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Hey, Wowzer fans, Mindy here.
And before we start the show, I gotta let you know that this November, with a special new episode featuring our friends at Circle Round and Terrestrials on Radiolab for Kids,
And don't miss when Elmo from Sesame Street stops by Wow in the World to make us all belly laugh on November 24th.
Oh, but that's not all, Reg.
On December 1st, we are sharing our 250th episode of Wow in the World with all of you.
We think this one is going to be music to your ears.
Literally.
Did I mention it's a musical?
And if you're a member of the World Organization of Wowzers...
Oh boy, do I have a surprise for you.
You can listen to our 250th episode early with me and other members from around the world on Saturday, November 22nd, at 7 pm.
Eastern.
That's right, we are throwing another listening party.
Join us as we dance along to our new songs.
React to the episode with other members in the chat and more.
Grownups.
If you want your wowzer to join this members-only listening party, you can sign up to become a member today at Tinkercastcom.
Slash wow.
Already a member?
Well, you can find the link and password to join the event when you sign in at Tinkercastcom.
Slash wow.
That's it.
It's going to be a November to remember.
But for now, let's get on with the show.
Woo!
Okay, okay, let's see here.
Beach towel, check.
Sandals, check.
Bioacidification testing kit, check.
Don't want to forget that.
I keep forgetting you got that door blocking the entrance to your house.
What?
Good morning, Guy Raz.
Oh, hey, Mindy.
Are you ready for the big trip?
Am I ready?
Let me tell you.
I just came up with an entire schedule while I was in the bathroom doing my...
Anywho, allow me to unravel my list that I scribbled on the back of this roll of toilet paper.
We've got snorkeling for apples, jet ski horseback riding, maybe a little sky driving.
Actually, Mindy, I was sort of looking forward to, you know, a little R&R.
Rollerblading and raccoon chasing, yes!
Yes!
I had that written down, but I had to use that piece for, you know.
Anyway, let me just jot it down again.
No, no, no.
Toilet paper keeps tearing on me.
No, what I meant by R&R, Mindy, was rest and research.
Research?
Man, garage, this is supposed to be a friend vacation.
I know, but I just can't help myself.
Besides, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, Mindy.
It contains over 100 species of jellyfish, 1625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins.
Wow, so the Great Barrier Reef is home to all those animals?
It's like an underworld water mansion!
Yep.
And although coral reefs, like the Great Barrier Reef, only cover a teeny tiny part of the ocean floor, those coral reefs are home to one out of every three sea creatures in the oceans, Mindy.
Wow, well in that case, I think I might be up for a little rest and research myself, Guy Raz.
You almost packed?
Yep, just a couple more things here...
Oh, okay.
Is that going to... How does something like that even... Oh, I see.
And done.
Wow.
Okay.
Welp, it's time to go.
Reggie's outside waiting on your tarmac driveway, and he charges by the minute.
So, come on!
Sorry, Reggie!
Okay, now just hand me your luggage.
Whee!
It's heavy.
Okay, I'm just going to put it right here under Reggie's belly, and you just climb on top.
You on?
Yep.
Just going to hop on this bird myself here.
All right.
Where's the PA system?
Oh, here it is.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your co-pilot speaking and just been given the green light from the tower for takeoff, and our destination today is Queensland Australia, with a flight time of around 12 seconds.
So strap in tight, sit back, and enjoy the flight.
Mindy, what happened to the seatbelts?
Flight crew, prepare for takeoff, and P8.
Oh, here it is.
Hello, this is your plane captain co-pilot speaking.
If you'll kindly look over to the right-hand side of the pigeon, you'll now be able to see the Great Barrier Reef.
Wow, that stretches for miles.
1,430 miles to be exact.
What?
Oh, stretches more than 1430 miles along Australia's eastern coastline, weighing in at about half the size of Texas.
Wow, and Mindy, I read it's the only living organism that's visible from space.
And one more thing, the Great Barrier Reef is the only living organism visible from space.
That's righteous.
Whoa!
Ladies and gentlemen, we will now be starting our descent, so please hold on tight and prepare for a water landing.
I hope that you've enjoyed your life.
