A passion for swimming lead Gabrielle D’Cruz to see the beauty of the ocean and this love further grew when she decided to work towards saving the ocean bed from further deterioration. A conservation diver interested in coral reef ecosystems, she went on to earn her Bachelor of Science through Fergusson College, Pune and she also interned with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the National Institute of Oceanography.
“I loved swimming and diving and gradually learnt about ocean water pollution and garbage and sewage entering the water. There is an economic incentive in saving the coral reefs as it encourages diving tourism and helps in saving the fish stock. Coral reefs cover only 0.2 per cent of the world’s oceans, and supports 25 per cent of all marine life. People think they look pretty and beautiful but it helps in fish farming and with the shortage of fish in the market, it is time to understand its importance,” says Gabrielle from Saligao.
In Thailand, Gabrielle undertook a course at the New Heaven Dive School where she was taught about building an artificial coral reef. “Artificial Coral Reefs are manmade structures which have natural corals that then produce their own calcareous skeleton and grow onto the artificial reef. One can build an artificial coral reef which is carefully designed and then it has to be sunk next to the natural coral reef. It has to be placed next to the shrinking coral reefs without damaging the natural reef. The artificial coral reef has to be firmly placed so that it doesn't move around and has holes and passages to allow fish to have homes which in turn will help in fish farming. Shipwrecks make wonderful artificial coral reefs,” says Gabrielle, daughter of Dean and Alice D’Cruz.
Speaking about corals reefs in Goa, Gabrielle explains, “There are 12 diving sites in Goa with some deeper sites where divers usually don’t go. We still have to map the area where coral reefs are present. The water is not very clear near the coast and the sediments get washed away while coral reefs require adequate sunlight, nutrients and wave action. There are two large shipwrecks off Grande Island which makes it worth a trip for divers.”
She further adds, “Coral reefs can be used for eco-tourism but a policy has to be in place to check the number of boats visiting the islands and that they don’t park their boats over a coral reef and drop their anchor on it. It can damage the coral reef and leave it open to disease. It grows 10 centimetres in a year and it is a creature that has been on Earth for the past 10,000 years, making it the real natural heritage of Goa. Even divers should be trained properly to not touch the coral or interfere with the reef.
Gabrielle is currently part of the Global Shapers community where she runs a program called Ocean of Change. “The program works towards bringing an awareness on ocean conservation and discusses means to create economic solutions to ocean problems. I conduct talks and programs in schools,” adds the young diver.