Chasing Coral should be an eye opener for everybody, but that would only work if everybody watched it, especially influent people that have to take big decisions. For people that continue to deny global warming is going on. Unfortunately those influent people, like are so-called 'world leaders', could not care less about all this, because greed, destruction and world domination is their only goal in life. The documentary starts slow, with some good footage but also some blurry archive footage. It's all interesting to watch though. But the best part, if I can say best in this case, is the ending, and i's not that colorful anymore. We, the humans, the so-called smartest specie on earth, are in fact the parasites of our planet, destroying everything at high speed. If the coral reefs are bleaching it's all our fault, and if this eco system dies in the next decades it will be our fault as well. The end of the documentary wants to give us a bit of hope, but honestly I don't believe in it. We are doomed to go from bad to worse, as greed and selfishness are the only goals of us humans. So Chasing Coral is a good documentary, but a sad and emotional one. It should be mandatory in schools or for everybody to see, so that maybe we would change our attitude, but that's just wishful thinking. The future generations will pay the price for our neglect and destruction of our once lovely planet.
25 Reviews
Save the coral!
ferguson-621 April 2017
Whether you have spent vacation time snorkeling, watched the National Geographic channel, or even paid a bit of attention during high school science class, you likely have some level of understanding of what a vital ecosystem coral reefs are to Ocean life. Director Jeff Orlowski has a track record of important environmental documentaries with his 2012 Chasing Ice. Both of these movies have been well received at Sundance and other film festivals, as well as by scientific experts.
Mr. Orlowski was contacted by underwater photographer Richard Vevers once the Vevers team recognized the accelerated breakdown of corals as the ocean water temperature rose slightly. The film takes us to such places as The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Florida Keys, American Somoa, Hawaii, Bermuda and the Bahamas. The obvious message is that concern exists around the globe, not just in one particular locale.
The film does an excellent job of defining and explaining the importance of coral, and once Zach Rago is introduced, the energy and passion jump significantly. A charming, self-described "coral nerd", he is also an extremely knowledgeable and committed scientist dedicated to saving this ecosystem that he worships, and he understands the important role it plays to all life.
Little doubt exists that those involved fully believe carbon emissions are to blame for the warming waters resulting in coral bleaching and finally coral death. They also believe that by reducing said emissions, there is still time to prevent the total global coral destruction predicted for the next quarter century.
If the film has any misguided moments, it would be related to the screen time spent on the challenges and frustrations associated with underwater time-lapse photography, especially from a hardware standpoint. As viewers, we are far more interested in the coral endangerment and the photography shots that do exist especially some of the stunning before/after looks as coral reefs are quickly destroyed.
A trip to the Coral Convention provides us a glimpse at how research and information is shared by those who are working on this and other environmental issues. With limited resources, it's crucial that access to information is available to those who need it. Finally, the film leaves us with a reminder that forests, reefs, and other ecosystems are all vital to our lives; and while the current path is quite saddening, there is optimism that we have time to stop the damage if we act now.
Mr. Orlowski was contacted by underwater photographer Richard Vevers once the Vevers team recognized the accelerated breakdown of corals as the ocean water temperature rose slightly. The film takes us to such places as The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Florida Keys, American Somoa, Hawaii, Bermuda and the Bahamas. The obvious message is that concern exists around the globe, not just in one particular locale.
The film does an excellent job of defining and explaining the importance of coral, and once Zach Rago is introduced, the energy and passion jump significantly. A charming, self-described "coral nerd", he is also an extremely knowledgeable and committed scientist dedicated to saving this ecosystem that he worships, and he understands the important role it plays to all life.
Little doubt exists that those involved fully believe carbon emissions are to blame for the warming waters resulting in coral bleaching and finally coral death. They also believe that by reducing said emissions, there is still time to prevent the total global coral destruction predicted for the next quarter century.
If the film has any misguided moments, it would be related to the screen time spent on the challenges and frustrations associated with underwater time-lapse photography, especially from a hardware standpoint. As viewers, we are far more interested in the coral endangerment and the photography shots that do exist especially some of the stunning before/after looks as coral reefs are quickly destroyed.
A trip to the Coral Convention provides us a glimpse at how research and information is shared by those who are working on this and other environmental issues. With limited resources, it's crucial that access to information is available to those who need it. Finally, the film leaves us with a reminder that forests, reefs, and other ecosystems are all vital to our lives; and while the current path is quite saddening, there is optimism that we have time to stop the damage if we act now.
