Tēnaka

With rising temperatures, water acidification, pollution, overfishing, bleaching,... the oceans' vital ecosystems are in serious trouble. At the current rate, 90% of the world's coral reefs will have disappeared by 2030 and will no longer be able to support life. Our solution: use technology to step up conservation work in marine protected areas. We're launching underwater station 16-1546. This is a game-changer, enabling us to explore and protect on a large scale this world on which human life on earth depends: the ocean. Station 16-1546: better understand and protect our coral reefs Tēnaka is a social enterprise working to regenerate the ocean. Our mission: we restore coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass. We have come up with Station 16-1546: a research station that collects, transmits and automates data from the reefs. It can provide major benefits in the fight to help coral reefs: React as soon as possible when the first signs of bleaching appear. Alert in real-time if predators are detected. And, of course, bring new learnings for a better understanding of marine ecosystems. The first prototype was tested in June in the Mediterranean sea. It is being full-scale tested in a Marine Protected Area in Malaysia in September. Follow up our work in progress on Instagram and on the Publications section. Cooperation A huge work was carried out over more than a year to come up with an operational prototype. This has been made possible thanks to a coalition of marine biologists and leading technology partners. This cooperation is a long-term commitment, a guarantee of sustainability. Armed with this prerequisite, we can focus on acquiring new knowledge and developing new solutions for the conservation of marine life. Cooperation is also a state of mind : the algorithm developed has been open sourced! Access here : public repository We can therefore benefit from real-time data on the reefs to improve our impact studies and better understand the fascinating symbiosis of marine ecosystems. Recent bleaching episodes have shown that our underwater station can be oriented towards monitoring and become a major conservation tool to protect coral reefs. Here are the first outputs of the station end of September: 16-1546 is the reference (‘pantone’) for the colour Living Coral and Colour of the Year in 2019. This reference is an invitation to keep the reef the colour of life through a simple commitment: your donations. Station 16-1546 is also reminiscent of the name of certain space conquest programmes, with the difference that here, the success of the mission is within reach. The ocean, our best natural ally against environmental crises The ocean is the largest ecosystem on our planet. Producing half the oxygen we breathe, home to millions of species and indirectly supporting one in two human lives, the ocean sequesters 30% of our annual CO₂ emissions and regulates 95% of excess heat in the atmosphere. The ocean affects us all in a positive way, whether we live on the coast or in the desert. It provides climate regulation, food, jobs, livelihoods and economic progress. That's why we need to work together to protect and safeguard the ocean, in the interests of our future survival on this planet. Learn more : 5 reasons you should care about our ocean 80% of the ocean is unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored Yet our most precious common is in crisis In recent years, four key indicators of climate change - greenhouse gas concentrations, sea-level rise, ocean heat and water acidification - have set new records. The ocean is under great stress, and with it the coastal ecosystems that are crucial for marine biodiversity and the humans who depend on them. 40% of coral reefs have already disappeared. According to experts, coral is one of the planet's most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change. These underwater cities, home to up to 30% of marine life, could virtually disappear by the end of the century. Learn more : Understanding Global Warming Corals bleaching Why reefs matter Covering 0.2% of the earth's surface, coral reefs are home to 30% of marine biodiversity. Corals derive their colour from thousands of plant organisms called zooxanthellae, which live inside the corals and provide them with food. The symbiosis of marine ecosystems is fascinating ! But when water temperatures rise, corals become stressed and expel their zooxanthellae. As a result, they lose their colour and become vulnerable to disease, predators and invasive species. Coral bleaching is not always fatal. If the water temperature cools quickly enough, they can recover. However, if these events are repeated more and more often, there is a risk that corals will disappear, with dramatic consequences for life on earth. We all know what needs to be done at global level to limit global warming. But on the front line, in Marine Protected Areas, urgent care is needed. And that's something we can achieve. When they are bleached, corals need extra care and protection from predators, which are becoming pandemics with global warming and pollution. The conservation challenge is to protect coral refuges from these stressors, give corals the best possible chance of surviving climate change and give us hope that resilient species will emerge. Let'st protect the ocean. Take action before it's too late.

Tēnaka is a Maori word, meaning "to connect" And that's how we work : connection ocean-based-soltions with companies and organisations, willing to make a commitment for the planet, building up coalition with scientists, NGOs, local communities and... you ! Founded in 2018 by Anne-Sophie Roux, ocean activist, our HQ is based in Paris and our operation sites in several oceans, operated in cooperation with local NGOs and communities in Malaysia (coral reefs), Sabah or Touho Nouvelle Caledonia (Mangrove), ... This is Alvin, Chief Programme Officer at Reef Check Malaysia. With his team of divers in charge of the conservation of the Tioman marine protected area, he is in charge of the installation of Station 16-1546 in September and its subsequent use. And here's the team, in Paris, Kuala Lumpur and remotely: Mélanie sets the course. Alix dives in sea grass and has a passion for whales. Wei Yi, who has a degree in marine biology from Sabbah, loves diving with hawksbill turtles and blacktip sharks. And Jean-Luc, here diving into powerpoints. They support us: