Not home to movie stars. And a warning under water. Reporter you are showing us places where the coral bleached and its gone beyond bleaching to basically being covered in fungus, almost like a mould, and crumbling away america tonights Sheila Macvicar in the South Pacific with a dieoff and the threat it poses it all of us. Thanks for joining us, im joie chen. Tonight a look at the endangered oceans and the threats beneath the service. Coral reefs are like the rain forests of the ocean. Diversity protects the fish, sustains the ecosystems and people. Unless Carbon Dioxide can be brought under control, what is known as coral bleaching a die off of the creatures could set off a chain of environmental disaster. America tonights Sheila Macvicar travelled to the South Pacifics Marshall Island to get a firsthappened look. Go. Yes. Reporter on the boat. This is a dive master on the island of majero located in the vast Pacific Ocean between australia and hawaii. He is the most pop u it is the most populous of atolls making up the marshall i would say. The way to make a living by diving. Reporter this is a place you time. A long time. Reporter how many years . Nine years. Reporter last year he was shocked at what he saw when he returned to this spot. I saw bleaching coral. What happened the coral turned white. Very white. Very white. And normally it should be full of colour. Yes, green, purple. Red. But no more now. That is happening in all of these places. Yes. All the white is damage. We had a major bleaching event that started in the islands in last fall. It was part of an event developing over time. As warm waters moved into the area around the Marshall Islands in, it stressed the corals, and they are in bad shape. Reporter mark is coordinator of reef watch at noah. App expert on the complex ecology of coral. Coral is interesting. Its mineral. You have an animal living in the tissues. When the temperatures are too high, the corals expel the algae, spit them out and goes from having nice algae and the tissues to spitting them out into the water. A few remain. The coral is getting lighter. Colour. Most turp white when they kick the algae out. They literally ripped their cuts out to get rid of those in their tissues, and they are sturkarving. Its a very stressful event as we descend below the waves and explore the reef, theres none of telltale taxes of white this signified the stress and live coral, what was seen last october. Instead, interspersed, we see skeletal remains, devoid of life, drained the colour, covered with a thick layer of algae. Others have begun to collapse and crumble to the sea floor. He was showing us places where the coral bleached and its gone beyond bleaching to being covered in fungus, almost like a mould, and crumbling a mould. That should have been a spectacular coral garden, theres beautiful coral, but you see theres so much damage. I fish a lot as well. And one particular morning as i was going out, i saw this line of white in areas where there was live coral. Reporter Reginald White it chief meteorologist. When its a temporary event, coral can regenerate or get back to their normal, you know, life. Otherwise, you are seeing the death of the coral at certain levels, certain depths, and that is very alarming for Marshall Islands in. Most of the families in the islands in depend on a subsis tent economy. This is the food source. Dies . Food sources for many people goes with it as well. Its the rising ocean temperature that causes the die off to continue. Experts worry the results could be disastrous. Half a million rely on the reef as their food. Reporter Scientists Use an array of satellites to take the temperatures of the earths oceans. What is happening in the Marshall Islands in appears to be growing into a global event. The bleaching is in kiribati in the tropical system on the equator. We have the Southeast Asia triangle. With a lot of warming in the philippines, and bleaching. The marr shops are starring to see a bit of stress marshalls are seeing a little stress returning again, and in the galapagos in other areas. Reporter in the months ahead its predicted theyll hit closer to home. Well see the stress return to hawaii. If this happens, it will be the second time theyve had mass. Reporter thats twice in two years. Twice in two years. We are seeing the caribbean the northern caribbean areas, western atlantic, and gulf of mexico, we are looking at bleaching in cuba, bahamas and florida. What does that tell you about what is happening with the climate, earths temperatures. We are seeing the heating of the indian ocean, the atlantic ocean. The content, the heat in the oceans is huge. And its something that has been growing continuously as the oceans temperature rises, its taking less and less to tip the earths coral reefs over the edge. This is the third time that we have seen what looks like a global event. Third time ever. Third time ever. By around the mid part of the century. As much of 90 of the coral reefs may be seeing the temperatures that can cause coral bleaching every year. Can they recover . No. Aiken had a glimpse into a future when he dove to inspect a coral reef during the bleaching of 2010. If there is anything that i could wipe from my memory, its what that reef looked like. You are seeing coral. Its white. Everything is white all over. Starting looking at the arrest, watching the fish. The fish were stunneded. Some of the corals were dying at that point. The difference between that and a healthy reef was just so off. It was like nothing i had seen before. And it was heartbreaking. Aiken and other scientist say the fate of the others reef hinges on talks in paris in december, aiming