Growing Coral with Sam Teicher and Morag Gamble

Coral reefs are often spoken about as beautiful places we visit. In this episode, Sam Teicher brings us into a much bigger understanding, reefs as living systems that support marine biodiversity, sustain livelihoods, protect coasts from storms and erosion, and hold deep cultural meaning for many communities.

Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the sea floor, yet support around 25% of marine life. Already 50% have been lost, and 90% may be gone forever in 25 years.

Sam is the co founder of Coral Vita, an Earthshot Prize winning reef restoration company that grows corals on land and replants them onto damaged reefs. We talk about what is driving coral decline, including heat stress and bleaching, and why restoring reefs is both an ecological and human imperative.

We then explore the practicalities of restoration. Sam explains how Coral Vita uses land based coral farming to control conditions, accelerate growth through microfragmentation, and improve survivorship by identifying and propagating more heat tolerant genotypes, all while working with local communities and building education and employment pathways.

We also unpack the idea of a restoration economy. Who pays for reef restoration, how restoration as a service works, what nature positive brands are doing, and why policy, insurance, public health, and security conversations all converge when we talk about ecosystems.

Find out more about Coral Vita.

Coral Vita
Coral Restoration Consortium
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This podcast is hosted by Morag Gamble, founder of the Permaculture Education Institute, where she mentors people to design and teach permaculture in their own unique contexts.

Morag has been asking a central question for thirty years: How are we to live? These podcast conversations are part of her ongoing attempt to think that through in public, in community, with people who care.

Morag is also host of the Ethos Fellowship, Ethos Foundation, International Permaculture Festival of Wild Ideas, steward of Fritjof Capra's international Alumni Network, and member of the Ecocivilistation Coalition.

Discover Morag's permaculture design and teaching courses here.

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Morag records from her solar-powered studio in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara & Gubbi Gubbi country.

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/
Website: https://permacultureeducationinstitute.org/podcast/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/sensemakinginachangingworld
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