Since its founding in 2017, Coral Gardeners (CG) has dared to dream very big dreams with an unwavering belief in a positive outcome to benefit all of humanity. We are the keepers of a bold mission to revolutionize ocean conservation and create a global movement to save the reef.
Coral Gardeners began as a small band of young Tahitian surfers and divers who witnessed firsthand the rapid degradation of their local reef in Mo’orea, French Polynesia. Today, under the leadership of talented visionary and founder Titouan Bernicot, we are now an organization of more than 80 scientists, engineers, creators, entrepreneurs, and advocates dedicated to protecting the world’s coral from our rapidly changing climate. Our professional staff represent 15 countries around the world. From modest beginnings, Coral Gardeners has grown into a powerful force of innovation and service. To date we have planted more than 166,000 corals and engaged with millions of people around the world. We have numerous corporate partners and foundations in Europe and North America, including Rolex, National Geographic, and the Nature Conservancy. Our goals are audacious, we admit. And we know we don’t have time to waste.
The cornerstone of our work takes place underwater, where we nurture the growth of coral fragments in nurseries that are then planted back onto the reef. We use science and technology as our gardening tools and our workforce are local communities whose lives are inextricably linked to the ocean. What began as a small project on the island of Mo’orea has expanded throughout French Polynesia and the Pacific with collaborative projects in development wherever reefs exist alongside committed conservationists.