Aqua Planet’s work at the Casio coral field in Okinawa: Bringing the abundance of marine life to users around the world
At Casio, we are determined to help build a sustainable world, and so we work hard to promote harmonious coexistence with nature. As part of these efforts, we have been supporting the activities of Aqua Planet, a non-profit that conducts coral conservation and restoration activities, since 2018.
One of our latest BABY-G collaboration models features as its design motif a type of coral cultivated at the Casio coral field, which is located off the island of Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture.
We caught up with Takehiro Nakamizu of Aqua Planet to learn more about their efforts to conserve the beautiful marine environment along with the coral in it, as well as how the Casio coral field is doing today and what its future holds.
Q.1
On Aqua Planet’s activities
What kind of efforts does Aqua Planet make on a daily basis?
Right now, at this very moment, coral is protecting our way of life in a number of different ways. For instance:
• Coral reefs absorb CO₂ in the sea
• Coral helps filter and clarify seawater
• Coral reefs help shield us from tsunamis and tidal waves
• 25% of marine organisms depend on coral for their habitat
Various functions carried out by coral give us beautiful seas, more safety in our lives, and fresh, delicious food from the sea to enjoy.
Today, coral is considered to be threatened with extinction. Some predictions even suggest it could vanish from the face of the earth by 2050. Global-scale climate change is thought to be a cause. This reality compelled us to do what we could ourselves to help, with the aim of ensuring that beautiful marine environments will be left for the children of the future 100 years from now. So, in 2006 we established Aqua Planet as a non-profit organisation dedicated to the restoration and conservation of natural environments with a focus on coral.
Our main efforts involve transplanting coral in Chatan on Okinawa’s main island and cultivating coral on the island of Ishigaki. In our work on Ishigaki Island, we plant coral using an aquaculture method involving asexual propagation that makes it easy to monitor development. One of our aims here is to increase the amount of coral in the sea, of course. Beyond that, though, we’re actually aiming to restore the natural order of the coral’s cycle of life, where the coral will hopefully spawn on its own three to five years after planting, leading to coral reef formation with the growth of new coral, followed by further reproduction. We are also working to foster public awareness by regularly posting updates on social media and so on. The backing we’ve received from Casio has helped us to expand our support network and to increase the amount of coral in the sea even further.
In addition to coral restoration, Aqua Planet also conducts participatory coral-planting and environmental awareness-raising activities.
Q.2
On the Casio coral field
What are the conditions of coral cultivation like at the Casio coral field?
The Casio coral field is where Aqua Planet’s vision and Casio’s dedication to environmental conservation meet. Since the very first planting in January 2018, the Casio coral field has been expanding steadily. A second planting took place in 2020, and a third is scheduled for 2023.
Coral has to make it through a range of hardships to grow to the point it is ready to spawn. Drifting algae and other seaweed may block it off from sunlight in the springtime, and typhoons may ravage it with rough waves in the summer. Plus, other organisms may feed on it, causing damage, and the coral may experience bleaching with prolonged high water temperatures. Only the ones that keep growing through all that, manage to spawn. So when I see coral spawning, all my struggles just drift away. No part of the cultivation process is more inspiring than this!
In 2018, 200 “seedlings” were planted by hand. A second planting was completed in 2020, and a third is scheduled for 2023.
Threats of drifting seaweed (left) and bleaching (centre) have been overcome by coral that has fully matured in the first field (right).
A diverse range of species grows in the coral field. Pictured, from left: Acropora nana, A. muricata, and Pocillopora verrucosa.
A wide range of coral species is currently being cultivated at the Casio coral field, including Acropora nana, A. divaricata, A. elseyi, A. muricata, A. yongei, A. tenuis, A. hyacinthus, Pocillopora verrucosa, P. damicornis, Montipora digitata, and M. confusa. The first mentioned among these, Acropora nana, is featured as the design motif for the new BABY-G collaboration model. It is a lovely variety of coral of true beauty, with purple and pinkish hues at its tips.
For the coral planted at the Casio coral field the first time, the bigger specimens have grown to 50–60 cm and spawned. Long-term cultivation efforts have certainly played a part in the way the coral field has grown in size and quality this way. Such a variety of marine life gathers in the Casio coral field now, it’s really a magnificent sight. Looking toward the planting in fiscal 2023, we’ve eliminated all the plastic from the bases used to anchor the coral and now use only plastic-free components. Now if newly cultivated coral joins it, it will be even more lively.
Q.3
On BABY-G
What’s the design like? How about the colour scheme? Tell us a little about this new collaboration with BABY-G!
BGA-320AQ-4A
This marks the sixth year we’ve collaborated with BABY-G! It’s so inspiring to see how the designs take form each year, expressing the dedicated passion of both Casio and Aqua Planet. For the production, we’ve consolidated our thoughts and feelings about coral and the ocean environment in sharing information about the planning, development, and design. There’s a story behind the craftsmanship here, and we hope that anyone who puts one of these watches on their wrist might be able to sense the passion that went into its creation.
Setting your eyes on one of these collaboration models or putting one on your wrist always evokes a sense of coral or the summertime. For us at Aqua Planet who wear them while actually engaging in our efforts in that marine environment, the effect is magnified — especially with this model that incorporates concern for environmental conservation with its use of biomass plastics, green packaging and so on. It is such a happy and meaningful coincidence to see this, just as we have gone plastic-free in our coral-planting — a new step in the right direction, born of the same spirit.
I hope all kinds of people will enjoy this new design — from BABY-G fans to ocean-lovers to eco-minded users. And I hope the design will inspire them to speak out to people close to them — about the watch or about the coral or the sea — and to share with them the vital importance of coexisting harmoniously with the rich abundance of nature.