View source for Great Barrier Reef (2015 TV series)

{{short description|David Attenborough series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox television
| image              = David Attenborough Great Barrier Reef screening.jpg
| image_upright      =
| image_size         =
| image_alt          =
| caption            = David Attenorough at a special screening of the series at [[Australia House]], London
| genre              = [[Nature documentary]]
| writer             = [[David Attenborough]]
| director           = Michael Davis and Anne Sommerfield
| presenter          =
| narrated           = David Attenborough
| composer           =
| country            = United Kingdom
| language           = English
| num_series         = 1
| num_episodes       = 3
| executive_producer =
| producer           = Anne Sommerfield
| location           =
| runtime            = 60 minutes
| company            =
| channel            = [[BBC One]]<br />[[BBC One HD]]
| first_aired        = {{start date|2015|12|30|df=yes}}
| last_aired         = {{end date|2016|1|13|df=yes}}
| related            =
}}
'''''Great Barrier Reef''''' is a three-part [[BBC]] documentary series. Narrated by [[David Attenborough]], its three episodes aired over December 2015 and into January 2016. The series was released on [[DVD]] and [[Blu-ray]] in January 2016.
The [[MV Alucia|MV ''Alucia'']] was used as a base for the series.<ref>[http://www.cairnspost.com.au/lifestyle/lanternfish-to-light-up-lens-of-sir-david-attenborough-during-cairns-visit/news-story/50639e01642259461104f1d83b503a19 Lanternfish to light up lens of Sir David Attenborough during Cairns visit] ''[[The Cairns Post]]'' 4 November 2014</ref>
==Synopses==
===Episode 1: Builders===
This episode explores the creatures that inhabit the [[Great Barrier Reef]] off the northeastern coast of Australia on board the research vessel [[MV Alucia|MV ''Alucia'']]. Attenborough goes deep into the ocean on board ''Alucia'''s Triton submersible. He pays a visit to [[Lizard Island]].
===Episode 2: Visitors===
Attenborough starts out on [[Osprey Reef]]. [[Hammerhead shark]]s pick up signals from the [[Earth's magnetic field]]. Some sharks travel to [[Raine Island]]. Attenborough goes to a green turtle [[rookery]] on Raine Island.
[[Heron Island (Queensland)|Heron Island]] is to the south of Raine Island.
[[Manta ray]]s are the nomads of the Great Barrier Reef. Manta rays feed on the [[plankton]]. Many of these manta rays make their way to [[Lady Elliot Island]].  [[Kathy Townsend]] has been tracking manta rays and studying them for the last seven years.
===Episode 3: Survival===
[[Cyclone]]s are the biggest killers of the reef's corals. [[SS Yongala|SS ''Yongala'']] was sunk by a cyclone in 1911. [[Cyclone Yasi]] in 2011 ripped many corals and exposed the top of the sunken ''Yongala''.
Another threat to corals are coral-eating starfishes known as [[crown-of-thorns starfish]]es.
'''The Making of David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef [https://iview.abc.net.au/show/making-of-david-attenborough-s-great-barrier-reef/video/ZW0221A001S00]'''
50 Min 'Making of '  the series special episode.
==Animals featured==
===Episode 1===
Attenborough discusses reef residents.
*[[coral polyp]]s
*[[clownfish]]
*[[sea anemone]]
*[[mantis shrimp]] with up to 16 photoreceptors
===Episode 2===
*[[tiger shark]]
*[[Green sea turtle]]
*[[Anous|noddies]]
*[[Wedge-tailed shearwater]]
*[[wrasse]], small fish
*[[humpback whale]]s
*[[Common minke whale|dwarf minke whale]]
===Episode 3===
*[[Epaulette shark]]
*[[Crown-of-thorns starfish]]
==Contributors==
Experts who appeared in the series include:
*[[Kathy Townsend]]<ref name="Ep2">{{Cite episode |title=Episode 2 |series=Great Barrier Reef  |series-link=Great Barrier Reef (David Attenborough series) |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06vngqx |access-date=6 January 2016 |network=BBC |number=2 }}</ref>
*[[Justin Marshall (neuroscientist)|Justin Marshall]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=5329344|title=Great Barrier Reef}}
*{{BBC programme}}
{{David Attenborough}}
[[Category:2015 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:2016 British television series endings]]
[[Category:David Attenborough]]
[[Category:Great Barrier Reef]]
[[Category:2010s Australian documentary television series]]
[[Category:BBC high definition shows]]
[[Category:Documentary films about marine biology]]
[[Category:BBC television documentaries]]
[[Category:British English-language television shows]]