Coral Maker

It is with immense sadness that I’m sharing the news of the coral bleaching event unfolding at Ningaloo Reef. I was at Ningaloo early last month and the water was already far too warm, with modelling already having the reef on bleaching alert. We have been watching the marine heatwave develop and move down the coast with dread (and now grief) in our hearts. ? The marine heatwave has caused 30,000 fish to wash up dead on North West beaches: https://lnkd.in/gYzRJYkd ? And now our stunning World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef is cooking in the heat as well. https://lnkd.in/gEJ7C3BH ? This is how climate change is impacting our marine life. The ocean has absorbed 91% of the world’s excess heat, and us terrestrial beings would be in quite the predicament if the oceans weren’t there providing that enormous buffer. But it’s taking its toll on our marine ecosystems; kelp, seagrass, coral reefs, they are all taking hits when these marine heat wave events occur – events that are becoming more frequent and severe with the amount heat the ocean is now holding. ? In 2011, a marine heatwave occurred and coastal Western Australian coral reefs bleached, including Ningaloo and the Abrolhos reefs. Shark Bay also lost so much of their seagrass meadows, that 9 million tonnes of CO2 were released (https://lnkd.in/g5uReBRa ). Prior to the 2011 heatwave, the opinion of the day was that WA reefs were somehow immune to the impacts of climate change because we are so remote, underpopulated, and overfishing and other local threats were well managed. ? That heatwave was 14 years ago and should have been a major wakeup call. Yet here we sit in the middle of another marine heatwave, another coral bleaching event, and WA’s emissions keep rising, we are still clearing our precious and extremely biodiverse native bushland for mining (including banksia woodlands for the endangered black cockatoo: https://lnkd.in/gF25wpNV ) and outside of research projects, there are no scaled, on the ground coral conservation interventions being rolled out. ? Also, why are we finding out about the coral bleaching from WA Today? We’re talking about a potential ecosystem collapse at one of WA’s icons - shouldn’t there have been an official statement/ media release about this? ? Image Credit: Brooke Pyke has been documenting the event with heartbreaking images in the WA Today article and on her Instagram. ? #marineheatwave #coralbleaching #ningaloo #climatechange

Innovation and research are pivotal in bolstering #coral reef #resilience and #regeneration, especially in the face of accelerating climate change. Coral reefs support 25% of #marine life but are under severe threat, with over 50% of the world's reefs already lost or at risk. Without significant interventions, projections suggest coral reefs could vanish by 2050. Tens of millions of hectares of reefs are at risk, but most projects are restoring less than 1 hectare per year using manual techniques. Enter Coral Maker, a pioneering Australian organization leading the charge with groundbreaking technological solutions. By employing advanced robotics techniques, #AI and sustainable materials, Coralmaker is restoring damaged reefs more efficiently and ensuring the longevity of these vital #ecosystems. The Coral Maker approach exemplifies the transformative potential of innovative approaches in marine #conservation. It highlights the need for continued #investment in research and technology to safeguard our planet's coral reefs for future generations. #MarineConservation #ClimateChange #CoralReefs #Innovation #Research #Sustainability

Some exciting news to kick off 2025! Coral Maker has won the People’s Choice Award for KPMG Australia’s Nature Positive Challenge! ? From around 100 applicants, five finalists were selected, including Levur, Rainstick, Lord of the Trees, Coral Maker and Native Botanical Brewery. Finalists pitched to a panel of expert judges; WWF-Australia’s Chief Regeneration Officer Nicole M. Forrester, Climate Salad Co-Founder Mick Liubinskas, Jawun CEO Shane Webster and KPMG nature experts Carolin Leeshaa and Josh Geelan. ? All finalists have been awarded 50K of KPMG support. The overall winner of the Challenge was the amazing Levur (congrats team!). KPMG then ran the People’s Choice Prize, with more than 500 KPMG staff members voting internally and choosing Coral Maker for the award. Also, congrats to First Nations category winner Native Botanical Brewery. ? A huge thank you to KPMG Australia, especially Rita Fentener van Vlissingen and Weston Lewis, who have been wonderful to work with. Both the expert KPMG support and the cash prize couldn’t be more perfectly timed for Coral Maker, as we build our new coral nursery and start to accelerate our impact in 2025. ? https://lnkd.in/gERwwAkC ? ? #KPMGAustralia #Naturepositivechallenge

We have corals up for adoption! When you adopt a coral through our Coral Adoption Program, we'll plant a living, breathing (well, respiring, photosynthesising, and calcifying) coral onto our new coral nursery site at the Abrolhos Islands. You'll instantly receive your adoption certificate to your inbox and then newsletter updates on the Program's progress. There are coral fragments, colonies, and bommies up for adoption, with naming rights for colonies and bommies! Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gJbB_PJf