Touching, funny, relevant
re_incarnate3 June 2017
This is my first review on IMDb. I got a chance to see this film at Sundance London and it was so incredibly inspiring that I felt this film must be seen by people. Sadly this screening coincided with Trump pulling out of the Paris climate change deal, which makes this film even more important.
The director Jeff Orlowski and his crew embark on a quest to document and show the audience how quick and devastating the effects of global warming are on the coral reefs around the world.
The documentary has funny laugh-out-loud moments, takes us on an emotional journey where we see how deeply the filmmakers care for this subject, but most importantly it brings the message home - that things are changing and something needs to be done. A fantastic, motivating and hopeful film that is 100% relevant to the issues we face today, not to mention the stunning cinematography 10/10
The director Jeff Orlowski and his crew embark on a quest to document and show the audience how quick and devastating the effects of global warming are on the coral reefs around the world.
The documentary has funny laugh-out-loud moments, takes us on an emotional journey where we see how deeply the filmmakers care for this subject, but most importantly it brings the message home - that things are changing and something needs to be done. A fantastic, motivating and hopeful film that is 100% relevant to the issues we face today, not to mention the stunning cinematography 10/10
Excellent and eye opening
billgailhi9 January 2018
I saw this film recently at the Waimea Ocean Film Festival. It was the documentary I most wanted to see. The Big Island of Hawaii has coral reefs that have suffered from bleaching. If things do not change, we will lose our coral reefs and many fish will disappear. That will affect our fisherman and tourism. I fervently hope people will WAKE UP!
The 6th Mass Extinction has begun
karlealdinger16 July 2017
This important documentary serves as a wake up call to deniers of man made climate change and also to those who just don't see the need for concern. It takes the time to teach us about basic coral anatomy, their reliance on zooplankton, and then chronicles the surging ocean temperatures and the direct correlation with the death of entire swaths of reef. This film will make you cry as it makes you come to grips with the reality of climate change. Watch it, and then share it with others too, to help educate those too distracted to understand the calamity we're witnessing.
While it doesn't go into ocean acidification, that is where I'd challenge the viewer to explore next. It's not a counter theory, but rather the two are interrelated.
While it doesn't go into ocean acidification, that is where I'd challenge the viewer to explore next. It's not a counter theory, but rather the two are interrelated.
Enlightening, Deep... a "Must Watch"
jennalessa3 October 2018
If you had this pending, go watch it now! It is everything a documentary must be. The production is awesome, same as the put together, facts and striking footage. If you love nature in any form, I warn you this could leave you crying hard and wanting to make everyone around you WAKE UP!! I can't even start imagining how all those places are right now, after more than a year of all this. We're killing our planet and corals are showing it in a breathtaking speed. Watch this and share it with everyone you can share it with.
A real eye opening documentary
BeccaGudd7 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Ok I'll be honest I didn't know much about Coral but after watching this documentary I really want to learn more. I found the documentary really informative and at the same time quite sad. We have such an amazing planet and it should be looked after more. I really recommend that you watch this documentary.
Must Watch
annalippy10 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Chasing Coral was directed by Jeff Orlowski and was released in 2017. This documentary highlights the drastic increase in the death of coral reefs. The scientists identify the cause of this population decline as rising ocean temperatures in response to climate change. The movie illustrates the research process that lead to the discovery of this phenomenon. A team of engineers, divers, and scientists traveled to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia and photographed the bleaching of coral over the course of several months.
The timeline of the movie accurately portrays the sequence of the scientific method: make an observation, ask a question, form a hypothesis and prediction, conduct an experiment, analyze results, and then share the results. First, the observation of coral bleaching was made, which made people wonder what was happening and why. Then, we saw the team assemble and generate a plan to conduct research. The documentary included their failures as well as their success, which is an important part of scientific discovery. Being able to see how the data was collected was a very important part in understanding the seriousness of the movie. After acquiring and analyzing the results, the team shared their finding with people of all ages. In addition to communicating their results in symposiums to adults, they brought the information to children in classrooms to educate the next generation about the effects of climate change. While watching the team gather pictures and information, the audience was able to witness their growing personal connection to the coral. The connection the team made with the coral is an integral part of saving the reefs; if more people felt the way they do, then ideally more people would get on board with curbing the effects of climate change. When people find something beautiful, they tend to appreciate and care for it more. Coral is a fascinating and beautiful animal. This movie was directed in an informative yet persuasive style to promote widespread appreciation for this animal, calling for people to make a change.
