Coral City is a landmark 2025 documentary series that takes viewers beneath the waves to explore one of Earth’s most intricate and threatened ecosystems — the coral reef. Filmed over three years across Australia, Indonesia, the Maldives, and the Caribbean, the series combines cinematic underwater photography with cutting-edge science to reveal the beauty, complexity, and fragility of coral life.
Narrated by acclaimed actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Coral City transforms the ocean floor into a vibrant metropolis, where every coral colony, fish species, and microscopic organism plays a role in maintaining the delicate balance of the reef. Each of the six episodes focuses on a different aspect of this “city beneath the sea” — from the builders and architects of the reef to its elusive night-shift predators and ingenious symbiotic partnerships.
The series captures never-before-seen footage using new bioluminescent imaging and robotic camera drones, offering a perspective that feels both intimate and otherworldly. Scientists featured in the program also uncover the urgent story of resilience and adaptation as reefs around the world face rising sea temperatures, pollution, and overfishing.
With a powerful original score by Hans Zimmer and a production team behind Planet Earth II and Blue Planet, Coral City is more than a visual feast — it’s a call to protect one of the planet’s oldest living structures. The result is an awe-inspiring journey that reveals not only the wonder of coral ecosystems but also the critical choices humanity faces in ensuring their survival.
Additional music by Cathleen Flynn.