In 2017, the diver from Toulon founded the French branch of Ocean Quest Global, an organization dedicated to rehabilitating coral reefs worldwide. For the past eight years, she has been replanting corals in the Mediterranean and training volunteers to do the same. Here’s an interview with the coral gardener as she embarks on a new mission in 2025: taking inventory of Mediterranean corals.
A few days ago, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) issued a dire warning: 44% of tropical coral species worldwide are at risk of extinction. In the face of this looming catastrophe, some, like Sandrine Treyvaud, a member of the Ocean Quest Global association in France, have chosen to take action. Dedicated to the preservation of coral reefs, she nurtures endangered corals back to health and trains volunteers to do the same. Her next mission: conducting an inventory of the various coral species in the Mediterranean, starting from the Var region.
A nickname: « Coral Gardener »
Coral is an animal, which may seem surprising when talking about « replanting corals » or « gardening. » « It’s a bit strange, but the method resembles gardening, » explains Sandrine Treyvaud. « We actually rescue broken corals that would otherwise die, we save them and reattach them to underwater rocks. So, everything is natural. » With its overseas territories, France is the fourth country in the world with the most coral reefs. These reefs are responsible for over 50% of the oxygen we breathe. « If we do nothing, nothing happens. So what’s interesting and important about our actions is that it’s done solely with volunteers—this is participatory science, » says Sandrine, the Toulon diver who trains volunteers. « So, every person who comes to help us and learns how to replant coral, will talk about it, and that’s what’s interesting—it will snowball. It’ll lead to family and workplace awareness, and that’s the most important thing: raising awareness, » insists the « Coral Gardener. » Her association is the only one that trains volunteers in coral monitoring and replanting.
2023 and the Marine Heatwave
Two years ago, the Mediterranean experienced a heatwave. « Indeed, we had 26°C for three weeks, and we first lost the gorgonians, which died down to about 25 meters. I monitored the corals, and some turned completely white—fluorescent white. What’s great is that, two years later, they’ve recovered, which means these little animals are incredibly resilient, but we still need to help them. We didn’t act at the time, » explains Sandrine Treyvaud.
The association monitored the situation and took photos to track the evolution. « It’s amazing to see that they’re recovering. It means they’re tough. So, if we stand up all the broken ones, they’ll live their lives, and they need us, but not as much as we might think. It’s like creating a little underwater daycare, » she adds.
An Inventory in 2025
In addition to repairing corals across the globe and training others to do the same, Sandrine Treyvaud has embarked on another mission: an inventory. « In 2025, we’re launching a mission called Corail Med, which will take place from a sailboat. We’ve been renovating a sailboat, the Kalli Corail, for two years with the association, and the idea is to go along the Var coast and inventory the corals we find there, » details Sandrine Treyvaud.
Coral reefs are unique, vital ecosystems that play a crucial role in the food chain and carbon cycle. They host 25% of marine biodiversity.
« It’s important because, in fact, it’s the foundation of underwater life. You know the species pyramid: at the bottom, you have corals and all the little things, and as you move up, we are at the top, » she concludes.
Source: france3