This movie was produced and edited very well. The visual explanations and analogies throughout the movie really helped me understand the scientific aspect of the bleaching event. Specifically, the model of the polyps was very helpful when explaining how the coral worked. The most symbolic moment was when the crew walked onto the restaurant-boat; there was this beautifully miraculous piece of nature just below these people and they were completely oblivious to it, just like the majority of society is to the beauty of nature. Just as the team did, I developed an affinity with the coral. Watching the reefs die over time was very saddening and I became emotional towards the end of the film. The scene that was the most impactful to me was when the coral became fluorescent as it produced a kind of sun block. This was described as the coral's attempt at saying, "I'm here, notice me" to the world. We all need to notice the beauty and importance of this keystone species.
A good but unfocused documentary
ChristianF10116 November 2020
This film is mainly concerned about the health of coral reefs around the world and the danger that they face. While the film-makers' main goal is to capture the rapid degradation of reefs, they also attempt to explain how climate change is causing such destruction, primarily through coral bleaching. In addition, the film-makers interview experts and researchers who explain the role that reefs play in marine environments. Since they support biodiversity and shelter countless different species, the researchers claim that about 25% of all marine life relies on coral reefs.
Overall, the film provides poignant imagery of dead coral reefs, useful information, and shocking statistics; however, much of its run-time is occupied by dialogue and footage that is not essential. During interviews, we often learn about the film's cast-members and their reasons for studying for reefs. While this helps make the documentary feel more personal, it also makes the film longer and more unfocused than it should be. The film should have been centered around the reefs themselves, not how and why the team got its footage. Still, it is obvious that the film-makers care dearly about preserving coral reefs, and they argue that humans are not giving reefs the amount of attention they deserve. Some of the interviewees forecast that, if we do not slow the rate of coral bleaching quickly, then corals could be wiped out within 30 years. If this happens, they argue that many marine ecosystems will vanish completely, which will result in global economic consequences and resource scarcity.
Overall, the film provides poignant imagery of dead coral reefs, useful information, and shocking statistics; however, much of its run-time is occupied by dialogue and footage that is not essential. During interviews, we often learn about the film's cast-members and their reasons for studying for reefs. While this helps make the documentary feel more personal, it also makes the film longer and more unfocused than it should be. The film should have been centered around the reefs themselves, not how and why the team got its footage. Still, it is obvious that the film-makers care dearly about preserving coral reefs, and they argue that humans are not giving reefs the amount of attention they deserve. Some of the interviewees forecast that, if we do not slow the rate of coral bleaching quickly, then corals could be wiped out within 30 years. If this happens, they argue that many marine ecosystems will vanish completely, which will result in global economic consequences and resource scarcity.
Reality kills you. This show is a true eye opener!
chandanshivaramu2 May 2020
Destruction of Corals due to climate change is breathtakingly presented in this painstakingly told TV show.
This is one of a kind reality show which moves any sane human being.
Accidentally found this on Netflix. My best TV show (90 minutes) till date!
Informative, if not hypocritical
pdsmith-d10 January 2021
Well-made and informative, but there's a catch......while this documentary attempts to finger man-made global warming as the culprit, these same people are using equipment completely made by industry: synthetic cameras, flippers, gas engines on both boats and planes, etc.
If you truly believe who the "bad guy" is, why not sail out to your research spots? Or use ALL equipment that isnt mass-produced by your supposed "bad guys". Use equipment that was made, perhaps, 150 years ago....before all of the "bad" industry arrived.
come on, people.
If you truly believe who the "bad guy" is, why not sail out to your research spots? Or use ALL equipment that isnt mass-produced by your supposed "bad guys". Use equipment that was made, perhaps, 150 years ago....before all of the "bad" industry arrived.
come on, people.
Naive film with zero call to action.
fabiopb23 November 2021
What a strange documentary.
On the good side it presents quite well the problem and its causes. Industrialization brought a rise in global temperature. Temperature rising leads to warmer seas and coral reefs deaths. It's informative and didactic. I did learn many things about corals. Images are amazing and truly impressive. Specially the before/after scenes.
The problem lies in the conclusion at the end. It takes literally the last 2 minutes of the movie and actually shocked me. It goes like this: "Yes, all the corals are dying, but there's no need to worry! The world is going through changes. There's an environmentalist movement that's *inevitable* and that will fix everything! Look, these forty or so countries have committed to be powered by clean energy. And so did these fifty or so US cities. We just need to show this material to children and they'll save us all in the future!"