I mean, your flight.
Water landing?
Oh no, not again.
Nice water landing, Reggie.
Happy International Talk Like a Pilot Day!
If I knew we were going to land in water, I would have worn my bathing suit.
Bye, Reg!
Thanks for the lift!
Wow.
For us, here we are, finally floating in the ocean above the Great Barrier Reef.
Yep.
So, what do you want to do first?
Maybe go ashore and tour the inside of some sandcastles or chase some speedboats.
Maybe get kicked out of a volleyball game.
Well, actually, Mindy, I've always wanted to explore underwater around the Great Barrier Reef.
All those colors, all those marine species.
There's a reason it's known as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
Oh, great idea.
Before we go, I just need to find my... Where is that thing?
Not if, not if. lawnmower.
Get it.
Oh, my hat.
What?
Oh, here it is.
What is that?
What?
Do your glasses need glasses?
It's obvious what this is.
In fact, this is how we are going to explore the Great Barrier Reef.
Uh, Mindy, that's a toy submarine.
Well, lucky for us, I remembered to bring my reverse shrink wand with me.
I've just got to find it here in my adventure toolbox.
Another couch!
Why would you need that?
Because, before you can even say the words, kale elbow patches.
This reverse shrink wand is going to turn this teeny tiny submarine into a deluxe two-person underwater ocean floor observatory.
You mean to tell me...
And I'm about to unshrink it.
Well... Abracaboodie, Kalamazaz, make this tiny submarine bigger than Guy Raz.
Perfect!
And yellow.
All right, let me just open up the hatch here.
What about that leak?
Did you get it fixed?
Yeah, turns out it was caused by the screen door I installed.
Anyway, let's just say I fixed it.
Okay, if you say so, uh...
I guess let's dive underwater?
Let's do it.
Um, Guy Raz, do you think we're in the right place?
Yeah, I'm sure of it.
Let me just double check the GPS.
Because I'm looking through the periscope and all I'm seeing are these weird white tree things.
Mindy.
What?
I think I know what's happening here.
What's happening?
I've been hearing about this.
I think this might be the result of coral bleaching.
Coral what-ing?
Coral bleaching.
It's when the coral in the ocean loses its color and turns white.
But why does that even happen?
Well, Mindy, when the coral gets a little bit stressed out.
Stressed out?
Guy Raz, what does coral have to be stressed out about?
Well, a whole bunch of things, actually, Mindy.
Pollution, like getting too much sunlight and rising temperatures.
Temperatures?
I don't know, Guy Raz.
I'm just going to roll down this window here and stick my hand out into the water.
Whoa, this water feels really comfy to me right now.
Ah!
Close the window!
Lizzie, shut the window!
Oops, sorry, big mistake.
Won't happen again.
Please, don't do that again.
Well, the water might feel nice and warm to us, but the coral and the symbiotic algae that live on the coral well, they actually like it a lot cooler.
Uh, hold the phone, Guy Raz.
The symbiotic what that lives on who?
The symbiotic algae that lives on the coral.
Wait, so coral has little algae plants living on it?
Yep, it's actually a microscopic algae called zooxanthellae.
And it's this algae that gives the coral its bright and vibrant colors.
And Doesn't symbiotic mean a relationship in nature where two different species work together to help each other out?
Yes, exactly.
Hey, just like you and me, Guy Raz.
A symbiotic fun ship.
That's right.
And in this case, the zooxanthellae turn sunlight into food for the coral.
And the coral gives the algae a cozy place to live.
A cozy place to live inside it.
That's right.
But... their relationship can get a little... What?
How do I put this?
Well, a little testy when the ocean temperature gets too hot.
Uh, that reminds me of the last time we took a friend vacation.
Ugh!
Why is it so hot in here?
Even my sweat is sweating.
I don't know.
I think this thermostat must be broken.
Let me just fidget with this for a sec.
I'm melting!
I'm melting!
Mindy, Calm down.
You're not going to melt.
Fine.
Then I'm just going to get out of this vacation, Guy Raz.
I'm going home.
Reggie!
Okay, okay.
So yeah, when you were so hot and you had to race off.
