could speed up the retreat of the glaciers,
0:43:25 > 0:43:27damaging their feeding grounds.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34As soon as that glacier recedes far enough that it's on land,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37it's not going to be the kind of habitat belugas need.
0:43:38 > 0:43:44Increasingly, this is one of the most challenging places on earth to survive.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51The Arctic Ocean is extremely cold,
0:43:51 > 0:43:57not very nutrient rich and for four months of the year it's in darkness,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00so there's a limit to the marine life that can exist here.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06But are there corners of this ocean that can beat the odds?
0:44:09 > 0:44:13Philippe wants to head south to the shallow waters of Isfjorden.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21Here, icy Arctic water mixes with water from the Gulf Stream,
0:44:21 > 0:44:24which began life thousands of miles south,
0:44:24 > 0:44:26in the tropical Gulf of Mexico.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31It's kind of a crossroads here.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35It's just really the entrance the beginning of the Arctic habitat
0:44:35 > 0:44:40and I'm very curious to see what the whole thing looks like, the whole environment looks like.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53At first, it's not promising.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57It still pretty barren and white, almost like the surface.
0:44:58 > 0:45:04But the empty seascape does show how this fjord was created.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09You can see the scarring where the glacier moved through the valley.
0:45:10 > 0:45:15Deep gouges on the ocean floor reveal how millions of tonnes of ice
0:45:15 > 0:45:21scraped across it, scoring the rock and shaping the fjord.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27Then, the bleak seascape is transformed.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29Look at all this life.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31Yeah.
0:45:39 > 0:45:46You know, this conception that the Arctic is this empty desolate place,
0:45:46 > 0:45:49totally blown away by what we're seeing here.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56There's an explosion of life. There's reds and greens.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58That's a soft coral,
0:45:58 > 0:46:04related to the kinds of corals that we've seen down in much warmer waters,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07but this is a soft coral, it's purely a filter feeder.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09Brilliant pinkish-red colour.
0:46:09 > 0:46:15I did not expect to see a soft coral this vibrant here in the Arctic.
0:46:16 > 0:46:21Almost no warm-water corals can survive through the winter darkness.
0:46:21 > 0:46:27They rely on algae that live by photosynthesis and need the sun.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30But these soft corals have no algae,
0:46:30 > 0:46:34they just need a steady supply of nutrients.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39It really is like a soup down here.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45This is basically the confluence of the North Atlantic Drift
0:46:45 > 0:46:48heading towards the Arctic waters and this is where the two meet.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51So that's why it's incredibly nutrient rich.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54It's a very unique environment in many ways.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01The current doesn't just support the coral.
0:47:01 > 0:47:08It also helps feed these anemones, by bringing prey within reach of their tentacles.
0:47:10 > 0:47:16There's even a kelp garden here, something usually associated with warmer water.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26If you look closely...
0:47:26 > 0:47:31I can't see one right now but you'll also find Arctic kelp here.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33It can photosynthesises,
0:47:33 > 0:47:37take energy from the sun for just one week a year.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43It stores up that energy and lasts for 51 weeks a year.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45That's pretty incredible.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49Other types of kelp have begun to thrive here in the last few years
0:47:49 > 0:47:56as the ice has receded, allowing more sunlight to reach these shallows.
0:47:56 > 0:48:02It demonstrates how life adapts to inhabit the most unlikely places.
0:48:02 > 0:48:08It gives you that other dimension of just how rich the environment here -
0:48:08 > 0:48:12how much richer than I thought it would have been when I first came here.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15I just had no idea how much life there is
0:48:15 > 0:48:19and that just confirms it. That was really amazing.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25The warm current flowing from the Gulf Stream
0:48:25 > 0:48:30also keeps much of the water around western Svalbard ice-free in summer.
0:48:35 > 0:48:40It's home to another Arctic species almost hunted to extinction.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47I'm just going to have a look and see what we can see.
0:48:47 > 0:48:48Can you make any out?
0:48:48 > 0:48:52They're quite a way off at the moment but I can see movement.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55They've spotted Atlantic Walruses.
0:49:01 > 0:49:07They were killed for their fat and tusks until there were only about 100 left here.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10That was 60 years ago.
0:49:11 > 0:49:16The team wants to see how the walrus population is doing now.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24Walruses only live in the Arctic region, so for marine biologist Tooni
0:49:24 > 0:49:28it's a rare opportunity to get close to them.
0:49:31 > 0:49:36I've just been watching them all tumbling in the water and sometimes the play looks quite frantic.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40They are literally rolling and falling over each other.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44One of them lands on you and that's it, curtains.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52They can weigh up to two tonnes, giving them immense power.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01Look how far they can push themselves out of the water, though.
