WeWow on the Weekend (12/28/24)

Summary

Wow in the World: "WeWow on the Weekend" Episode Summary

Episode Title: WeWow on the Weekend
Release Date: December 28, 2024
Hosts: Dennis and Reggie the Giant Pigeon
Podcast Series: Wow in the World by Tinkercast | Wondery

---

1. Opening Segments and Listener Engagement

The episode kicks off with Dennis and his trusty sidekick, Reggie the Giant Pigeon, setting a playful and energetic tone. Dennis introduces the segment "Reading Reviewsies", where they share and react to listener reviews. This segment not only fosters community engagement but also adds a layer of humor and personality to the show.

• Notable Quote:
  Dennis [01:33]: "Wee wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Talking, laughing, me and Reggie singing, laughing."

Listeners are encouraged to leave their feedback on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, with Dennis humorously requesting "five Galaxies" instead of stars to boost their show's popularity.

2. Inside Tinkercast Studios: Revisiting the Great Barrier Reef Episode

Transitioning into the "Inside Tinkercast Studios" segment, Dennis and Reggie delve into a previous episode focused on the Great Barrier Reef. This retrospective sets the stage for an in-depth discussion about coral reefs, their significance, and the environmental threats they face.

• Notable Quote:
  Mindy [07:43]: "We'll be right back. Grownups, this message is for you."

3. Exploring Coral Bleaching and Environmental Impact

The hosts embark on a fictional submarine adventure to the Great Barrier Reef, using humor and creative storytelling to explain the complex issue of coral bleaching. They cleverly personify marine life and environmental phenomena to make the topic accessible for younger audiences and their families.

• Symbiotic Relationships and Coral Bleaching:
  Guy Raz [09:07]: "The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, Mindy. It contains over 100 species of jellyfish, 1625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins."
  Mindy [16:55]: "Wait, so coral has little algae plants living on it?"

The discussion highlights how rising ocean temperatures and coral bleaching disrupt the symbiotic relationship between coral and Zooxanthellae (microscopic algae), leading to the loss of vibrant colors and the decline of reef ecosystems.

• Notable Quote:
  Guy Raz [16:09]: "Well, a whole bunch of things, actually, Mindy, like pollution, like getting too much sunlight and rising temperatures."

4. Innovative Solutions: Robotic Drones and Natural Predators

Dennis and Reggie introduce cutting-edge solutions aimed at preserving the Great Barrier Reef. They discuss the development of Cotsbots—underwater drones designed to identify and neutralize crown of thorns starfish, a primary predator of coral.

• Cotsbots Technology:
  Mindy [25:09]: "So the Cotsbot, meaning crown of thorns starfish, is this underwater drone developed by robotic researchers at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia. And its whole mission is to hunt down these sinister starfish."

Additionally, the hosts explore the role of natural predators like the Triton sea snail in controlling starfish populations. They humorously critique the effectiveness of these snails, emphasizing the need for more robust solutions.

• Notable Quote:
  Mindy [27:18]: "So how in the world do you expect these giant snails to eat them all? Well, I mean, I've got a big appetite, but I max out at, like, three starfish in a sitting."

5. Humorous Interludes and Character Dynamics

Throughout the episode, Dennis and Reggie maintain a light-hearted and humorous dynamic. Their playful banter and quirky interactions, such as Reggie's comedic interruptions and Dennis's exaggerated responses, keep the content engaging and fun.

• Notable Quote:
  Dennis [31:11]: "What was your favorite part, Reggie? Wow. The part where the Triton sea snail ate up the crown of thorns starfish."

This blend of education and entertainment ensures that listeners remain captivated while absorbing important scientific information.

6. Conclusion and Call to Action

As the episode wraps up, Dennis and Reggie thank their listeners and encourage continued engagement through reviews and feedback. They reiterate the importance of environmental conservation and the innovative efforts being made to protect vital ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef.

• Notable Quote:
  Mindy [32:59]: "And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey."