Well, that's basically what's happening here on the reef Mindy.
The temperature gets so unbearable that the zooxanthellae end up packing their bags and leaving the coral taking all of their colors with them.
Oh.
So the bleached coral that we see left behind is really just the regular coral, without all of its colorful friends attached.
Yep.
It's kind of sad.
It is.
And Mindy, as you know, climate change is making our planet warmer.
And that means that our oceans are also getting warmer.
And as the oceans in this part of Australia get warmer and warmer, these bleaching events could possibly spread to the rest of the reef.
And entire coral reef is just dead.
Bleached coral doesn't necessarily mean that it's dead, but without the zooxanthellae protecting it, it can get sicker and sicker, faster and faster, kind of like how grandma g-force always tells me to put on a coat or i'll catch a cold yep.
Now, if we could only get the temperature of the oceans to drop, then the zooxanthellae can return to the reef and make a full recovery.
Well, well what?
I just realized something.
This means that we would also have to deal with the Coral Killer.
The what?
Oh, you haven't heard of the Coral Killer?
No, but it sounds a little scary.
Oh, man.
It's like something straight out of one of those horror movies where everything's more hilarious than it is horrifying.
What?
I got an idea.
What do you say we hang a roger and pilot this submarine due east?
Uh...
Where are we going?
Almost there, Guy Raz.
Is that a movie theater?
Yep.
Bet you weren't expecting to find one of those at the bottom of the ocean, were you?
So weird that they put one all the way out here and underwater.
Are you sure we can take our submarine in there?
Oh, yeah.
It's an underwater drive-in movie theater.
You just float right in.
An underwater drive-in movie theater?
Just going to float on up to the ticket booth here.
And where are the brakes on this thing?
Oh, here we go.
Open up this window so I can order our tickets.
What?
Shut the window.
Almost forgot we're in an underwater submarine.
Got a microphone for this kind of thing.
Um, hi.
Two tickets to the Coral Killer, please.
Oh, um, let me ask my friend.
Hey, Guy Raz.
She wants to know if we want any snacks before we head in.
They've got krill nuggets, shrimp cocktails...
Sea pickles.
Hey, you like sea pickles, right?
Actually, no time for that.
The movie's about to start.
And I see the perfect seat for our submarine right in the middle of all the other submarines.
Come on.
Excuse us.
Coming through.
Sorry.
We're just going to squeeze on by.
Excuse me.
Excuse us.
Just in time.
Now here, Guy Raz, put on these headphones so you can hear the movie.
They thought the worst of it was over.
Phew, I think the worst of it's over.
But then came the Coral Killer.
Feasting on the living flesh of coral devouring reefs the world over, numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
There's thousands of them!
They are the Crown of Thrones starfish.
You know what, Guy Raz?
We should probably get out of here.
Excuse me.
Sorry.
Excuse me.
Pardon me.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
Pardon me.
Don't mind me.
Pretty scary movie, huh?
Mindy, that was horrifying.
A giant starfish eating the coral reef.
It's not real, is it?
Actually, Guy Raz, it is.
What?
These purplish-blue starfish can grow as long as a medium-sized dog.
Over two and a half feet.
They're also known as corillavores.
Corillavores?
Now I know a.
A carnivore is an animal that only eats meat, and an herbivore is an animal that only eats plants.
So does that mean that this starfish only eats coral?
Exactoritos, Guy Raz.
And it turns out they're not too picky when it comes to their food either.
They'll eat just about any coral you put in front of them.
Bonjour, messieurs.
Take your order.
Yeah, I'll take an order of the branching and table corals.
Very good, sir.
And some of the porites.
Porites.
Porites or folios corals.
Excellent.
I'm also going to take an order of the soft coral, the encrusted organisms and what sponges do you have on special tonight?
So why have they only just become a problem now?
Well, some scientists think that this recent outbreak of flesh-eating starfish might be related to a weather event called El Niño.
El Niño?
Yep.
It's this crazy phenomenon that happens about once every 10 years or so, when a lot of warm water from the oceans around the equator near South America travels to the east coast of Australia.
