WSL helps grow coral awareness
IT is great to see the World Surf League acting on environmental issues at all its major events around the globe.
The WSL has recently announced a series of initiatives aimed at leaving all its event locations — Bells Beach included — in a better state than when it arrived.
The league can’t highlight that initiative any better than what it is doing in Tahiti right now with a coral reef proactive campaign aimed to improve and educate.
WSL collaborated with ‘Glowing Glowing Gone’, a global campaign advocating for greater funding and action for coral reef conservation by highlighting the global danger signalled by fluorescing corals.
The collaboration features a complete takeover of the Tahiti Pro Teahupo’o event branding to incorporate the exact colours of fluorescing corals, in addition to WSL’s support of Coral Gardeners, a youth-led non-profit organisation that is actively restoring coral reefs in the area.
Tahiti’s leading WSL surfer, Michel Bourez, teamed up with a number of the pro surfers at the event and the Coral Gardeners to plant dozens of units of coral at the Coral Gardeners centre in Tahiti.
The baby coral was planted into an underwater frame where they will mature for 20-24 months before being transplanted on to degraded areas of the reef. When these coral fragments grow, they help to recreate reef habitats, which allows other life to return and strengthens the reef against future damage.
“It’s so cool to work with WSL PURE, Glowing Glowing Gone and the Coral Gardeners on the planting endeavour here at home in Tahiti,” Bourez said.
“The solutions to make positive change can be very simple sometimes and they make a major impact.”
The Tahiti Pro begins in a few days and with coral coloured rash vests, it should only add to what is the biggest surf spectacle on the tour.
Four-day surf forecast:
Winds will improve over the coming four days, which should see a return to good clean surf conditions. . Expect moderate swells on the reefs every day.