---

Key Takeaways

• Coral Bleaching: A significant environmental issue caused by rising ocean temperatures, leading to the loss of symbiotic algae and the decline of coral health.
• Innovative Solutions: The use of robotic drones (Cotsbots) and natural predators like the Triton sea snail shows promise in combating coral reef degradation.
• Engaging Storytelling: Combining humor with scientific facts makes complex topics accessible and entertaining for a diverse audience.
• Community Engagement: Interactive segments like "Reading Reviewsies" strengthen listener connection and participation.

Conclusion

In this episode of "WeWow on the Weekend," Dennis and Reggie adeptly balance humor and education to shed light on the critical issue of coral reef conservation. Through their engaging storytelling and informative discussions, they inspire listeners of all ages to appreciate and take action in preserving our planet's fragile ecosystems.

Transcript

[Guy Raz]

Grown ups Wondery subscribers can listen to wow in the World early and ad free right now. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or Wondery Kids plus on Apple Podcasts. Hey Wowzer fams. It's Guy Raz here and before we start the show, have you watched wow. In the world on YouTube? That's right. You can now watch some of your favorite tinkercast podcasts like 2 what's and a wow Flip and mosey. Who when wow and wow in the World. To start watching today, head to Tinkercast.com YouTube that's Tinkercast.com YouTube. That's it. Now back to the show. Hey Grown ups. Give your loved ones the gift of family gaming fun with the Nintendo Switch System. The home of Mario and friends compete for first place in thrilling high speed races in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Or try your luck on action packed game boards and enjoy the fun, fun and funny minigames of Super Mario Party Jamboree. And those looking for a wonder filled adventure can join Mario, Peach, Toad and friends as they explore the whimsical flower kingdom in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. No matter how you like to play, there's fun for the whole family on Nintendo Switch. Go to Nintendo.com to learn more and browse the full lineup of Nintendo Switch systems. Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode game systems and some accessories sold separately. Games rated E for everyone.

[Dennis]

Wee wow on the weekend. Wee wow on the weekend. Wee wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Talking, laughing, me and Reggie singing, laughing. And then we. Oh wait, no, I said laughing twice. Whatever. We wow on the weekend. Yeah, we wow on the weekend. Laugh, laugh. We wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Hello and welcome to Wee Wow on the Weekend. I'm your host, Dennis, and that's Reggie the giant pigeon. Hey Reggie, I have a question for you. Were you born giant or did you get really big after? Oh, I see. That's so interesting. Wow. Thanks for clearing that up. Now let's. Reggie, what do you mean? Was I born nosy or did I just get this way later? Because Reggie, no one's born nosy. And I'm not nosy. I'm just a little curious and inquisitive and meddlesome and abrasive and. Right. And snoopy. Sure. Also eavesdroppy. Okay, enough about me already. Reggie. Enough about me already. I think we should get into some questions from some listeners. Well, what do you think today? Q and A or reviewsies? Yeah, let's do reviewsies. Because then people give us stars and it makes me feel like a galaxy that's like really popular and cool. Hooray. Next up is a little segment I like to call Reading Reviewsies. Ahem. I'm reading reviewsies for me and for you. Z's. We've got us some doozies, so let's read. Read reviewsies. Okay, this first reviewsy comes from Tupelo. Love the title reads, dennis, I love your show. Aw, thanks to Palolove. The message reads, your podcast deserves this. And then there's a bunch of first place metal emojis and money emojis. Hooray money. And then it says, tell Reggie I can sing the wow in the world theme song in pigeon. What? Can you really do that? Okay, fine. Let me try.

[Guy Raz]

Ahem.