So the increased water temperatures from climate change and El Nino are not only bleaching the coral, but also making its number one natural predator's population.
Go bonker balls.
Hey, that's my word!
But yeah, that's exactly what happens.
Just one of these starfish can lay up to 65 million eggs at a time.
65 million eggs?!
!
This reef is going to be overrun.
We've got to get out of here, Mindy.
I mean, the coral killers are going to come for us.
Guy Raz, calm down.
I know someone who can help.
You do?
Uh-huh.
But we've got to get out of here.
Back this baby on up.
All right.
Now listen to that.
Mindy, what's that sound?
There it is.
Do you see it?
What is that?
Wow.
It looks like a...
Any yellow submarine actually kind of looks like ours.
That, Guy Raz, is the hot spot.
Or as I like to call it, the Starfish Slayer.
Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for joining us here on the great barrier reef for this world-class bout between the Starfish Slayer and the Coral Killer.
Now, Mark, what can you tell me about these two competitors?
Well, Steve the Coral Killer has been around for seven years millions of years now and during that time has really been able to hone its skill.
Okay, that's enough TV.
Hey, I was watching that!
Well, no time for TV right now.
By the way, what is this Starfish Slayer Kotsbots thing?
Oh yeah, so the Kotsbot Kots, meaning Crown of Thorns Starfish is this underwater drone developed by robotic researchers at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia.
And its whole mission is to hunt down these sinister starfish.
Wow, that's so cool.
So it's like a little submarine that just swims around the reef identifying crown-of-thorn starfish, with those cameras on the front of it.
Yep.
And every time it sees a new crown of thorns starfish, it snaps a picture and then puts that picture in its little robot brain to help it identify, or better pick out, future starfish when it comes across them.
So once it identifies one of these starfish, what happens next?
Well, take a look.
What is that?
It looks like some sort of arm is coming out of the cotspot.
Oh, yeah.
Look at it go.
Oh, got it!
Mindy, what's it doing?
What's it doing?
It's injecting that coral-killing starfish with poison!
Poison?
Well, I mean, the technical term is sodium bisulfite.
Okay, well, I know sodium is the chemical form of salt, but bisulfite?
What is that?
Oh, glad you asked.
It's bile.
Bile?
Uh-huh.
You mean that mucusy liquid that lines our intestines?
Yep.
They're injecting... that into these starfish?
You know it, Guy Raz.
In fact, the bile that they're injecting into these starfish comes from cows.
Wait a minute.
We're injecting starfish with salty cow bile using a drone all in an effort to save the reef?
Yeah, pretty much.
I mean, how cool is that?
It's mind-bogglingly cool, Mindy.
But you know that These robots aren't the only ones bringing the fight to the starfish.
Really?
Really.
Look, here comes one now.
Still coming, still coming.
Wait for it.
What?
What are we waiting for?
I don't have this kind of patience.
Wait for it.
There.
Oh, my googly-eyed cat.
What is that?
That, Mindy, is the giant triton sea snail.
That thing is gargantuan.
I mean, I've seen some snails in my day.
In fact, I've got three in my pocket right now.
What?
But I've never seen anything that looked like that.
Yep, 50 centimeters long, as long as a cat.
Coming in at 1.5 feet, he hails from the coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific region.
He eats crown-of-thorn starfish for breakfast.
It's the Dryton Terror!
No, I've totally heard about these guys.
They're one of the crown of thorns starfish, only natural predators, right?
That's right.
The Australian Institute of Marine Science here in North Queensland is currently doing a study to try and breed or make more of these starfish swallowers across the reef to try and stop this outbreak of crown-of-thorn starfish.
Hold the phone, Guy Raz.
So these starfish have millions of babies at a time, right?
Yep.
So how in the world do you expect these giant snails to eat them all?
Well...
I mean, I've got a big appetite, but I max out at like three starfish in a sitting.
What?
What?
What I mean to say is that there are way more starfish than there are snails.
That's true, Mindy.
And yes, these giant sea snails typically eat about one starfish a week.
What?
One starfish a week?
Yep.
I'm no math magician, but by my calculations we're going to be like 300 years old by the time these snails finish their dinner.
