00:03For years we've been worried about our planet's coral reefs disappearing, bleaching, or being destroyed by human interaction.
00:09That is still very much a concern, but at least for the moment, conservationists might be able to breathe a
00:14small sigh of relief.
00:16That's because, according to a new analysis using satellite imagery and AI,
00:20our planet's reef systems are actually around 25% larger than we previously thought.
00:24The team of researchers were looking specifically at shallow reefs, or those that reside only up to a depth of
00:30around 65 feet.
00:31A team of around 500 marine researchers then poured over 100 trillion pixels worth of data to identify every coral
00:38inch in satellite images.
00:39The new methodology allowed them to account for a whopping 24,700 new square miles of extra, never-before-catalogued
00:46reefs.
00:47That brings our planet's total shallow reef system up to more than 134,000 square miles.
00:52Or what the researchers equate to around the size of Germany.
00:56These side-by-side images show exactly where the reefs were hiding as well, with the newly discovered reef mass
01:01noted in red.
01:02And while reefs are still very much in peril, the experts say these new maps will greatly help conservation efforts,
01:08and saving these oceanic ecosystems.
01:10To see, we'll see you next time.
01:14If you've got a great idea of a great idea,
01:14what to do is give you a great idea of a great idea of a kind of amazingyyy idea.
01:16That's about how we can out here.
01:17Thanks, thanks.
01:17Thanks, thanks.