There's zero call to action. Zip. Nada. Basically we should just keep enjoying our awesome industrialized lives, lie back and wait for the "inevitable" solution. I've never seen so much naivete in an environmentalist documentary. It's Pollyanna at childish levels.
The movie also spends way too much time documenting it's own production, telling how hard it was to take those shots, to reach the places, to place and operate the cameras. It's in great part a documentary about it's own making.
On the good side it presents quite well the problem and its causes. Industrialization brought a rise in global temperature. Temperature rising leads to warmer seas and coral reefs deaths. It's informative and didactic. I did learn many things about corals. Images are amazing and truly impressive. Specially the before/after scenes.
The problem lies in the conclusion at the end. It takes literally the last 2 minutes of the movie and actually shocked me. It goes like this: "Yes, all the corals are dying, but there's no need to worry! The world is going through changes. There's an environmentalist movement that's *inevitable* and that will fix everything! Look, these forty or so countries have committed to be powered by clean energy. And so did these fifty or so US cities. We just need to show this material to children and they'll save us all in the future!"
There's zero call to action. Zip. Nada. Basically we should just keep enjoying our awesome industrialized lives, lie back and wait for the "inevitable" solution. I've never seen so much naivete in an environmentalist documentary. It's Pollyanna at childish levels.
The movie also spends way too much time documenting it's own production, telling how hard it was to take those shots, to reach the places, to place and operate the cameras. It's in great part a documentary about it's own making.
EVERYONE Needs to See This
brad-2290810 January 2020
Eye-opening only scratches the surface. It turns into a wake-up call. Well made and very informative. If you aren't moved by this documentary, you might as well kill yourself, because you obviously have no concern for your life, let alone the lives of any flora or fauna on Earth...making you part of the problem.
I'm totaly cried.
idodags13 October 2018
Amazing
buingocbaohan-142001 April 2020
This is just the most touching documetary i've ever seen. It has made a big alarm for what we're doing now that effects seriously to the oceans and the corals. Also, in the end it creats hope that we can all take action and do something to make our beloved planet better
Eye-opening!
mervecebi11 August 2020
Lovely and Sad
keikoyoshikawa25 March 2021
The passion, humility, and skill of the film-makers are very apparent and appreciated. I'm glad there are people out there helping to show us about what's happening to our world. Educational and entertaining at the same time, this documentary is also beautiful to watch. And it is very depressing and sad also, to know that so much has already been lost and are still being lost. Highly recommended: It is definitely better than talking about toilet rolls.
Totally recommend this !
architectpsjanani24 October 2021
A documentary that MUST be watched by the younger generation especially !
You'd experience a roller coaster of emotions as you navigate through the scenes.
At first, you're wonderstruck by the alluring beauty of the corals. Fast-forward, when you're shown their current reality - you can't help but feel heartbroken and deeply sad.
By the time the credits roll, you'd have gained a sense of attachment and responsibility towards nature, and a renewed motivation to do your part, in protecting it.
You'd experience a roller coaster of emotions as you navigate through the scenes.
At first, you're wonderstruck by the alluring beauty of the corals. Fast-forward, when you're shown their current reality - you can't help but feel heartbroken and deeply sad.
By the time the credits roll, you'd have gained a sense of attachment and responsibility towards nature, and a renewed motivation to do your part, in protecting it.
Heartwrenching and something everyone needs to see
cgorman-9117812 April 2020
The beautiful cinematography captures your imagination and draws you in, only to wrench it away as you watch the death of our world in real time. These kinds of documentary is the only way we can get the message out to affect mass change. Share Chasing Coral with everyone you know. We are witnessing a global extinction event and the masses have not even noticed. Worse, those in power continue to deny it - due to money, greed and 'progress'. What will we tell our children and grandchildren ... how will we look them in the eye and tell them we failed. That in less than 200 years we destroyed a planet that had thrived for millions before it. We need to do more. Chasing Coral should be the start of a movement. It's life or death. We need to keep talking about it. We need to keep that movement marching forward.