[Dennis]

No, wait, hold on. No, wait. I can do this, Reggie. I can do it. Just let me get warmed up. Whatever. Next reviewsy. This next reviewsy comes from jgggghuyg. The title reads actually and the message says on Wee Wow. On the weekend, Dennis says the Snoop n Seek robot has the Snoop sash. But on the actual episode Snoop and Seek Robot, the robot trades the sash for 1,000 doll hairs to Grandma GeForce. Well, actually G g G G H U U Y G. You're right. I forgot that's how it went. Because Reggie, I can't remember all the endings to all the episodes because I'm the president of the World Organization of Wowzers and I'm very busy with presidential matters. Fine. After this we'll go upstairs and practice with the wow in the World trivia flashcards. Next reviewsy. This last Reviewzi comes from BME2. The title says 7 stars. Alright, 7. And the message says, why does Dennis have a similar voice to Baby Dennis? Suspicious face emoji. Well, that's easy. BME 2. It's because baby Dennis is a ventriloquist dummy, right? I control him and I talk for him. Baby Dennis, ears are burning. Ah, Baby Dennis don't sneak up on me like that.

[Mindy]

Tee hee.

[Dennis]

And Big Dennis does not control Baby Dennis. Yes, Big Dennis does. Nuh uh. Yeah. Huh?

[Guy Raz]

Nah.

[Mindy]

Oh yeah.

[Dennis]

Ha ha. Okay, fine. Reggie's right. Let's calm down. Thanks Reggie. Baby Dennis is gonna go take some deep cleansing breaths in his box. Bye bye. Bye bye Baby Dennis. Thank you everyone for all your reviewsies. Keep em coming. If you leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I just might read it on Wee Wow on the Weeknd. And please give us five stars. Or even better, five Galaxies. Because, Reggie, galaxies have lots and lots and lots of stars. I don't know how many. At least a hundred. Okay, next up is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios. Ahem. Inside Tinkercast Studios. This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows. And today we're listening to wow in the World, Season 2, Episode 5 called oh, My Save Our Reef. Oh, this is the one where Guy and Mindy go in a submarine. It's like that song, Reggie. We all live in an orange submarine, A blue submarine, a green submarine we all live in a magenta submarine A pu submarine in an ultramarine submarine Living What, Reggie? What? Oh, right, right, right, right, right, right, right. Okay, let's put on the episode. Okay, here we go. And play. Wow. In the World.

[Mindy]

We'll be right back. Grownups, this message is for you.

[Dennis]

That's it.

[Mindy]

Back to the show.

[Dennis]

Wow. In the World.

[Guy Raz]

Okay. Okay. Let's see here. Be sandals. Check. Bioacidification testing kit. Check. Don't wanna forget that.

[Mindy]

Keep forgetting you got that door blocking the entrance to your house. What? Good morning, Guy. Raz.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, hey, Mindy. You ready for the big trip?

[Mindy]

Am I ready? Let me tell you, I just came up with an entire schedule while I was in the bathroom doing my business. Anywho, allow me to unravel my list that I scribbled on the back of this roll of toilet. We've got snorkeling for apples, jet ski, horseback riding, maybe a little skydriving.

[Guy Raz]

Actually, Mindy, I was sort of looking forward to, you know, a little R.

[Mindy]

And R rollerblading and raccoon chasing. Yes, I had that written down. But I had to use that piece for, you know. Anyway, let me just jot it down again.

[Dennis]

No.

[Mindy]

Toilet paper keeps tearing on me.

[Guy Raz]

No, what I meant by R and R, Mindy, was rest and research.

[Mindy]

Research? Man, Geral, this is supposed to be a friend vacation.

[Guy Raz]

I know, but I just can't help myself. Besides, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, Mindy. It contains over 100 species of jellyfish, 1625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins.

[Mindy]

Wow. So the Great Barrier Reap is home to all those animals. Underwater mansion.

[Guy Raz]

Yep. And although coral reefs like the Great Barrier Reef only cover a teeny tiny part of the ocean floor.

[Mindy]

Yeah.

[Guy Raz]

Those coral reefs are home to one out of every three sea creatures in the oceans, Mindy.

[Mindy]

Wow. Well, in that case, I think I might be up for a little rest and research myself. Guy Raz, you almost packed?

[Guy Raz]

Yep, just a couple more things here.

[Mindy]

Oh, okay. Is that going to. Wow. How does something like that even. Oh, I see.

[Guy Raz]

And done.

[Dennis]

Wow.

