by Mat Churchill

The Great Barrier Reef is about to star in a groundbreaking BBC television documentary, the likes of which has never been seen, producers say. The Nine Network has joined the project as the Australian partner and co-producer of the three-part doco, part of the acclaimed BBC Earth series, to be screened in 2012.

Cameraman and marine biologist Richard Fitzpatrick is the project's director of photography. "It's the biggest series ever done on the reef, the most technology ever thrown at it," he said.  "It goes from deep sea - we're filming a thousand metres down - way up to the mangroves and rainforest, saying how everything's interconnected."

Animation will explain the reef's creation and the series will present climate change threats.  "It will be the past, the present and a bit towards the future," Mr Fitzpatrick said. 

Filming should take about a year and will involve Mr Fitzpatrick's company Digital Dimensions opening offices in Cairns and Townsville and the construction of a large studio at James Cook University.

"We're using super-macro and robot camera techniques that we've only just recently developed," Mr Fitzpatrick said. "It's a massive first time thing for the BBC to actually outsource it to an Australian production company.

"It is expected a leading Australia actor will narrate the series, which will be seen by 200 million people. "The value towards tourism will be enormous," Mr Fitzpatrick said.