How Earthshot Prize winner Coral Vita tackles reef restoration

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast we dive into one of the world's most diverse and valuable ecosystems: Coral reefs. To learn about the benefits of this ecosystem and the risks associated with losing it, we sit down with Sam Teicher, Co-Founder & Chief Reef Officer at reef restoration company Coral Vita. Reefs "take up less than 1% of the seafloor while sustaining 25% of marine life, the livelihoods of about 1 billion people in 100 countries and territories. And now, conservatively, they generate $2.7 trillion a year," Sam says. Healthy reefs also protect shorelines from flooding and storms, and they can help treat a variety of diseases. In the episode, Sam explains how Coral Vita is working to restore reefs that are dying due to climate change, pollution and overfishing. "Restoration is not a silver bullet, but it's also a critical tool in order to keep reefs alive for future generations," Sam says. "Just like we can grow and plant trees for reforestation, we can grow and plant corals for reef restoration." In 2021, Coral Vita won the inaugural Earthshot Prize in the "Revive our Oceans" category. Prince William of Wales launched the prize to find and scale innovative solutions to the world's biggest environmental challenges. This interview took place during Climate Week NYC 2025 on the sidelines of The Nest Climate Campus, where the All Things Sustainable podcast was an official media partner. Read nature research from S&P Global Sustainable1: Companies around the world face risks from their reliance on nature | S&P Global Listen to our podcast episode featuring Conservation International: The business case for nature conservation at Climate Week NYC | S&P Global Hear more of our coverage of sustainable agriculture: Infrastructure, food, finance: The complex picture for sustainability in Asia-Pacific markets | S&P Global Learn about Nature and Biodiversity Solutions from S&P Global Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global DISCLAIMER By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights). This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.