10-hectare coral nursery launching in 2025!! Coral Maker has reached a major milestone on our journey to impactful scale coral reef restoration. The government has approved our licence for a 10-hectare (25 acre) ocean-based coral nursery at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands! ? This sizeable nursery will finally enable us to deploy the technologies and processes we have been working on at a much larger scale. ? The Abrolhos Islands are also a noteworthy choice for a reef restoration nursery, as other restoration projects globally are typically focussed on tropical coral reefs. In 2017, the Abrolhos were named a global ‘Hope Spot’ by Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue, and for good reason. Few places in the world offer such a breathtaking mix of temperate and tropical biodiversity. ? These high latitude reefs exist at the very fringes of most coral species distribution ranges, but still look and function like tropical reefs, with 200 reef building coral species recorded, and an annual mass coral spawning event. Yet the sea water temperatures here are a cool 18°C (61°F) in winter and 26-27°C in summer (78-81°F). ? While not immune to climate change (nowhere is), the Abrolhos do have more ‘wiggle room’ when it comes to increasing ocean temperatures, and of the four recorded global mass coral bleaching events that have hammered tropical reefs, only one has reached the Abrolhos. ? With 2024 set to be the hottest year on record (and the first year above 1.5°C warming), climate action and conservation measures could not be more urgent for coral reefs, the ecosystems that sit at the frontline of both the climate and nature crises. ? Our broader vision is for this cooler water coral nursery to act as a large-scale ocean ‘seed bank’ or a ‘Noah’s Ark for Corals’, so that future generations can continue what we start.

Delighted that our Autodesk team was highly commended at the PRWeek UK Awards last night in the Best Environmental Purpose Campaign category, for our work on Coral Maker which spanned across earned and owned media! One of the most rewarding campaigns I've worked on in my career, though I'm still lobbying to get sent out to Australia as part of it... ?? It wouldn't have been possible without the best team in the business: Deborah Reid Taryn Foster Matthew Peltier Arnau Lamarca Daniel Bailey Rachael Myers

I'm really thrilled to share some exciting news about Coral Maker. Taryn Foster and the team have been awarded a Regional Economic Development Grant by the Western Australian government, recognizing their innovative work in coral restoration. This grant is a testament to the hard work of Coral Maker and the potential of their technology and processes to make a real difference in marine conservation. It's also a vote of confidence in the Mid West region's capacity for innovation and sustainable development. This grant will accelerate our efforts in developing scalable solutions for coral reef restoration. It's a step forward not just for Coral Maker, but for the entire Mid West region as we work towards a more sustainable future. This achievement underscores the importance of collaboration between government and innovative companies in addressing critical environmental challenges. I'm proud to be part of an organization that's at the forefront of this important work. ???????????????? #CoralRestoration #RegionalDevelopment #Innovation #Sustainability #WesternAustralia

Exciting news! This week Coral Maker was awarded a Regional Economic Development Grant, alongside 11 other recipients from WA’s Mid West, to support regional businesses. It has been a special couple of days. The awards were announced on Tuesday afternoon by Minister Don Punch and our local member Lara Dalton MLA, at the beautiful Batavia Coast Maritime Institute, complete with Geraldton’s iconic lighthouse and sand dune beaches as a backdrop. On Wednesday, we were able to showcase Coral Maker’s work and BCMI’s impressive aquaculture capabilities. We were also given the opportunity to present, alongside the inspirational Yamatji Southern Regional Corporation’s Sea Ranger Program, to the leaders of all of WA’s Regional Development Commissions. A huge thank you to the Mid West Development Commission for their help through the grant application process, and also their support and keen interest in nature restoration. I’d also like to thank the Batavia Coast Maritime Institute for hosting the events, and their assistance with the aquaculture.

Exciting news! This week Coral Maker was awarded a Regional Economic Development Grant, alongside 11 other recipients from WA’s Mid West, to support regional businesses. It has been a special couple of days. The awards were announced on Tuesday afternoon by Minister Don Punch and our local member Lara Dalton MLA, at the beautiful Batavia Coast Maritime Institute, complete with Geraldton’s iconic lighthouse and sand dune beaches as a backdrop. On Wednesday, we were able to showcase Coral Maker’s work and BCMI’s impressive aquaculture capabilities. We were also given the opportunity to present, alongside the inspirational Yamatji Southern Regional Corporation’s Sea Ranger Program, to the leaders of all of WA’s Regional Development Commissions. A huge thank you to the Mid West Development Commission for their help through the grant application process, and also their support and keen interest in nature restoration. I’d also like to thank the Batavia Coast Maritime Institute for hosting the events, and their assistance with the aquaculture.

“We saw an entire reef system crash within the span of a few months, and that was something that was really impactful and left a serious mark on me” - Dr Taryn Foster ? At WA World Ocean Day 2024, the audience was lucky enough to catch Dr. Taryn Foster in action regarding what inspires her to continue her coral restoration work. ? Dr. Foster highlighted the importance of technology in restoring Australia’s coral reefs. Technology is needed to ensure that conservation innovations can adapt to climate change, produce temperature-tolerant corals, and assist corals in migrating to cooler temperatures. ? ?Coral Maker #WAWorldOceanDay #WorldOceanDay #MarineConservation #OceanConservation #MarineProtection #CoralRestoration #EmbraceInnovation?