The Coral Gardener

• Prize
  Shortlist
• Photographer
  Raquel Trejo, Australia
• Category
  Oceania

In a quiet lagoon on Aitutaki, Cook Islands, one man is restoring coral by hand. Mike Lee founded a coral club to identify resilient species and preserve ocean health through traditional stewardship. With quiet care, he teaches visitors and school children how to hold on to the ocean, one fragment at a time. With no funding or fanfare, this modest effort stands tall among larger initiatives. These images honour the humble determination to keep searching for answers beneath the surface.