Protecting Wildlife
Misool Foundation
11/5/2026 | 1m 59sVideo has Closed Captions
Coral may look like plants or rocks, but in reality, thousands of living animals make up each coral.
Coral may look like plants or rocks, but in reality, thousands of living animals make up each individual coral. These tiny polyps join together to build hard exoskeletons, creating the reef structures that thousands of marine species depend on. But with rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and overfishing, coral populations are under threat.
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Protecting Wildlife is a local public television program presented by NorCal Public Media
Protecting Wildlife
Misool Foundation
11/5/2026 | 1m 59sVideo has Closed Captions
Coral may look like plants or rocks, but in reality, thousands of living animals make up each individual coral. These tiny polyps join together to build hard exoskeletons, creating the reef structures that thousands of marine species depend on. But with rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and overfishing, coral populations are under threat.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipIn the water surrounding Misool Island in Indonesia, you'll find manta rays, reef sharks, and thousands of species of reef fish, supported by an abundance of the world's most biodiverse coral reefs.
Destructive fishing practices were once commonplace in this marine habitat, threatening to strip the coral reefs of the critical species necessary for its survival.
Shark finning, reef bombing, cyanide fishing, and over-harvesting posed an existential threat to the future of South Raja Ampat and the health of our planet's marine biodiversity.
- [Narrator] Witnessing firsthand the human impact on their local ecosystem, the Misool Resort partnered with the people of South Raja Ampat, Indonesia, to create the Misool Foundation, a member of the WCN Partner Network.
Through their marine reserve, reef restoration and community projects, the Misool Foundation supports 300,000 acres of habitat with a dynamic team of rangers, researchers, and community organizers.
An 18-person team of local rangers patrols the Marine Reserve 24/7, enforcing strict protections and supporting traditional conservation practices.
Reef restoration, community education, economic development, and ecological research each play an important role in support of the Misool Foundation's mission.
As a result of their dedication to the Misool Marine Reserve, the health of their ecosystem has dramatically improved.
Fish biomass has increased 250%, and the shark and manta ray populations have nearly doubled in the last 10 years.
- [Narrator] The Misool Foundation is more than conservation.
It's a partnership between people and the ocean, protecting biodiversity, supporting livelihoods, and building resilience against climate change.
To learn more about the Misool Foundation and their efforts to protect coral reefs, visit norcalpublicmedia.org/wildlife.
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Protecting Wildlife is a local public television program presented by NorCal Public Media