The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative has brought together Coral Gardeners and Mission Blue, two collectives of ocean protection advocates, to work together towards the preservation of the oceans and generate awareness on the impact of climate change on the health of coral reefs, marine wildlife, and the coastal communities depending on the oceans for survival.
Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue, and Titouan Bernicot, founder and CEO of Coral Gardeners, met in Thailand and explored the area’s reefs together, worked and shared knowledge with locals and showcased the islands’ beauty and marine biodiversity.
To accommodate the variety of species, Coral Gardeners’ Thai branch introduced its first land-based nursery — the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia with the support of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative.
This facility will have the capacity to hold up to 40 tanks and grow up to 50,000 corals, including a wide range of species such as massive and encrusting corals.
Mission Blue highlights the importance of protecting significant marine ecosystems around the world called Hope Spots: ecologically important areas of the oceans considered vital to a healthy marine environment.
The Coral Gardeners team is hopeful that they will add Koh Mak and Koh Koo, two islands in Trat Province on the Gulf of Thailand to the growing number of Mission Blue ocean Hope Spots.
The team has begun the application process following Earle's strong encouragement and, if approved, the area would be the first Hope Spot in the Gulf of Thailand for Mission Blue.
With the collaboration of these two organizations, the area could see its reefs returned to the vibrant ocean ecosystems they once were.
The Gulf of Thailand hosts over 300 species of coral, but is under great threat of mass biodiversity loss.