[Mindy]

Okay, welp, it's time to go. Reggie's outside waiting on your tarmac driveway and he charges by the minute, so come on.

[Guy Raz]

Sorry, Reggie.

[Mindy]

Okay, now just hand me your luggage. It's heavy.

[Guy Raz]

Okay.

[Mindy]

I'm just gonna put it right here under Reggie's belly. You just climb on top. You on?

[Guy Raz]

Yep.

[Mindy]

Just gonna hop on this bird myself here. All right. Where's my PA system? Oh, here it is. Ladies and gentlemen, this is your co pilot speaking. And we've just been given the green light from the tower for takeoff. And our destination today is Queensland, Australia, with a flight time of around 12 seconds. So strap in tight, sit back and enjoy the flight.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, what happened to the seat belts?

[Mindy]

Flight crew, prepare for takeoff.

[Dennis]

And here we go.

[Guy Raz]

Wow.

[Mindy]

Guy Raz, look at. What's that?

[Dennis]

What? What? I can't hear you.

[Mindy]

Sorry. I'll use the pa. Where'd I put that pa? Oh, here it is. Hello, this is your flight captain, co pilot speaking. If you'll kindly look over to the right hand side of the pigeon, you'll now be able to see the Great Barrier Reef.

[Guy Raz]

Wow.

[Mindy]

That stretches further 1430 miles to be exact.

[Dennis]

What?

[Mindy]

Oh, sorry. The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 1,430 miles along Australia's eastern coastline, weighing in at about half the size of Texas.

[Guy Raz]

Wow. And Mindy, I read it's the only living organism that's visible from.

[Mindy]

And one more thing. The Great Barrier Reef is the only living organism visible from space.

[Guy Raz]

That's righteous.

[Mindy]

Ladies and gentlemen, we will now be starting our descent, so please hold on tight and prepare for a water landing. I hope that you've enjoyed your life. I mean your flight.

[Guy Raz]

Water landing. Oh no, not again.

[Mindy]

Nice water landing, Reggie. And happy international. Talk like a pilot day.

[Guy Raz]

If I knew we were gonna land in water, I would have worn my bathing suit.

[Mindy]

Hi, Reg. Thanks for the lift. Wow, Arraz, here we are finally floating in the ocean above the Great Barrier Reef.

[Guy Raz]

Yep.

[Mindy]

So what do you want to do first? We can maybe go ashore and tour the inside of some sandcastles. Or chase some speedboats. Maybe get kicked out of a volleyball game.

[Guy Raz]

Well, actually, Mindy, I've always wanted to explore underwater around the Great Barrier Reef. All those colors, all those marine species. There's a reason it's known as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

[Mindy]

Great idea. Before we go, I just need to find my. Where is that thing? It's not. It. How did lawnmower get in there? Oh, I have.

[Dennis]

What?

[Mindy]

Oh. Oh, here it is.

[Guy Raz]

What is that?

[Mindy]

What do your glasses need glasses? Guy Raz, it's obvious what this is. In fact, this is how we are going to explore the great Barrier Reef.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, Mindy, that's a. That's a toy submarine.

[Mindy]

Well, lucky for us, I remembered to bring my reverse shrink wand with me. Uh, just gotta find it here in my adventure toolbox. Another cat?

[Guy Raz]

How would you need that?

[Mindy]

Because before you can even say the words kale elbow patches, this reverse shrink wand is going to turn this teeny tiny submarine into a deluxe two person underwater ocean floor observatory.

[Guy Raz]

You mean to tell me.

[Mindy]

Yep, I shrunk our submarine and I'm about to unshrink it. Well, abracaboody kalamazaz. Make this tiny submarine bigger than Guy Raz.

[Dennis]

Poof.

[Mindy]

Ah, perfect and yellow. All right, let me just open up the hatch here.

[Guy Raz]

And what about that leak? Did you. Did you get fixed it?

[Mindy]

Yeah, turns out it was caused by the screen door I installed. Anyway, let's just say I fixed it.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, if you say so. I guess let's dive underwater.

