Adopt a Coral in Moorea

Published on 25 July 2023

Reading time: 4 min.

The world’s coral reefs are in great danger, and you can play a part in saving them by adopting a coral. The Coral Gardeners Association has been growing coral and planting it in Moorea’s reef since 2017. Use your visit to make a contribution to the preservation of our oceans and marine life.

According to scientists who specialize in the conservation of marine life, coral reefs could disappear by the year 2050. This startling fact inspired a young Tahitian from Moorea to react. Titouan discovered from the internet that the coral was becoming white and slowly dying, so he decided to create the association Coral Gardeners, to try to something about it.

His plan of action was simple and effective: grow cuttings from healthy coral in an underwater nursery and then plant them on the reef. As a means of financing the operation, Coral Gardeners has set up an adoption program through which you can adopt a super coral – one which has survived the whitening caused by the increase in ocean temperatures. You will receive a regular update of your coral’s progress and a map showing exactly where your adopted coral has been planted.

Make your vacation in The Islands of Tahiti a contribution to the future of our planet.

The Coral Gardeners project for the coral reef

Since 2017, Coral Gardeners has planted no less than 31,000 coral cuttings. The association, which originated in Moorea, continues to work for the preservation of our coral reefs and to increase public awareness of the need to protect the environment. Through workshops for children and adults, in schools and businesses, it aims to inform the public about the importance of the preservation of the ocean’s biodiversity. The ambition is to become a mouvement working on a global scale. Thanks in part to the efforts of Coral Gardeners, the restoration of the coral reef is now an matter of prime importance to the local population of The Islands of Tahiti.

Diving and coral observation © Alexandre Voyer Fakarava

What can you do to help protect underwater species during your stay? First, favor a lycra t-shirt over sun cream, or make sure that the cream you use is eco-friendly. The same goes for your board wax – eco-friendly waxes are readily available. If you’re sailing through our waters, or if you’ve chartered a motor boat, respect the authorized navigation zones. And when you drop anchor, be sure that it’s in a place where you won’t damage the sea bed. Avoid disturbing the marine species that you come into contact with, and of course, dispose of your waste correctly.

Adopting a coral with Coral Gardeners

The corals you adopt through Coral Gardeners are known as super corals because they are cuttings from coral which has already proved its resistance to whitening due to the increase in ocean temperatures. You can select the coral you’d like to save on the Coral Gardeners website and the team will then take a cutting and let it grow in their coral nursery before replanting it in the reef.

Coral Garderers favor the preservation of coral that has already proved its resistance to increased temperatures, such as: pocillopora verrucosa, montipora grisea, acropora retusa, acropora muricata and acropora globiceps. Once you’ve selected your coral, you can even give it a name. You’ll be sent a map showing exactly where it’s been planted and you’ll receive regular updates on its growth and state of health.

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