to keep Global Warming below 2 degrees celsius. If we condition with admissions increasing at the rate they are, corals dont stand much of a chance. If, on the other hand, we keep the atmosphere to a 2 degree warming, then at least at that level the corals have a chance that theres going to be a peak of stress, and then the recovery will pick up because they are adapting to conditions, we hope for those depending on the coral reef for livelihood and survival, that hope may be all they have. Until all of the world will unite in one force, one voice, and say lets find a way to reduce it. We have no choice out here. Whether the bigger nations will hear the plea remains to be seen. America tonights Sheila Macvicar is here. It almost seems like the corals are a canary in the coal mine. Its not just the marshalls, but all over the world. It is all over the world, and as shown on the maps, where they are seeing higher temperatures, they are seeing the bleaching. A mower cast released by noah forecast released by noah today shows more coral bleaching in florida and other parts of the caribbean. When you think about the marshalls, people in these communities are aware of what is going on. Is there anything they can do alone to protect their own areas . Well, they can do simple things to protect against rising seas. Build a higher seawall. That doesnt help when prospects suggest over the course of the next 50 years, that sea levels will rise in nothing is done, that the islands in will be under water and become inhabitable because regular sea water will kill off plant life. They can do little on their own. They dont have a big carbon footprint. They are looking while they look to the sea, they see what is happening around and to the coral, they see the big spring sides coming in with frequency and flooding their lands, and are looking to the big industrialized nations. With the u. S. , they hope taking a lead role, looking forward to the Climate Summit in paris. People think about big plumes of smoke coming up over factories, its getting people to look beneath the surface that may matter here. Its getting people to understand that Climate Change is not in the future, for people of the Marshall Islands in and other island nations, china, they are people that live to the impact. They look to the fewer and see something is not down on a global scale. Their lives will be difficult, and land become inhabitable. Theres a president who has brought land elsewhere with the understanding understanding. At first glance this beautiful hawaiian beach may appear untouched. The plastics problem in hawaii, and what the islands in are doing about it now. Later, another Coastal Community and the fight to save its shore line from unwelcome our fastforward look now at another peril in the pacific. With its private each beaches and wildlife, hawaii is a picture of paradise, something everyone uses threatens to destroy it. Adam may visited hawaii to see paradise. Beaches. This is my home. I feel a responsibility to do my party to make sure my children and childrens children have clean beaches. Reporter he made doing his part a fulltime job. He works for noah. For more than 13 years, noah has been trying to keep these islands in clean. Theres a constant flux of battle. The plastic problem is not always evident. At first glance the beautiful hawaiian beach may appear untouched, until you dig in and take a closer look. Shift the sand, you find tiny pieces of plastic from who knows wildlife. These guys will eat plastic bags are and pieces of plastic, thinking that its food. It will get lodged in their intestinal tract, and worse is plastic. Reporter jeff works with animals affected by plastic at hawaiis sea life park. If we dont do something, and we cant treat our environment better with more respect, it will have an impact, and maybe this guy will be gone fastforward to a first from the island. Hawaii becoming the first state to ban plastic bags in the check out aisle, and businesses that violate the ban face fines as high as 1,000 a day next who pays for industrial pollution. The less glamorous communities of southern californias golden shores, and concerns about their neighbours, and a Comeback Community wednesday on america tonight. Correspondent adam may on atlantic citys new gamble. Over here is a wonderful atmosphere holding 2,000 people. What you wont find in hidden in the mountains of afghanistan. What you have seen was a drop of the iceberg. A 5000 year old archeological site. This has preservation on a scale that no other sites have. Under threat by Global Mining and scheduled for demolition. Mes aynak is one of the most important sites in the century. With time running out. Theyre losing everything. Can archeologists stop the clock . This is rescue archaeologic we are trying to excavate as fast as possible. Back on the coast another reason for worry, and it comes as a result of a Supreme Court decision which ruled against the e. P. A. s efforts to limit hazardous emissions from power plants. The rules on emissions from mercury and other pollutions failed to consider the cost. That is a big concession, but who pays the cost. Michael oku found residents who say they have had enough. This is a beautiful area. The beach and then you come after the coast line, and you look at that. That mon have tosity. Reporter Walter Fuller has been watching over the wetlands for nearly 20 years. You can see just about all the wetlands you want to see. Reporter an avid birdwatcher, he found this in the 90, and found refuge when he world crumbled. Reporter you were laid off in 1996 and lost your mother. Yes. Reporter homeless and alone this became his home and the birds