[Mindy]

Let's do it. Um, Guy Raz, you think we're in the right place?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, I'm sure of it. Let me just double check the gps.

[Mindy]

Because I'm looking through the periscope and. And all I'm seeing are these weird white tree things.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy. What? I think I know what's happening here.

[Mindy]

What's happening?

[Guy Raz]

I've been hearing about this. I think this might be the result of coral bleaching.

[Mindy]

Coral what?

[Guy Raz]

Ing coral bleaching. It's when the coral in the ocean loses its color and turns white.

[Mindy]

But why does that even happen?

[Guy Raz]

Well, Mindy, when the coral gets a little bit stressed out.

[Mindy]

Stressed out? Guy Raz, what does coral have to be stressed out?

[Guy Raz]

Well, a whole bunch of things, actually, Mindy, like pollution, like getting too much sunlight and rising temperatures.

[Mindy]

Temperatures. I don't know, Guy Raz. I'm just gonna roll down this window here and stick my hand out into the water and. Whoa, this water feels really comfy to me right now.

[Dennis]

Close the window. Close the windy. Out the window.

[Mindy]

Oops, sorry. Big mistake. Won't happen again.

[Guy Raz]

Please don't do that again. Well, the water might feel nice and warm to us, but the coral and the symbiotic algae that Live on the coral? Well, they actually like it a lot cooler.

[Mindy]

Uh, hold phone, Guy Raz. The symbiotic what that lives on who?

[Guy Raz]

The symbiotic algae that lives on the coral.

[Mindy]

Wait, so coral has little algae plants living on it?

[Guy Raz]

Yep. It's actually a microscopic algae called Zooxanthellae. And it's this algae that. That gives the coral its bright and vibrant colors.

[Mindy]

And doesn't symbiotic mean a relationship in nature where two different species work together to help each other out?

[Guy Raz]

Yes, exactly.

[Mindy]

Hey, just like you and me, Guy Raz. A symbiotic fun ship.

[Guy Raz]

That's right. And in this case, the Zooxanthellae turn sunlight into food for the coral. And the coral gives the algae a cozy place to live.

[Mindy]

A cozy place. Place to live inside it.

[Guy Raz]

That's right. But their relationship can get a little.

[Mindy]

What?

[Guy Raz]

How do I put this? Well, a little testy when the ocean temperature gets too hot.

[Mindy]

That reminds me of the last time we took a friend vacation. Why is it so hot in here? Even my sweat is sweating.

[Guy Raz]

I don't know. I think the. This thermostat must be broken. Let me just fidget with this for a sec.

[Mindy]

I'm melting. I'm melting.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, calm down. You're not gonna melt.

[Mindy]

Fine. Then I'm just gonna get out of this vacation. Guy Raz. I'm going home, Reggie.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, okay. So yeah, when you were so hot and you had to race off. Well, that's basically what's happening here on the reef, Mindy. The temperature gets so unbearable that. But the Zooxanthellae end up packing their bags and leaving the coral taking all of their colors with them.

[Mindy]

Oh, so the bleached coral that we see left behind is really just the regular coral without all of its colorful friends attached?

[Guy Raz]

Yep.

[Mindy]

It's kinda sad.

[Guy Raz]

It is. And Mindy, as you know, climate change is making our planet warmer. And that means that our oceans are also getting warmer. And as the oceans in this part of Australia get warmer and warmer, these bleaching events could possibly spread to the rest of the reef.

[Mindy]

And then the entire coral reef is just dead.

[Guy Raz]

Bleached coral doesn't necessarily mean that it's dead. But without the zooxanthellae protecting it, it can get sicker and sicker faster and faster.

[Mindy]

Kinda like how grandma just GeForce always tells me to put on a coat or I'll catch a cold.

[Guy Raz]

Yep.

[Mindy]

Now if we could only get the temperature of the oceans to drop, then the Zooxanthellae can return to the reef and make a full recovery.

[Guy Raz]

Well?

[Mindy]

Well, what? I just realized something. This means that we would also have to deal with the Coral Killer.

