Freediver and photographer Titouan Bernicot grew up surrounded by the ocean. When he realised that his office, playground and sanctuary was under attack, he launched Coral Gardeners, which has been garnering support rapidly around the world and was the cover story of Oceanographic Issue 12. We sit down with the founder and CEO to discover more about the man behind the mission.

Oceanographic Magazine (OM): Where did you grow up and how did this connect you with the ocean?

Titouan Bernicot (TB): I grew up on Ahe, a small atoll in the North of the Tuamotu islands. My parents had a pearl farm there. When I was three years old, we moved to Mo’orea, the sister island of Tahiti, so I could go to school. Since I was a child, I have spent most of my time in the water, so I created a deep connection with the ocean. Coral reefs have given me everything in life, from the waves we surf to the fish we eat.

OM: Was there a specific moment when you realised you had to do something about the state of French Polynesia’s reefs?

TB: In 2015, when my friends and I went surfing we made a very concerning discovery: the corals under our feet had turned white. A few days later, they had perished. I felt surprised, curious and I wanted to understand what was happening. So, we did some research and we realised that if coral reefs disappeared, the entire balance of our oceans would be upset. I had to do something, that’s why I created Coral Gardeners – to save the reefs.

OM:  How is freediving important to your work?

TB: Freediving is my passion. It helps me to reconnect with the ocean. It reminds me why we work so hard to save the reef. It pushes me to calm down, to control my breath, to work on my mindset. It is like a meditative state that helps me to stay focused and to be fully committed at work.

OM: What challenges do you now face?

TB: Our main challenge is to scale up. We already have a really strong community, but we want every single person on earth to know what a coral is. We want them to know how important the reefs are and to want to get involved.