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CNN
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It’s no surprise that Titouan Bernicot is so passionate about his work. Growing up on his family’s pearl farm in Ache Atoll, French Polynesia, the ocean was a part of him, which he describes as his best friend.
At just 18 years old, Burnicot founded Coral Gardeners, an organization focused on restoring local coral reefs, Over the next seven years, he assembled a team to restore and plant more than 100,000 resilient corals on atolls in the Pacific.
Burnicot, 25, has also recruited global stars to serve as Coral Gardeners ambassadors, including actor Jason Momoa, who met members of the group earlier this year and became involved in their work.
Now, with Momoa and Fallen Kingdom hitting cinemas this week, Coral Gardeners has partnered with the film on a campaign to highlight the damage caused by coral bleaching and climate change. (Movie distributor Warner Bros., like CNN, is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery Channel.)
The partnership is known as “The Lost Colors” due to the process of coral bleaching; often caused by warm water, it causes corals to expel certain algae that give them their color. If the temperature is too high, the algae cannot return and the coral will die.
Once coral dies, it is difficult for the reef to return and regrow. This is when coral reef ecosystems begin to collapse, and that’s what Burnicot and coral gardeners are trying to prevent.
Burnicot said his connection to the ocean began when he was a baby, learning about fish behavior, octopuses, sharks and how they coexist.
“When I’m not feeling well or stressed, I like to get out on the water,” he added. There was no noise, just the sound of the reef and fish.
But as the climate crisis threatens wildlife around the world, coral reefs are in a precarious position. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of the world’s existing coral reefs may disappear within the next 20 years, putting entire ecosystems at risk of destruction by the end of the century.
Increasingly severe extreme weather patterns are even more worrying. This year, El Niño—natural fluctuations in Pacific Ocean temperatures—further threatens ocean warming.
Rising ocean temperatures increase the risk of coral bleaching, potentially damaging this fragile environment.Coral gardeners do worry The founders believe these reefs could become the first ecosystems on Earth to collapse.
“I want to fight for those little guys, those fish, octopuses, sharks and stingrays,” Burnicot said. They don’t have the voice that we do, and they don’t really need it. They just need people by their side and I want to be one of those people and save their home.
In addition to Bernicot, Coral Gardeners has a team of more than 50 people, including scientists and engineers, some of whom grew up on the atolls where they work.
One of the main ways they support local coral reefs is by upcycling old ropes and other waste that damage the coral from abandoned pearl farms and using it to create coral nurseries.
These nurseries consist of small pieces of coral that can be grown in a protected environment underwater. Once they reach a healthy size and condition, they are often reintroduced to a natural environment where the reef can grow.
Last year, coral gardeners successfully planted more than 15,000 corals in French Polynesia, with a further 9,400 corals planted in their nurseries. Coral Gardeners says the total number of corals planted will more than quadruple by 2023, with more than 70,000 corals planted this year.
There are also nurseries Used to help the Bernicots team conduct research, providing information on the best environments for coral growth and how different species survive under various conditions. The organization’s in-house research and development center, known as CG Labs, develops tools such as underwater mapping robots, artificial intelligence cameras, and apps for viewers to explore connected coral reefs.
Bernicot said that in the next few years, the goal of “Coral Gardener Odyssey 2025” is to restore 1 million corals, benefit 1 billion people, and expand internationally. The team is already working in Fiji.
The team is also working on more collaborations, such as with Aquaman, including Partner with conscious brands to create effective conservation actions.
But ultimately, for Burnicot, it’s all about the community where the coral gardeners started. Working with many of his former classmates, the Reef Restoration Project is a truly home-grown effort.
No one thought that one day we would be able to answer the question “What do you want to do?” Burnicot said, I want to be a coral gardener. It’s not a job, but now it’s real.
He added that they were living proof that today you can do something meaningful with your money, and that ocean conservation doesn’t have to be just a part-time job volunteering. You can wake up every morning with one priority and focus on how to save the most important place on Earth.
CNN’s John Lewis contributed to this report.
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