For nature

We observed that thousand-year-old corals were in danger

Poets evoke the great waters, the deep, the waves...Scientists prefer to talk about the World Ocean. Or quite simply Ocean, giving it the capital letter it deserves. The territory, of which we’re usually only familiar with the coastal limits, makes up two-thirds of our planet and represents, at an average depth of 4000 meters, 99% of the planet’s habitable space.

It therefore houses and is the birthplace of most of the world’s living creatures, and regulates the essential elements of our climate balance. But the world’s lifeblood is now on the verge of suffocation (global warming, pollution, overexploitation of resources, etc.). The first victims, of course, are the species that live there, including coral. Found throughout the world’s seas and at all depths (up to seven kilometres deep), essential for countless single plant species, bacteria and fish, corals are extraordinary organisms that, when not attacked, live for a record-breaking long time. Some reefs have existed for thousands of years. But in the current state, three quarters are threatened by human activity. It is estimated that in three decades, almost 30% of the reefs have disappeared, at a rate of 1% per year. 

Acting on soil erosion and plastic pollution

Members of the local community ensure that the mangroves are replanted to control erosion and stem the advance of the sea. Mangroves are an ecosystem made up of woody species, such as palms, capable of thriving in the tidal zone. Mangrove forests stabilise the coast and protect the environment, particularly after a hurricane or tropical storm. At the same time as the reef reconstruction project and the mangrove planting, and after having been a major environmental nuisance for a long time, plastic waste is now collected and soon recycled. Residents have been provided with sorting bins and awareness-raising measures are carried out to promote sorting practices and highlight the importance of waste management.