Must watch to save the planet
yumamovie20 August 2020
Taking Action - resource management
ianava-3426013 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
In the span of three and a half years, a group of passionate divers, photographers, and scientists, such as Ruth Gates, team up together to document the largest coral bleaching events on earth. The strong images and clips in this film are vital for us to see, especially since we, as humans, do not observe the kind of damage we are causing to ecosystems and other life daily. It must be reinforced how our human actions are impacting the planet earth and the coral reef ecosystems on it, so that a radical change can be made. The Netflix Original documentary "Chasing Coral" is about the 7 revolution topic of resource management, but can relate to the other 6 revolution topics in some way, since coral reefs largely impact earth. Current resource management is poor because humans are recklessly harming the environment and we will soon feel the negative effects. Despite this film being over 4 years old, this documentary is extremely relevant now with all the damaging impacts of climate change we are already facing, as well as this film can greatly teach others the importance of taking care of our planet before it is too late. Through the film we see the time go through the struggles of filming and documenting their data, as well as presenting it to the public, and educating our future generations about it. This movie connects to the resource revolution, since corals are a vital natural resource and their very existence is being threatened due to the oceanic warming. The coral reefs are extremely sensitive to even the slightest temperature changes. Since global warming is happening, coral bleaching is also occurring. Coral bleaching means that coral are dying because of this oceanic warming, causing a rare event to take place in New Caledonia that has never been witnessed before, but you will have the documentary to find out about this phenomenon. Climate change is a large part of the destruction of coral reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef. This is heavily triggered by human activities, resulting in consequences like increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is mostly absorbed by the ocean, also causing ocean acidification. Consequences of human actions, such as atmospheric warming, are contributing to dismantling of vital oceanic ecosystems, like the coral reefs. These ecosystems house and support much of ocean life, which in turn impacts life on land too, so protecting these resources are extremely important. This documentary was extremely informative and I would definitely recommend watching the film because it is easy to get so caught up in our personal lives and not realize the kind of impacts we are having on the planet. It is extremely emotional to see the damage we have done and see the footage of dead bleached coral that the team captured, but it is important to witness and know that there is still hope if we all work together to stop further damage being done on these ecosystems. We must take action now.
Eye-opening but not really surprising
xsqxskkqg31 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
"Chasing Coral" is a film by Jeff Orlowski. It focuses on the bleaching of coral and the negative effects that it has on marine life and marine ecosystems. A group of divers and scientists are the main people shown in the film, and they go around the world to show the decline of coral reefs. Climate change and its negative effects are discussed. Also, human activities are mentioned and how they are causing the decline in coral reefs. Rising ocean temperatures, acidification, and pollution are causing the corals to bleach. That means that the corals are losing color and dying. The film discusses how quickly the coral reefs are declining, and how marine life depends on them. There are also people who depend on them for income.
I think that this movie did a pretty good job at educating the viewer on what is happening to coral reefs all over the world. The movie shows beautiful shots of the ocean's coral reefs before and after the bleaching, so it really shows the viewer how bad it has truly gotten. Not only are visuals shown of the reefs, but scientific explanations are also given to help the viewers learn more about relationships between organisms and corals. Local interviews are also done with people that depend on the coral reefs. This makes the viewer feel empathetic towards them. I really like how the film gives a call to action for the viewers and inspires them to help make change occur in our oceans to help stop the large amount of coral bleaching.
This movie honestly made me sad, because it just shows the reality of the coral reefs that are dying. Fish, sea urchins, starfish, etc. Rely on coral reefs for shelter and food. Knowing that their locations for these things are becoming limited is sad to see. I do know that some organisms can continue to live on the dead coral reefs, but the number of marine lives using the reefs has-and is going to greatly reduce.
I think that this movie did a pretty good job at educating the viewer on what is happening to coral reefs all over the world. The movie shows beautiful shots of the ocean's coral reefs before and after the bleaching, so it really shows the viewer how bad it has truly gotten. Not only are visuals shown of the reefs, but scientific explanations are also given to help the viewers learn more about relationships between organisms and corals. Local interviews are also done with people that depend on the coral reefs. This makes the viewer feel empathetic towards them. I really like how the film gives a call to action for the viewers and inspires them to help make change occur in our oceans to help stop the large amount of coral bleaching.
This movie honestly made me sad, because it just shows the reality of the coral reefs that are dying. Fish, sea urchins, starfish, etc. Rely on coral reefs for shelter and food. Knowing that their locations for these things are becoming limited is sad to see. I do know that some organisms can continue to live on the dead coral reefs, but the number of marine lives using the reefs has-and is going to greatly reduce.
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