Damaged by climate change, the reefs of the Tanzanian archipelago are frequently affected by the El Niño phenomenon. The Marine Cultures association has set itself the goal of restoring them by creating coral nurseries.
Unlike the sun-seeking tourists who flock to Zanzibar from December to May, Christian Vaterlaus fears the austral summer. Every year, his association, Marine Cultures, transplants more than 25,000 corals onto the reefs of the Tanzanian archipelago, which have been damaged by climate change. But the increasing underwater heatwaves threaten this work: « If this happens every three or four years, there will be no corals left, » warns the Swiss man.
Located in a modest building along a sandy street just fifty meters from the turquoise waters of Jambiani, in the south of Unguja, the main island of the Tanzanian archipelago, Marine Cultures is considered the leading reference in marine restoration in the region. On this February morning, Christian Vaterlaus is busy training a young Tanzanian biologist who has just joined a similar program on a neighboring island.
Nothing in his background pointed to him becoming a pioneer in coral farming. After years spent developing mobile applications, the Swiss man moved to Zanzibar in the early 2000s, intending to do « something deeper than advertising campaigns for Coca-Cola. »
Source: Le monde
