Canon’s Coral Campaign
Coral Reefs are like underwater cities. They’re colorful, bustling, and full of life-home to fish, turtles, and countless other creatures. They protect coastlines from storms and provide food for millions of people. But these cities are in trouble. Rising ocean temperatures and pollution are causing corals to fade and die, leaving behind ghostly skeletons where vibrant life once thrived.
Canon’ Big Idea, the company best known for cameras, wanted to help people connect with coral reefs in a new way. Instead of just showing photos, Canon used its imaging technology to create 3D coral replicas that people can actually touch, meticulously scanning real reef structures to capture fine surface textures and intricate branching patterns, then producing durable, lifelike models through high-resolution 3D printing and color-matching processes; these replicas recreate the tactile experience of coral — from the roughness of encrusted algae to the delicate ridges of polyps — and serve as educational tools in museums, outreach programs, and accessible exhibits for visually impaired visitors, while also providing researchers with physical reference samples for study without disturbing fragile reef habitats. When you can feel the texture of coral in your hands, the ocean’s fragility becomes personal, it turns distant problems into something we can all connect with- and hopefully act on.
Where it’s happening- South Africa exhibits and events let people experience coral textures and learn why reefs matter, even far from the sea. Canon teamed up with local conservation groups, one is Seychelles, to build a coral breeding facility — here’s more information about Seychelles and the context of this project.
Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, about 1,600 km east of mainland Africa. The main population centers are on the granitic inner islands (Mahé, Praslin, La Digue) while many outer islands are low-lying coralline.
Seychelles’ reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and offshore banks support high marine biodiversity, including endemic species. Coral reefs are crucial for fisheries, coastal protection, tourism and cultural identity. Climate change (rising sea temperatures and coral bleaching), ocean acidification, overfishing, coastal development, storm damage and invasive species all threaten Seychelles’ marine ecosystems.The Seychelles government, local NGOs, and international partners engage in marine conservation via protected areas (including marine protected areas and community-managed zones), fisheries management reforms, and restoration initiatives. Seychelles is also active in blue economy planning and debt-for-nature swaps.
Recurrent mass bleaching events have caused widespread coral decline. Restoration through coral nurseries and breeding can help recover degraded reefs, support biodiversity and restore ecosystem services. Seychelles has several local conservation organizations and research institutions involved in reef monitoring and restoration, often working with international partners. These groups combine traditional ecological knowledge with scientific techniques and community involvement.
Canon is also working with United Arab Emirates through Project REEFrame, Nature Seychelles, and the Coral Spawing Lab(UK), who bring the science and local knowledge to make reef restoration possible.
No- the 3D coral replicas are not being placed in the ocean, as far as I have searched. They are designed for public exhibits and educational experiences on land, so people can see and feel what coral reefs are like without needing to dive underwater. The replicas are a way to build empathy and awareness, not a restoration tool. For actual reef restoration, Canon’s campaign supports scientific coral breeding facilities (like the one in Seychelles) where real corals are grown and later transplanted into the ocean to help reefs recover. The replicas are about education and connection, while the live coral breeding is about restoration and resilience.
The Coral Campaign isn't just about coral. It’s about us. It’s about realizing that protecting nature starts with understanding it. When we connect emotionally- whether through sight, touch, or story-we’re more likely to protect what we love. Canon’s Coral Campaign is a reminder that even if we live far from the ocean, we’re all connected to it.