[Guy Raz]

The what?

[Mindy]

Oh, you haven't heard of the Coral Killer?

[Guy Raz]

No, but it sounds a little scary.

[Mindy]

Oh, man. It's like something straight out of one of those horror movies where everything's more hilarious than it is horrifying.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy]

I got an idea. What do you say we hang a roger and pilot this submarine due east? Gonna turn this thing to the right. There we go.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, where are we going?

[Mindy]

Almost there. Guy Raz, is.

[Guy Raz]

Is that a movie theater?

[Mindy]

Yep. Bet you weren't expecting to find one of those at the bottom of the ocean, were ya?

[Guy Raz]

So weird that they put one all the way and underwater. Are you sure we can take our submarine in there?

[Mindy]

Oh, yeah. It's an underwater drive in movie theater. You just float right in an underwater.

[Guy Raz]

Drive in movie theater.

[Mindy]

Just gonna float on up to the ticket booth here and. Where are the brakes on this thing? Oh, here we go. I'm just gonna open up this window so I can order our tickets.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Dennis]

Mindy, dive a window.

[Mindy]

Almost forgot. We're in an underwater submarine. Got a microphone for this kind of thing? Hi. Two tickets to the Coral Killer place. Oh, let me ask my friend. Hey, Guy Raz. She wants to know if we want any snacks before we head in. They've got krill nuggets, shrimp cocktails, sea pickles. Hey, you like sea pickles, right? Actually, no time for that. The movie's about to start.

[Dennis]

Well.

[Mindy]

Oh, and I see the perfect seat for our submarine. Right in the middle of all the other submarines.

[Guy Raz]

Come on.

[Dennis]

Excuse us.

[Mindy]

Coming through.

[Guy Raz]

Sorry. Don't.

[Mindy]

Sorry. We're just going to stop by.

[Guy Raz]

Excuse me. Excuse me. Use that. Excuse me. Pardon me.

[Dennis]

Pardon me.

[Guy Raz]

Sorry.

[Mindy]

Excuse me. Ah, just in time. Now, here, Guy Raz, put on these headphones so you can hear the movie. They thought the worst of it was over.

[Guy Raz]

Phew.

[Dennis]

I think the worst of it's over.

[Guy Raz]

But then came the Coral Killer. Feasting on the living flesh of coral devouring reefs the world over, numbering in.

[Mindy]

The hundreds of thousands.

[Dennis]

There's thousands of them.

[Guy Raz]

They are the Crown of Thrones starfish.

[Mindy]

You know what, Guy Raz, we should probably get out of here.

[Guy Raz]

Excuse me. Sorry.

[Mindy]

Excuse me.

[Guy Raz]

Excuse me. Pardon me. Excuse me. Pardon me. Excuse me. Pardon me. Pardon me. Sorry.

[Dennis]

Whew.

[Mindy]

Pretty scary movie, huh, Mindy?

[Guy Raz]

That was horrifying. A giant starfish eating the coral reef. It's not real, is it?

[Mindy]

Actually, Guy Raz, it is.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy]

These purplish blue starfish can grow as long as a medium sized dog, over two and a half feet. They're also known as corrilivores.

[Guy Raz]

Corrilivores? Now I know a carnivore is an animal that only eats meat, and an herbivore is an animal that only eats plants. So, so does that mean that this starfish only eats coral?

[Mindy]

Exact oritos, Guy Raz. And it turns out they're not too picky when it comes to their food either. They'll eat just about any coral you put in front of them.

[Guy Raz]

Bonjour, monsieur.

[Dennis]

May I take your order?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, I'll take an order of the branching and table corals.

[Dennis]

Very good, sir. And some of the porites or foliose corals. Excellence. I'm also gonna take an order of the soft coral, the encrusted organisms. And what sponges do you have on special tonight, huh?

[Guy Raz]

Interesting. So why have they only just become a problem now?

[Mindy]

Well, some scientists think that this recent outbreak of flesh eating starfish might be related to a weather event called El Nino. El Nino Y It's this crazy phenomenon that happens about once every 10 years or so when a lot of warm water from the oceans around the equator, near South America travels to the east coast of Australia.

