The significant loss of coral reefs in recent years seems less often discussed than Earth’s melting glaciers, yet the devastation of this critical ecosystem is another sign of the damage wrought by climate change. Drawing attention to this less visible problem is one goal of the documentary Chasing Coral, which was brought to Middlesex by one of the marine biologists involved in its filming, Zackery Rago, with the assistance of current parents Donna and Kevin Gruneich, associate producers of the film. Throughout the day and evening on April 6, Mr. Rago met with groups of biology and environmental science students to talk about the film, his fascination with coral, and the appeal of a career spent exploring his passion.
Originally hired to secure stationary cameras around reefs to capture time-lapse photography, Mr. Rago became one of the divers who painstakingly filmed numerous coral beds daily to record the effect of warming oceans on these healthy, vibrant organisms. Because “pictures speak to people more than numbers and graphs,” he not only showed portions of Chasing Coral but brought the marine environment to life using virtual reality headsets.
In the underwater realm vividly depicted there, students could watch majestic humpback whales, playful dolphins, and intimidating bull sharks glide above the orange coral beds of the Great Barrier Reef. But in successive images taken over several months, they could also clearly see global warming’s effect on the ocean floor, as rising water temperatures led to coral bleaching and death. “It’s hard to watch something die,” Mr. Rago allowed, “but it’s good to be asking questions and trying to figure out why some coral has survived when much of the reef looks terrible.”
While some researchers pursue genetically breeding temperature-resistant coral, Mr. Rago hopes that Chasing Coral will be “a catalyst to make things better” by educating the public and engaging students in scientific endeavors. “We don’t talk enough about the fun in science – about being in the field with people who are also excited about what excites you,” he said. “I’d rather be underwater than anywhere else.”