0:50:04 > 0:50:10Now that summer has cleared the ice here, the walruses have come to feed.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16They like to feed in about 15 metres of water and they're gatherers,
0:50:16 > 0:50:20not hunters, and they're after these clams which are about that big.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26The feeding season in the Arctic is short, so walruses are binge eaters.
0:50:28 > 0:50:33They can consume more than 50 kilograms of clams in just one day.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40Paul and Tooni move on to the land to get a closer look.
0:50:41 > 0:50:46They want to observe the walruses and determine the size of the colony.
0:50:48 > 0:50:52Walruses are suspicious by nature and easily alarmed.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56So Tooni and Paul approach downwind
0:50:56 > 0:50:59and crouch to avoid looking like predators.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01Right, there's one.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03Oh, yeah, he's coming up.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05He's not facing us, let's keep going while he's busy.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07I can smell 'em good now.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11- They don't smell good. - But this wind is perfect for us.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14I don't believe they can smell us, Tooni.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Their Latin name is translates as tooth-walking sea horse,
0:51:24 > 0:51:27which I just think is such a perfect literal translation.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29That is perfect - look at 'em.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43Judging by their large size, this colony is all male.
0:51:49 > 0:51:54The one that's just stuck his head up has very short tusks which means it's quite young.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58- He's younger, yeah.- The one towards the back, see, he's much bigger
0:51:58 > 0:52:02and has much longer canines, which means he's a much older male.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06They grow to 40 years old so he might be 30 or 40 years old.
0:52:08 > 0:52:12That big male there has lots of cuts all over his chest,
0:52:12 > 0:52:17because they do use their tusks for fighting for establishing dominance.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23Let's do a count, roughly.
0:52:23 > 0:52:29The size of the colony will give an insight into the recovery of the species.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31OK, I can see..
0:52:31 > 0:52:35one, two, three, four...
0:52:35 > 0:52:39They count 22 male walruses on the beach.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43The rule of thumb is that about a quarter of the colony will be on land.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47The rest will be in the water, feeding.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50So this colony is 88.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52That's about right.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55- They say between 10 and 100. - Perfect.
0:52:59 > 0:53:0360 years ago, this colony would have represented
0:53:03 > 0:53:05almost the entire walrus population of Svalbard.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11They were made a protected species here in 1952
0:53:11 > 0:53:14and their numbers are slowly recovering.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18It's estimated that there are now around 2,000.
0:53:20 > 0:53:24I love how on this great expanse of beach, they're all
0:53:24 > 0:53:29collected in one group and they're just lying all over each other.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32- They're very social. - They're very communal creatures.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38As the Arctic transforms, the Atlantic walrus could,
0:53:38 > 0:53:41in the short term, be a climate change winner.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46As their feeding grounds are usually near land,
0:53:46 > 0:53:50they're not dependent on ice floes to help them reach their food.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00And the retreating ice could expose more feeding grounds
0:54:00 > 0:54:03and stimulate the growth of clams, their staple diet.
0:54:06 > 0:54:11Which means there's plenty of opportunity for their population to keep on increasing.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16At least initially, global warming could improve
0:54:16 > 0:54:19the Atlantic Walrus's ability to survive.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24It's a real interesting balance.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27We talk a lot about the negativity of climate change
0:54:27 > 0:54:31but it is always nice to have that little bit of a counterbalance,
0:54:31 > 0:54:34to be able to say, you know what?
0:54:34 > 0:54:40There are some creatures that might benefit in some way with the changing Arctic climate.
0:54:41 > 0:54:48The changes in the Arctic Ocean are complex and not always predictable.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53But what we do know is that they will affect us all.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59A transformation in this remote, bitter ocean
0:54:59 > 0:55:04will have a profound effect on life and climate around the globe.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12As the team has journeyed across the world's oceans,
0:55:12 > 0:55:18change has been the dominant theme, often triggered by human activity.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25Habitats are being destroyed.
0:55:25 > 0:55:30When something's so perfectly adapted to one particular ecosystem,
0:55:30 > 0:55:32it's got nowhere else to go.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37Species are being threatened.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41We are totally decimating their numbers.
0:55:43 > 0:55:48And the fragile balance of life is being disrupted.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50They'll eat their way down the food chain
0:55:50 > 0:55:52till there's nothing left down there.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58But there are also signs of hope.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02Some species are managing to adapt and are thriving.
0:56:06 > 0:56:11And, with human ingenuity, we're attempting to restore the balance.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13What we're looking at here
0:56:13 > 0:56:17is almost the Indian Ocean equivalent of a garden centre.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26The oceans are one of our planet's greatest assets.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31And their future is in our hands.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:07 > 0:57:10E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk