走进海底世界：珊瑚拯救大堡礁？(视频)

    全球变暖引起的海水气温上升会杀死珊瑚，使珊瑚礁丧失本来的鲜艳色彩，就如同被“漂白”过了一样。日本科学家现在找到了一种方法——珊瑚移植来使珊瑚礁“死而复生”。南冲绳群岛的石垣岛一向以蔚蓝的海水和环绕在它周围的美丽珊瑚礁著名，但近年来这些珊瑚礁在不断死去。在这里，科学家开始了移植实验。

LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Even though the world's coral reefs pulsate with colour and life, scientists warn many are actually dying due to warming seas and pollution. But in Japan, a team of scientists has developed a new method of restoring devastated reefs using ceramic dishes to grow coral for transplants. Their testing ground is Japan's largest reef in the Southern Okinawan Island Chain, where up to 90 per cent of the coral has already died. Even though the restoration method doesn't address the core problem of rising sea temperatures, scientists say it's still worthwhile. The ABC's North Asia correspondent Mark Willacy reports from Ishigaki Island in Okinawa.

MARK WILLACY, REPORTER: It's a quiet corner of paradise in the east China sea. Ishigaki Island is famous for its sapphire blue waters and for its manta rays and coral reefs.

But in recent years, the coral around Ishigaki Island has begun to die.

MINEO OKAMOTO, MARINE BIOLOGIST (voiceover translation): In the last decade there've been four separate outbreaks of coral bleaching. In some places 90 per cent of the coral has died. This is the result of global warming and it can't be stopped.

MARK WILLACY: Mineo Okamoto is leading one of the largest coral restoration projects in the world. Over the past few years, his team has used an ingenious technique to plant 13,000 pieces of coral here on at Sekesay Reef off Ishigaki Island.

MINEO OKAMOTO (voiceover translation): I developed a system of ceramic dishes which allows the coral larvae to stick to it when the coral spawns. This protects the young coral, allows it to grow and we can then use it for transplants. All this takes place underwater in the coral's natural environment.