The rate at which our oceans’ coral reefs are being damaged is heartbreaking. The reefs do more for people than we might realize. They support 25% of all life in the ocean. They also protect coastlines, they are used in medicines, they provide jobs and other benefits to businesses that involve oceanic services and products, and so much more. Coral reefs even boost the economy. Through sales, tourism, food businesses, etc., they generate $30 billion per YEAR! However, there is currently a great need to protect these creatures. It is predicted that 90% of the coral reefs left in the oceans will be dead by 2050. Young entrepreneurs, Gator Halpern and Sam Teicher, saw this issue… and they took action! They established Coral Vita, a company that restores these reefs and helps to replenish the ecosystems. They have established a system that allows them to grow these reefs in non-oceanic farms at insane rates (50x faster than natural growth in the ocean). They can then place these corals in the ocean to thrive in their natural habitat. The way in which they grow these corals also benefits the coral itself by boosting its resilience to what it might face in the ocean (warming, acidified water, etc.). Their replenishment system goes as follows: assess, create, raise, install, and monitor. This system ensures the best production and success rates possible. The best part is that you can personally be involved in saving these reefs through Coral Vita! They offer a service called “Adopt a Coral”. This allows you to donate money and purchase products to adopt your very own coral, which they will raise and install in the ocean so that you can personally make a difference. Being a part of this program also gives you access to many exclusive opportunities such as merchandise, educational resources, tracking systems of the reefs that Coral Vita is pursuing, and more! These entrepreneurs are taking an issue with huge effects, and they are using a mode of action to make a huge difference! This is very inspiring because they took an issue that is not easily solved, but they found a way to make a significant difference. They took action and did scientific research to come up with a solution that is highly innovative and scientific, which most people wouldn’t care to do. It is important to notice how they set themselves apart and find solutions that aren’t obvious at the beginning. When presented with an issue regarding the vitality of ocean life, many people would assume the basic ways to help (paper straws, limit single-use plastics, etc.). These entrepreneurs went far above these basic techniques, figuring out a way to regrow the system fully outside of the aquatic setting. They are a stellar example of what an entrepreneur really is.
You can further explore what Gator and Sam are doing at https://www.coralvita.co/.
I think this is a really interesting solution to a very important problem. While many others have tried to slow the rate of the problem, these entrepreneurs found a unique solution that solves the root of the problem by growing the coral outside of the ocean at a much faster rate and then placing them in the ocean. I also think that it was very innovative to use the “Adopt a Coral” service to raise funding, raise awareness for the problem, and get people interested and involved in the solution to the problem.