Venkatesh Charloo, once a banker in Hong Kong, was inspired to protect marine life after saving an angel fish in Goa.
“It dawned on me that there are so many marine beings dying around us. There’s very little we are doing to save them. I wanted to be the change, or make room for it,” he recounts.
In 2009, he founded Coastal Impact to increase coral cover and educate about ocean conservation.
He focuses on transplanting coral fragments to nurseries before reintroducing them to natural reefs.
For this, he devised a method using metal tables to elevate coral fragments from the ocean floor, ensuring they did not succumb to sedimentation.
Each table supports 48 coral fragments and is critical to the coral’s survival and growth.
Venkatesh also launched an innovative adoption program for coral fragments. This involved community participation where patrons could adopt, name, and nurture coral fragments, receiving a certificate upon completion.
This initiative not only raised necessary funds but also increased awareness. The pilot project saw 192 coral fragments growing underwater.
The future appears thrilling, but Venkatesh stresses it is the present that counts. “Most people do not even think about what’s happening in the oceans and how it will affect each one of us.”
This World Ocean Day, he has an urgent message to share: “Marine life often goes unnoticed, affecting us all. Urgent action is essential to address oceanic challenges. We need to step up and do it right now.”