[Guy Raz]

So the increased water temperatures from climate change and El Nino are not only bleaching the coral, but also making its number one natural predators population go bunkerball.

[Mindy]

Hey, that's my word. Well, but yeah, that's exactly what happens. Just one of these starfish can lay up to 65 million eggs at a time.

[Guy Raz]

65 million eggs. This reef is gonna be overrun. We've gotta get out of here, Mindy. I mean, the coral Killers are gonna come for us.

[Mindy]

Guy Raz, calm down. I know someone who can help.

[Guy Raz]

You do?

[Mindy]

Uh huh. But we gotta get out of here. Back this baby on up. All right. Oh, now listen to that, Mindy.

[Guy Raz]

What's that sound?

[Mindy]

Oh, there it is. Do you see it?

[Guy Raz]

What is that?

[Mindy]

Wow.

[Guy Raz]

It looks like a tiny yellow submarine. Actually, kind of looks like ours.

[Mindy]

That Guy Raz is the hotspot. Or as I like to call it, the Starfish Slayer.

[Guy Raz]

Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you.

[Dennis]

For joining us here on the Great.

[Guy Raz]

Barrier for this world class bout between.

[Dennis]

The Starfish Slayer and the Coral Killer.

[Mindy]

Now Mark, what can you tell me.

[Guy Raz]

About these two competitors? Well, Steve, the Coral Killer has been around for several millions of years now, and during that time has really been able to hone its skill. Okay, that's enough. Tv.

[Mindy]

Hey, I was watching that.

[Guy Raz]

Well, no time for TV right now. By the way, what is this starfish slayer cotsbots thing?

[Mindy]

Oh yeah. So the Cotsbot cots, meaning crown of thorns starfish, is this underwater drone developed by robotic researchers at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia. And its whole mission is to hunt down these sinister starfish.

[Guy Raz]

Wow, that's so cool. So it's like a little submarine that just swims around the identifying crown of thorns starfish with those cameras on the front of it?

[Mindy]

Yep, and every time it sees a new crown of thorns starfish, it snaps a picture and then puts that picture in its little robot brain to help it identify or better pick out future starfish when it comes across them.

[Guy Raz]

So once it identifies one of these starfish, what happens next?

[Mindy]

Well, take a look.

[Guy Raz]

What is that? It looks like some sort of arm is coming out of the hot spot. Oh yeah, look at it go.

[Mindy]

Ah, got it.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, what's it doing?

[Mindy]

What's it doing? It's injecting that coral killing starfish with poison.

[Guy Raz]

Poison?

[Mindy]

Well, I mean, the technical term is sodium bisulfite.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, well I know sodium is the chemical form of salt, but bisulfite, what is that?

[Mindy]

Oh, glad you asked. It's bile.

[Guy Raz]

Bile? Uh huh. You mean that mucusy liquid that lines our intestines?

[Mindy]

Yep.

[Guy Raz]

They're injecting that into these starfish.

[Mindy]

You know it, Guy Raz. In fact, the bile that they're injecting into these starfish comes from cows.

[Guy Raz]

Wait a minute. We're injecting starfish with salty cow bile using a drone, all in an effort to save the reef?

[Mindy]

Yeah, pretty much. I mean, how cool is that?

[Guy Raz]

It's mind bogglingly cool, Mindy. But you know that these robots aren't the only ones bringing the fight to the starfish.

[Mindy]

Really?

[Guy Raz]

Really. Look, here comes one now. Still coming. Still coming. Wait for it.

[Dennis]

What?

[Mindy]

What are we waiting for? I don't have this kind of patience.

[Guy Raz]

Wait for it. There.

[Mindy]

Oh my. A googly eyed cat. What is that?

[Guy Raz]

Bat, Mindy, is the giant Triton sea snail.

[Mindy]

That thing is gargantuan. I mean, I've seen some snails in my day. In fact, I've got three in my pocket right now.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy]

But I have never seen anything that looked like that.