his family. What was it about losing your mum and losing your job that drew you to the beach. I closed myself off and wanted to take care of the birds. His coastal refuge as not exactly a picture postcard. It was a dumping ground. Tires, bottles, we even had some sites out here. Reporter people were murdered out here. Here. Reporter ormond beach was a dumping ground for toxic rate. An Engineering Company operated a Metal Recycling plant, sending toxic runoff into the ponds at its basse at a matter of 1 million per month. He filed for bankruptcy and shut down in 2004. Leaving behind an unsightly and dangerous slag pile that is a designated e. P. A. Site. As if that werent enough, the towns coast as blighted by three power plants. We have the largest remaining coastal wetlands in california, and an ecole onlyicly scientifically it doesnt exist elsewhere. Carmen says her community and the Wildlife Sanctuary suffered long enough. They have born the burden for 50 years. We dont have the nicest coast in every way that other cities enjoy. Its time to get our coast back so we can have the same opportunities other beautiful coastal cities have. Reporter unlike affluent neighbours, malibu and santa barba, this is a migrant town with business. Thats where they could live and afford. They were stuck with it. Most Super Fund Sites i guaranteed are in poor communities in our country. This is no exception. Were the people here taken advantage of . I think so. A former draw brie picker lives in the neighbourhood closest to the dux site. There. You think that was the case with most of the people . I have no idea. He became a Community Organiser and strong voice against the toxic hazard. They are toxic, and are going into the water, that we drink in this area. Some of them they can create bad diseases in our family. Our families dont know about it. How the risk that there is. Did you know it posed a individuals. Unfortunately it was never measured, but people felt irritation. They tasted metallic in their mouth when the plant was running. So the people lived out there knew about it, but couldnt seem to get the attention of the authorities for a while. Once the e. P. A. Was involved, there were language barriers. The crop workers couldnt understand warning signs and flyers, leaving them at rick. Theres a lot of people fishing. They doesnt know that the fish they are eating probably there is a potential that they were infected by the chemicals. According to the e. P. A. , theres no health risks to nearby residents, but there may be hazards from longterm contact with the waste materials on the site. And in a statement to america tonight, the agency says already saddled with toxic waste and what residents consider a towering eyesore, now the coast line is under threat. Theres a proposal to add another power planned to the beach north of the wetlands, a move that the city is fighting. There is a need for power not as much as before and it can be substituted by another power plant in another location. Does not have to be on the beach. For that particular company, its a better deal for them, they own the land. As they told me, its already wrecked. Whats the big deal. Reporter that company, nrg energy did not respond to america tonights request for an entry. Its okay, people dont care about the beech, they dont have hotels, people dont go to the beach, its not a tourist center, its okay. I think thats why we are where we are now. I dont like it. I think the city has better people. They deserve more than what they are getting out here. Why do you think companies build on this shore line as opposed to any place else . I think that it any any other place, like a person from malibu or santa barba will not allow them to be there. People are informed, people know and can have games to fit. Theyll not allow them to do it. It appears to be a tart for the multimillion corporation. Do you feel put upon . Yes. I feel the strength of the community, and a changing tide. If you are not going to put up with the same stuff, theyll question the decision of the government, and theyll lead, and the leaders will follow. Thats what is happening here. The decision about the new power plant is expected by early 2016. While carmen fights for ormond beach, he continues to be a voice for his community and Walter Fuller patrols his beloved beach. The city recognized his u. N. Official guardian role, by providing him with an oceanfront office and an r. V. To call home. You have called him a legend. Wetlands. He is the steward of it. He guards the beach from harm and the creatures that lives there and educates people about why they should care. Personal. Yes, it is. No one cares. Understands how how much it means to me to see the area protected. To see the power plant, gone from here. I want to see i dont want it protected. I want to see it restored so people can come in. One of my hero is nelson mandela, and what he said is it always seems impossible till its done. Thats what i believe. We are going to do it. How long do you intend to be fighting for this beach . The arrest of our life. For the least of your life. Yes thats america tonight. Please tell us what you think at aljazeera. Com americatonight. Talk to us on twitter and facebook, come back, well have more of america tonight tomorrow. Wildfires lit by arsonists. This sounds like it happened in a flash. Millions in damages. And the tragic human cost. Hes not here anymore. Find out how experts are fighting back. Catching the horrors much bombing, children are struggling to cope with war. Hello and welcome to al jazeera live from our headquarters in is doha. Also ahead. 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