Yeah.
It's like they're eating at a snail's pace.
That's true, but Mindy, here's the thing.
The researchers at the Australian Institute of Marine Science found out that just the smell of the triton in the water near the starfish is enough to send the starfish running.
Wow.
Just like how some of the smells I make send you running.
Excuse me.
True, but the triton snail and the crown of thorns starfish are able to smell each other by detecting the chemicals that each of them give off in the water, in the same way that we humans detect chemicals in the air with our noses.
And nothing smells better to a triton sea snail than a crown of thorns starfish.
Mm-mm-mm.
Mmm, yep, just like every time you smell my double chocolate fudge brownies.
Or every time you smell my homemade, freshly cooked, made-from-scratch kelp noodles that I buy frozen from the store.
Ooh, those noodles are so good!
Okay.
So basically what you're saying here is that when the crown-of-thorns starfish smells the triton sea snail coming for it, it farts, freaks out and bolts.
That's right.
And the further away these snails can drive the starfish away from each other well, the harder it is for them to breed and make more babies.
Whoa, check it out.
Looks like that triton snail finally made it to an unsuspecting starfish.
Oh, man.
He's really going to town on that starfish, Mindy.
He must be hungry.
Look at him go.
Saving the reef one bite at a time.
Woo-hoo!
Wow in the World will be right back.
Grown-ups, this message is for you.
Hey, grown-ups.
It's Mindy and Guy Raz here from Wow in the World.
Mindy and I have some brand new Wow in the World toys out in the world just in time for the holidays.
Made for the kids who love science and for the ones who don't. yet.
From our 100 experiments that wow kit to the telescope and astronomy kit.
Our Wow in the World toys help your wowzer learn about their world through play.
Plus, you can hear exclusive audio content from me and Guy Raz to help your wowzer discover even more wows.
Grown-ups.
Give the gift of wow and wonder this holiday season with our latest Wow in the World toys designed with your curious wowzer in mind.
You can shop our Wow in the World toys at Tinkercast.com slash toys.
That's Tinkercast.com slash toys.
Hi, thanks for calling Wow in the World.
After the beep, get ready to record.
Hi, my name is Cody and I'm five years old and I live in Washington.
And my Wow in the World is that a deer walked up to my window and it was eating.
It looked up and then it just kept eating.
Bye, love you so.
And I am nine and I live in Memphis, Tennessee.
My wow in the world is that guinea pigs sleep with their eyes open.
Bye.
Hi, my name is Alma.
I am six years old and I am from Santa Fe, New Mexico.
And my wow in my world is that e-horses don't have stomachs.
My name is Karen from Venice California, and my wow in the world is that king kothras are the longest venomous snake on the planet.
Love your show, Mindy and Guy Ross, and I also love that hilarious bird rugby, too.
Bye!
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross.
My name is Lexi.
I live in Roslindale, Massachusetts, and I am seven years old.
My wow in the world is that it takes Three days to get to the moon.
You need an astronaut suit.
The first thing to go to the moon was to fly.
I love your show.
Bye.
Hi.
My name is Molly.
And I live in Franklin, Tennessee.
And I am six.
My wow is dogs are colorblind.
And so is my dad.
Bye.
Hi.
I'm Ryan from Prylake, Minnesota.
And my wow is that I recently learned that a Delta plane takes off every ten seconds.
Bye.
End of messages.
Hey, everyone.
Thank you so much. for joining us this week on Wow in the World.
And if you want to keep the conversation going, check out some of the questions we've posted on this episode at our website, wowintheworldcom.
And there you'll be able to find all of the sources and journal articles we used for today's show.
Our show is produced by Jed Anderson.
Say hello, Jed.
Hello.
With help from Thomas Van Kalken, Chelsea Urson, and Jessica Bodie.
Meredith Halpern-Ranzer is the big boss.
Our theme song was composed and performed by The Pop-Ups.
You can find more of their awesome all-ages music at thepopups.com.
And parents and teachers.
If you want to send us an email, our address is hello at wowintheworldcom.
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Our phone number is 1-888-7WOW-WOW.
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Until next time, keep on wowing.
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