Boardriders and SeaTrees Announce Partnership To Restore Blue Carbon Ecosystems
June 24, 2022 - BOARDRIDERS AND SEATREES are proud to celebrate the United Nations / World Oceans Day and National Ocean Month this June – by announcing the launch of a multi-year partnership to restore coastal ecosystems around the world and to inspire the global surfing community to work together to protect our oceans and reverse climate change.
SeaTrees projects include coral reef regeneration, planting mangrove trees, restoring kelp forests and seagrass meadows, and conserving coastal watersheds. Collectively known as “blue carbon,” these coastal ecosystems are biodiversity hotspots that sequester carbon dioxide much faster than land-based ecosystems.
Boardriders iconic surfing brands Quiksilver, ROXY, Billabong, and RVCA will co-sponsor these initiatives in collaboration with the Boardriders Foundation.
SeaTrees currently has ten supported projects in the works and aims to support 100 projects by the end of this decade. These projects also create local jobs and other sustainable development benefits. Funding comes from corporate and individual donors, and new project opportunities are always of interest.
The current Boardriders x SeaTrees project restores degraded coral reefs in Bali, Indonesia, and the restoration efforts coincided with the World Surf League’s recent 2022 Quiksilver/ROXY Pro G-Land surf contest, which just wrapped up in early June on the nearby island of Java. From 1995-97, the famed Quiksilver G-Land Pro changed the course of competitive surfing, launching what became known as the “Dream Tour”. Now, upon the contest’s return to Indonesia after 25 years, surfers around the world can not only marvel at this coral reef ecosystem that creates some of the most perfect waves on the planet – they can now actively support the regeneration of coral reefs in Indonesia via the SeaTrees platform.
The Boardriders x SeaTrees partnership is kickstarting a new round of coral reef restoration in Indonesia that will restore 4,000 coral fragments using traditional Balinese seaweed cultivation techniques, that have been adapted to restore many species of hard and soft coral, rapidly restoring biodiversity to the reef. The restoration is operated by SeaTrees project partner, Ocean Gardener, and employs the local Balinese community to restore, monitor and protect coral reefs at two locations on the island of Nusa Penida.
This project also includes an innovative coral reef 3D mapping method developed by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. By using readily available GoPro cameras instead of expensive DSLR cameras, it is much easier to capture data that can scientifically evaluate the success of coral restoration. This makes impact evaluation much cheaper and more accessible than ever before.
You can catch this coral restoration project in action in a new film by SeaTrees – as seen through the eyes of two young surfers, Roxy athlete Caroline Marks and local Balinese Quiksilver athlete Rajo Barrel. Their experience showcases how surfers can play an active role in restoring the reefs which create the best waves on the planet. The film is viewable on the SeaTrees website www.sea-trees.org.
Surfers around the world can now support this new SeaTrees project as a living legacy of the WSL’s 2022 Quiksilver/ROXY Pro G-Land event , by growing coral that restores local reefs via the SeaTrees website. To learn more about this project and help grow more coral, please visit SeaTrees.
“We believe surfers should be leaders in protecting the ocean ecosystems in which they surf. The support from Boardriders is a commitment from the largest surf company to demonstrate that leadership unequivocally.” - Michael Stewart, Co-founder of Sustainable Surf/SeaTrees
“We are thrilled to support the ambition of SeaTrees to rapidly scale up the restoration of coastal ecosystems around the world. Surfers depend on these ecosystems being healthy, and every Boardriders surfing brand will support at least one SeaTrees project.“ - Bob McKnight, Founder of Quiksilver and Director of the Boardriders Foundation
About SeaTrees
SeaTrees is a program of non-profit Sustainable Surf that protects and restores blue carbon ecosystems around the world to help reverse climate change. Coastal ecosystems restored include mangrove forests, kelp forests, coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and coastal watersheds. SeaTrees uses a sustainable development approach that creates jobs and livelihoods that will maintain these healthy ecosystems for future generations. For more information and donation opportunities, please visit: https://sea-trees.org/
About Sustainable Surf
Sustainable Surf is a California-based non-profit founded in 2011 that uses the power of surfing to inspire the radical transformation needed to protect ocean health and reverse climate change. Their globally recognized programs like SeaTrees and the ECOBOARD Project are “onramps” for brands and individuals to have a direct and measurable impact. For more information, please visit: https://www.sustainablesurf.org/
About Boardriders
Boardriders, Inc. is a leading action sports and lifestyle company that designs, produces, and distributes branded apparel, footwear and accessories for Boardriders around the world. The Company's apparel and footwear brands represent a casual lifestyle for young-minded people inspired by a passion for outdoor action sports. The Company's Quiksilver, Billabong, ROXY, DC Shoes, RVCA , and Element brands have authentic roots and heritage in surf, snow and skate. The Company's products are sold in more than 110 countries in a wide range of distribution, including surf shops, skate shops, snow shops, its proprietary Boardriders shops and other Company-owned retail stores, other specialty stores, select department stores and through various e- commerce channels. For more information, please visit: https://www.boardriders.com/
About Ocean Gardener
Ocean Gardener is an NGO founded in 2016, and dedicated to coral reef education. It has been funded over the desire to use our 20 years of experience in Coral Farming, in Indonesia, to use these coral farms for education purposes. At the end of the last century, they created the first commercial coral mariculture farms in Indonesia, to allow the coastal community a living out of their reefs. For more information, please visit: https://oceangardener.org/