PANGAIA x CORAL GARDENERS: The work we supported in 2023

Known as the rainforests of the sea, coral reefs are biologically diverse oceanic ecosystems that support around a quarter of all marine species. Under threat from human impact and environmental changes, it’s estimated that half of the world’s reefs have already been lost.  

PANGAIA is proud to celebrate the on-going work of Coral Gardeners. A portion of the proceeds from every PANGAIA sale is donated to support their innovative and transformative work. Since 2017, Coral Gardeners have made it their mission to restore and revive reef ecosystems keeping coral alive and flourishing for future generations, whilst raising awareness and empowering local communities to become a part of the coral gardener movement.

Coral Gardeners started in 2In 2023, Coral Gardeners successfully planted 69,890 coral fragments – a record-breaking achievement, representing 4x times the corals they had been able to plant in the previous year.

Their rehabilitation technique of planting coral fragments aims to restore damaged reefs. Since their creation, Coral Gardeners have planted over 100,000 corals, bringing them closer to their ultimate aim of planting one million corals by 2025.

The restoration cycle continues in ocean-based nurseries with over 26,000 corals growing in their gardens at the moment. In 2023, Coral Gardeners reached a new landmark in observing eggs in their nursery-grown corals for the first time.

To date, 11 different reef sites have been restored and enhanced – over 11,930 m² since their creation- and Coral Gardeners have launched their first international project in Malolo Fiji, scaling up their impact and welcoming a new branch of Coral Gardeners – recruited to from the local community – to the cause.

Coral Gardeners aims to reach and educate one billion people by 2025. To date, over 300 million people have been reached globally with the aim of sharing information and driving awareness, including projects to mentor and support local communities and young people, involving them with the conservation project and inviting them to become an active part of the work.  

Recruiting ambassadors like Jason Mamoa and continuing Coral Gardeners’ community events such as the annual Teahupo’o coral workshop before the World Surf League Tahiti Pro event, help to reach more of the world’s community with their message.

Like PANGAIA, Coral Gardeners have innovation at their core. In 2023, this has taken a leap forward with the introduction of their new AI-powered cameras, built in-house by their CG Labs, which allows them to track the biodiversity of the reefs and surrounding ocean in real time.

They have also begun to capture 3D photogrammetry and audio of the reef system which combines biology, ecology, and technology to gain a comprehensive understanding of these vibrant ecosystems, guiding conservation efforts, understanding the behaviour of marine organisms and the ecology and biodiversity of the reef. 

Together, this high value data is a game-changer for the community – our community - who follow, contribute to and celebrate their work. A visualisation of the progress
of Coral Gardeners’ mission and an invitation for those who wish to follow their journey and support their progress, via the live link https://maps.coralgardeners.org