In the last Thursday, our researcher Pedro Frade participated in an event of Champalimaud Foundation, where the film Chasing Coral awarded by Sundance was presented.

The film documents the tragic and elusive process of coral bleaching, a phenomenon happening at an unprecedented rate around the world from warming ocean temperatures. It took three and half years to be make produced and has 500 hours of underwater filming by a team of divers, photographers and researchers. 

After the film, the session continued with an open discussion on the subject with researcher Miguel Costa Leal and our marine biologist Pedro Frade. Although the CCMAR marine biologist couldn't be present, he made a video where he gave his opinion about the film, the situation of the Great Barrier Reef and the bleaching effect of corals on a global level.

The Great Barrier Reef represents an example of a declining ecosystem with a 50% decline in coral reefs in the past decades.