Boat International US Edition – June 2019

TENDING THE OCEANS’ GARDEN

TheoceanwaseverpresentduringTitouanBernicot's

childhood.Hewas bornonanatollinFrench

Polynesia'sremoteTuamotuswherehisparentsran

apearlfarmandhespenthisformativeyearssurfing

anddivingtheSouthPacific’sturquoiselagoonsand

sprawlingcoralreefs.Ashereachedadolescence,

however,hebegantonoticethisnaturalplayground

disappearingaroundhimascoralbleachingand

pollutiondamagedthereefs.Determinedtomakea

difference,heencouragedagroupofteenagefriends

totakemattersintotheirownhandsandlaunchCoral

Gardeners,anNGOaimingtoprotectthefutureof

Tahiti’scoralreefs.

Createdin2017,CoralGardenersisnowhelpingto

savereefsbyraisingawarenessinschoolsandevents

aroundtheworldandbyreplantingcoralintodamaged

reefs.BasedontheislandofMo’orea,theorganization

wantstohelptheyoungergenerationengagewiththe

plightoftheworld’soceansandcapturesstunning

imagery–suchasthispictureofteammemberTaiano

inacavesurroundedbythereef–toshareonsocial

media.Itusesitsonlineinfluencetoencouragepeople

tomakeeco-friendlypledges,includingusingreef-

friendlysunblocks,pickinguptrashonthebeachand

adoptingcoralsthatcanbeplantedtohelprestorereefs

totheirbeautifulbest.coralgardeners.org

Eye Opener

WORDSSophiaWilson

PHOTOGRAPHY:

ALICIA

WARD