“I dream of painting, and then I paint my dream”
Tabitha fell deeply in love with the underwater world when she joined the diving club of Diponegoro University in Central Java. At this same university she completed her bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Marine Science major in 2021.
What does a scientist of a coral restoration project do all day? Summarizing her job in one sentence is impossible but we will give it a try…
As a coral gardener she grows and plants resilient corals to restore dying reefs and bring life back to the ocean. Furthermore, she is teaching our scholarship candidates how they can set up and monitor a coral restoration project of their own.
Tabitha sometimes still can’t believe she’s the captain of the first complete female coral restoration team in the world. Working together with our Coral Catch Superwomen and giving them the tools so they can reach their full potential, is one of her favorite parts of this project. Tabitha takes her job as a role model very seriously and hopes she can inspire other Indonesian women to help her on her mission to protect the beautiful reefs of Indonesia.
Would you like to support Tabitha on her mission, click here <link to donate page>.
What is it about corals that make Tabitha eyes start sparkling as soon as she start talking about them? “Coral reefs have existed for millions of years; they are home to my favorite underwater creatures. Without coral reefs, many fish and marine animals wouldn’t be able to survive and there would be a serious imbalance in the wider ocean ecosystem. Furthermore they provide a livelihood to me, my friends and many others in the tourism industry. They also serve as natural marine barriers that protect my community from high impact waves during tropical storms. In other words, we need the reefs, and I want to do everything I can do to protect them” says Tabitha.
