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Sea cucumbers fixing the world

How the humble sea cucumber and its poo is helping coral reefs.

Meet the oceans’ unsung hero - the humble sea cucumber. An animal in the same family as starfish that looks like a lumpy sausage and lives on the ocean floor could help with some of the impact of global warming, pollution from fish farms and damage from the fishing industry that are threatening some of the oceans most important ecosystems.

We meet the Australian researchers using drones to count the cucumbers to understand how their poo is helping coral reefs. And in Madagascar, we speak to the local communities which are learning to sustainably farm the creature, protecting the seas and increasing their income along the way.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Producer/Reporter: Lizzy McNeill
Series producer: Tom Colls
Sound mix: Annie Gardiner
Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

(Image: Sea cucumbers. Credit: Getty Images)

Available now

23 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Tue 14 Feb 2023 08:06GMT
  • Tue 14 Feb 2023 15:06GMT
  • Tue 14 Feb 2023 18:06GMT
  • Tue 14 Feb 2023 23:06GMT
  • Sun 19 Feb 2023 10:06GMT
  • Tue 24 Oct 2023 07:06GMT
  • Tue 24 Oct 2023 14:06GMT
  • Tue 24 Oct 2023 17:06GMT
  • Tue 24 Oct 2023 21:06GMT
  • Mon 30 Oct 2023 03:06GMT

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