The Nature of Nature | National Geographic

The ocean has been my passion since I was young. I used to dream of being Jacques Cousteau, exploring the seven seas with my team. But in just a few generations, the underwater world has changed dramatically. All over the planet, so many places are now void of life. Our destruction of the natural world isn't just happening underwater. What can take millennia to create can be destroyed in hours. The consequences for us are dire, far-reaching, and often unexpected.

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I've spent my entire life studying natural ecosystems in places both pristine and degraded. I have worked for 30 years to help save what's left. [Music] We have doubled the total area protected in the ocean. Our life support system depends on all other species and intact natural spaces. Without them, everything falls out of balance. But nature is a sustainable, resilient, and regenerative engine. It's time we get out of the way and let it work for us.

Today, the world is at the crossroads, but if we understand the nature of nature, if we change our current trajectory, there is hope.

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