As well as acting as a crucial coastal defence and being jaw-droppingly beautiful to look at, coral reefs provide an ecosystem for thousands of underwater species. The bad news is that they're facing an existential crisis; the good news is that some of the world's finest minds are working on ways to save it — all of which is explored in Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Reefs.
You can watch Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Reefs for FREE in the UK on the BBC iPlayer streaming service. But don't worry if you're on holiday while it's on, because you can watch Our Changing Planet from anywhere with a VPN.
(In the US, a version of this show will go out on PBS with the name Changing Planet: Coral Special.)
Quick links
"Half of all coral reefs have already been lost or severely damaged, and experts predict that, without action, nearly all reefs could die off in the next 20 to 30 years," says the BBC webpage for Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Reefs.
"When the ocean is too warm for too long, corals bleach and die. 2023 saw record sea temperatures around the globe, and as bleaching events become more frequent, there's a race against time to find ways to help damaged reefs recover."
In Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Reefs, Chris Packham, Steve Backshall and Liz Bonnin lead the BBC's investigative team to show the incredible scientific techniques that are being carried out to salvage the reefs. From fertility treatments (so-called 'coral IVF') and luring fish with sound recordings, to synthetic, lab-created coral.
Ready for an hour of stunning, shocking television? Here's how to watch Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Reefs from anywhere in the world. We've got all the information you'll need below to watch on TV, online and for free.
How to watch Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Reefs in the UK
How to watch Changing Planet in the US
A slightly different version of the show is going out in the US, and under a different name: Changing Planet: Coral Special.
It's set to premiere on PBS on Wednesday, April 24 at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT.
As well as TV, you can stream Changing Planet for free on the official PBS site or PBS app devices such as Android, iOS, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and Android TV.
How to watch Our Changing Planet from anywhere with a VPN
You can watch the show on any of the streaming services above by using a VPN — no matter where you are in the world!
Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.
Our favorite VPN is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar, where you'll find a deeper read on the best VPN services available right now.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at NordVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch — so to watch Our Changing Planet on BBC iPlayer, select UK
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
What is the Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Reefs release date?
In the UK, Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Reefs will be broadcast on the BBC and online on the iPlayer streaming service at 6 pm UK on Sunday, April 21.
Changing Planet: Coral Special — as it's known in the US — premieres in the States on PBS on Wednesday, April 24.
All you need to know about Our Changing Planet
Who is presenting Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Reefs?
The UK version of Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Reefs is presented by a host of TV naturalists and presenters, including Chris Packham, Steve Backshall, Liz Bonnin, Gordon Buchanan, Ade Adepitan and Ella Al-Shamahi.
The US version — Changing Planet: Coral Special — is fronted by Dr M. Sanjayan.
Are there any other shows in the Our Changing Planet series?
Restoring Our Reefs is the fifth in a semi-regular series of shows in the UK under the Our Changing Planet banner. Two previous episodes can be found on the BBC iPlayer here.
