The Story The Story presents: Planet Hope - Protecting Australia’s Ningaloo Coast
Oct 17, 2025
Marine ecologist Ben Fitzpatrick, a champion for the Ningaloo Coast, joins Adam Vaughan to discuss the critical need for conservation. Ben shares his childhood connections to this stunning region and its unique ecosystem, highlighting the endangered dugong and the biodiversity of coral reefs. He explains the concept of Hope Spots and underscores the risks of climate change and development. With support from Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative, Ben emphasizes the necessity of ecological advocacy and the hope for marine recovery, aiming to protect this precious area for future generations.
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Reef You Can Walk Into
- Ben describes stepping off the mainland and being immediately in a thriving coral reef right at the coast.
- He recounts vast biodiversity compressed into a narrow coastal margin with unique geological history.
Upwelling Fuels A Megafauna Superhighway
- Upwelling and special currents deliver cold, nutrient-rich water to Ningaloo, driving huge productivity.
- That productivity creates a 'marine megafauna superhighway' attracting whale sharks, manta rays and dugongs.
A Grandfather's Stories Sparked Passion
- Ben recalls childhood exposure from his grandfather's stories about dugongs and whale sharks at Ningaloo.
- He says the place was remote in the 80s and 90s but has become widely visited in the last 20 years.