The Birds on Sticks project

CONTEXT AND MAIN ISSUES

Coral reefs are vital marine ecosystems, but they are under increasing threat from ocean warming and marine heatwaves. Conventional restoration methods, such as coral cuttings, often prove ineffective and short-termist in the face of intensifying heat waves. What’s more, the reefs lack the essential nutrients once provided by seabirds, which have been decimated by the introduction of rats to the atolls. .

GOALS

Install secure nesting boxes at sea to encourage the return of seabirds, restore the nutrient supply and resilience of coral reefs.

METHOD

The project is based on a simple but effective approach: the installation of nesting boxes at sea to attract seabirds, which will reintroduce nutrients into the ecosystem through their droppings. This will not only promote the growth of plankton, essential for corals, but also reef resilience in the face of increasing intensity and frequency of marine heatwaves. This innovative solution is based on the restoration of natural biological cycles, with benefits for both corals and the fish that depend on them.

HOW IS THIS PROJECT INNOVATIVE?

This project proposes a natural, low-cost solution for restoring coral reefs by capitalizing on the relationship between seabirds and corals. Rather than intervening directly on the corals, it promotes an autonomous ecological process in which nutrients from bird droppings stimulate reef growth and biodiversity. An approach inspired by the natural functioning of ecosystems.