[Guy Raz]

Yep, 50 centimeters long, as long as a cat.

[Mindy]

Coming in at 1.5ft.

[Dennis]

He hails from the coastal waters of the Indo Pacific region. He eats crown of thorn starfish for breakfast. It's the Triton Terrell.

[Mindy]

Ah, no, I've totally heard about these guys. They're one of the crown of thorns starfish. Only natural predators, right?

[Guy Raz]

That's right. The Australian Institute of Marine Science here in North Queensland is currently doing a study to try and breed or make more of these starfish swallowers across the reef to try and stop this outbreak of crown of thorns starfish.

[Mindy]

Hold the phone, Guy Raz. Uh, so these starfish have millions of babies at a time, right?

[Guy Raz]

Yep.

[Mindy]

So how in the world do you expect these giant snails to eat them all? Well, I mean, I've got a big appetite, but I max out at, like, three starfish in a sitting.

[Guy Raz]

What.

[Mindy]

What. What I mean to say is that there are way more starfish than there are snails.

[Guy Raz]

That's. That's true, Mindy. And yes, these giant sea snails typically eat about one starfish a week.

[Dennis]

What?

[Mindy]

One starfish a week?

[Guy Raz]

Yep.

[Mindy]

Guy Raz, I'm no math magician, but by my calculations, we're gonna be, like, 300 years old by the time these snails finish their dinner. Yeah, it's like they're eating at a snail's pace.

[Guy Raz]

That's true. But, Mindy, here's the thing. The researchers at the Australian Institute of Marine Science found out that just the smell of the triton in the water near the starfish is enough to send the starfish running.

[Mindy]

Just like how some of the smells I make send you running. Excuse me?

[Guy Raz]

True, but the Triton snail and. And the crown of thorns starfish are able to smell each other by detecting the chemicals that each of them give off in the water in the same way that we humans detect chemicals in the air with our noses.

[Mindy]

And nothing smells better to a Triton sea snail than a crown of thorns starfish. Mm, mm, mm.

[Guy Raz]

Yep. Just like every time you smell my double chocolate fudge brownies.

[Mindy]

Or every time you smell my homemade, freshly cooked, made from scratch kelp noodles that I buy frozen from the store.

[Guy Raz]

Ooh, those noodles are so good.

[Mindy]

Okay, so basically what you're saying here is that when the crown of thorns starfish smells the triton sea snail coming for it, it freaks out and bolts.

[Guy Raz]

That's right. And the further away these snails can drive the starfish away from each other, well, the harder it is for them to breed and make more babies.

[Mindy]

Whoa, check it out. Looks like that Triton snail finally made it to an unsuspecting starfish.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, man, he's really going to town on that starfish, Mindy. He must be hungry.

[Mindy]

Look at him go. Saving the reef one bite at a time.

[Dennis]

Go, go, Triton Go, Trit. Go get him, Trit. Wow, that was amazing. What was your favorite part, Reggie? Wow. The part where the Triton sea snail ate up the crown of thorns starfish. You're just saying that because it was the last thing we heard. It made you hungry, Reggie. Ew. Actually, I got hungry during the part where Mindy and Guy submarined up to the underwater movie theater and looked at all the snacks before the movie. Oh, we should go upstairs and make pancakes in the shape of starfish. Yeah, and eat them with a side of fresh starfish. We'll call it a starry, starry Brunch. Oh, this is gonna be so fun. Let's wrap this thing up. Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning in to Wee Wow on the weekend. If you have a question for me, call and leave me a message at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW. That's 1-888-7-WWOW Wow. I just might answer your question on Wewow on the weekend. Oh, yeah, let's do the goodbye single. That's the end of the show. I need to go and eat all the stars in the starry, starry brunch. But I'll do another show tomorrow. But for now, that's the end of the show. Bye.

[Mindy]

Grown ups. If you like wow in the world, you can listen early and ad free right now on Wondery.

[Guy Raz]

Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Wondery Kids plus on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Mindy]

And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.