we meet cole mckenzie, chief executive of marine park tourism operators in cannes, the capital of reef tourism. you can take your pick of transportation. boats or helicopters. people like terry hughes and noaa say that basically over the past 18 months, nearly 50% of the reef has died. an additional portion has been bleached and may survive. but that's a significant mortality. >> it is a significant mortality. and we would be absolutely in bits if it was true. fortunately it's simply in make believe land. >> make believe land? these are scientists, the government entrusts them, my government entrusts them. what's going on here? are you saying they're lying? they're making it up? >> i would think noaa is taking their advice from some of the scientists here and trying to make a point. >> reporter: is there an exit ramp from the highway so many say we're on to ecological doom? the possible answer may lie 4,600 miles away on this tiny sliver of a hawaiian island. ...i kept looking for ways to manage my symptoms. i thought i was doing okay... then it hit me... ...managing was all i was doin