Key facts
Only One members have funded the planting of 20,000 corals in the crystal waters of Mo'orea, a volcanic island in the Pacific 11 miles northwest of Tahiti, and are funding 20,000 more as of February 2024, for a total of 40,000 corals planted.
The project is rebuilding the reef with corals more able to withstand climate change, protecting ocean wildlife, and benefiting local people.
Mo'orea is surrounded by 13 marine protected areas. Marine reserves like these are vital for securing a positive future for the ocean.
Our coral planting partner Coral Gardeners is the brainchild of Titouan Bernicot, an ocean kid who loved his island’s magnificent reef ecosystem and dreamed big!
How the project works
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Coral Gardeners identifies and collects “super coral” fragments in the wild.
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The coral fragments are cleaned and seeded in nurseries, where they increase in size and multiply over time.
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Every day, the reef restoration team at Coral Gardeners monitors the corals’ growth and health.
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Once the corals are mature enough, Coral Gardeners takes them to a reef and plants them, helping bring life back to the ocean.
Become a member of Only One today to fund Coral Gardeners’ project and take direct action to save the planet — planting your own ocean forests and coral reefs, and removing plastic and carbon pollution.
Project impact
All projects on Only One help save the ocean and fix the climate, and 100% of our members’ funds go to impact. Keep reading to discover how our “Rebuilding the reef in French Polynesia” project is having a positive effect.
Biodiversity and ecosystems
Located in the Pacific, Mo'orea is one of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. The tropical island is protected by coral reefs home to hundreds of species, from clams, crabs, lobsters, sponges, and fish, to sharks, rays, turtles, and dolphins. The song of humpback whales can be heard seasonally. Mo'orea is surrounded by 13 marine protected areas, all of which are vital to securing a positive future for the ocean — the project’s transplantation area is close to a marine sanctuary. The corals planted on behalf of Only One members will bring more biodiversity to Mo'orea’s lagoon, benefiting nature and local communities.
Wildlife protection
Coral reefs are one of the most diverse habitats on the planet, supporting 25% of all ocean creatures! When reefs bleach or die due to pressures like heat waves and ocean acidification, marine species lose their home. Coral Gardeners are planting stress-resistant corals, giving Mo'orea’s reefs the best possible chance of survival and meaning ocean wildlife is more likely to thrive long term. The project’s transplantation area protects an important habitat.
Community development
Coral Gardeners hires local people in Mo'orea like former fisherfolk and surfers, giving them a more consistent source of income. They have 23+ permanent employees and interns.
Project leaders
Evelyne Chavent is Head of Reef Restoration & Science at Coral Gardeners. A marine biologist with over 10 years of reef restoration experience, mostly in the Maldives, Evelyne has led Coral Gardeners’ coral growth and planting efforts since September 2020.
Coral species
The coral species being planted in Mo'orea, chosen for their resilience and high survival rates, are Acropora cerealis, cytherea, divaricata, globiceps, horrida, hyacinthus, lutkeni, nasuta, pulchra, retusa, robusta, and striata, Cyphastrea sp, Dipsastraea sp, Gardineriseris planulata, Leptastrea pruinosa and transversa, Leptoseris sp, Montipora aequituberculata, efflorescens, grisea, setosa, and verrucosa, Napopora irregularis, Pavona cactus, chiriquiensis, maldivensis, and varians, Phymastrea curta, Pocillopora damicornis, eydouxi, and verrucosa, Porites rus, and Psammocora profundacella and stellata.
Sustainable Development Goals
By supporting the “Rebuilding the reef in French Polynesia” project, Only One members’ funds go toward this United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
Project reporting
Coral Gardeners will send Only One a quarterly report on the progress of the coral planting project, detailing the total number of corals planted, their health status, and ongoing maintenance work and growth updates.
More about our coral planting partner
Coral Gardeners was born in 2017 on the island of Mo'orea in French Polynesia, when a small group of island kids who were witnessing the rapid degradation of the coral reef around them decided to take action. From humble beginnings, Coral Gardeners has grown into an international collective of advocates, scientists, engineers, and creators determined to build a global movement to save the reef. Their team grows and plants “super corals” using the latest techniques, pushing the boundaries of technology in ocean conservation, and they scale their impact globally so everyone can join their mission.
