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Expedition Reef
Hope for reefs in a changing world
Learn the secrets of the "rainforests of the sea" as you and your visitors embark on an oceanic safari to the world’s most vibrant — and endangered — marine ecosystems.
Expedition Reef, narrated by Tony Award® winner Lea Salonga, will immerse audiences in an undersea adventure. This fulldome planetarium show provides an up-close look at a part of our planet many people have never experienced. Discover how corals grow, feed, reproduce, and support over 25% of all marine life on Earth — while facing unprecedented threats from climate change, habitat destruction, and overfishing.
Expedition Reef starts at the Academy's Philippine Coral Reef exhibit. Thousands of tropical fish and colorful corals thrive in one of the largest and deepest indoor displays of living corals. Then, we venture across the globe and below the ocean's surface to learn about the biology of corals, and how reefs support some of the planet's most complex food webs.
We come face-to-face with slithering moray eels being groomed by dutiful cleaner shrimp and wrasses; a Trapezia crab squares off with a crown-of-thorns starfish; and other-worldly nudibranchs dine on tasty meals of sponges.
These vivid scenes result from hundreds of hours of animation design, production, and collaboration between scientists and the visualization team, referencing 360° footage and high-resolution images collected by Academy divers. The incredible level of detail in Expedition Reef is backed by cutting-edge research from biologists and oceanographers worldwide. Their work shows that global coral reefs are being pushed to their limits.
For a truly global perspective, the show also visualizes the network of reefs on a planetary scale. Although they line about a third of tropical coastlines, reefs comprise less than one percent of the world's ocean environments, showing how precious and fragile these systems are. Scientists are racing the clock to develop sustainable solutions before these areas disappear forever. Their research and recommendations can inform public policy decisions through this show.
Expedition Reef is a compelling and important story to tell. General audiences as well as students on specialized school visits will gain an appreciation of the splendor of the reefs. We invite you to license this show for your dome today!
Running time: 25:40
Suitable for: General Public
Information about: Coral reefs, marine ecosystems
Year of production: 2018
Don't see the language you want? Let's work together with the producer to create it. Read more here!
The Academy has created some useful educational modules and gathered everything you need about this show in one handy place. Visit their Educators page.
POSTER (6835 x 10254 pixels, ~17MB)
Frames from the show; select for large size
A Moray eel receives a dental exam from Cleaner Shrimp and Cleaner Wrasse fish. They eat small parasites that can make the eel sick. (Credit: California Academy of Sciences)
A close-up view of a coral polyp reveals the presence of zooxanthellae, tiny algae that reside in the coral‘s tissue, giving the coral its color—and providing its most important source of energy through photosynthesis. (Credit: California Academy of Sciences)
A close-up view of a coral polyp reveals the presence of zooxanthellae, tiny algae that reside in the coral‘s tissue, giving the coral its color—and providing its most important source of energy through photosynthesis. (Credit: California Academy of Sciences)
A Trapezia crab defends its coral home from a crown-of-thorns starfish, which consumes living coral. (Credit: California Academy of Sciences)
A colorful nudibranch dines on a sponge growing on the coral reef. (Credit: California Academy of Sciences)
