The office was different from what I had imagined. For such a renowned scientist, I’d expected something grand, I suppose. Instead, the space felt homely and modest, yet a large window opened onto a spectacular view of the lagoon. The wind carried the smell of seaweed into the office, and one could see her life’s work in the distance: the AetherReefs.

I was nervous and couldn’t believe I was finally meeting Professor Aria, the woman who had sparked my passion for the ocean and led me into sustainable innovation.

A back door opened, and an elderly lady with thick, bright red glasses came in, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Hello, sorry I made you wait,” she said with a smile.

“I… uh… that’s fine,” I stuttered. “It’s a huge honour to meet you, Professor! Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I have heard and… read so much about you! I… I’m a student at the Insular Polytechnic University. As I mentioned in my holo-note, I’m currently in my final year, and as part of my thesis, I’m researching the creation and history of AetherReef and the context in which it all happened.”

I took out the recording device and placed it on the table.

“What did you say your name was?” the professor asked.

“Excuse me, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Jomari Mendoza.”

“Mendoza, that sounds familiar.”

“Yes, my mom was one of your first students back then. Do you mind if I record our conversation?”

“Not at all, go ahead.”

While I handed over the device, I had difficulty hiding my excitement. Once she was set up, I activated the recording.

“Well then, Jomari, it all began in Makani Bay, in August 2030, during an event that history would remember as The Big Storm.”

Her voice carried the calm authority of an experienced lecturer, drawing me in with her composed, soothing rhythm, awakening my imagination.

“The citizens of Makani Bay were holding on, but the incessant rain and several storms had left the island without power for several weeks. It was the third storm of the season to wreck the reef and the coastline. The rubble of crushed coral and the many landslides blocked access to the channel, making it too dangerous for large oil tankers to go through. Deprived of oil, the island’s energy reserves quickly ran out. Without electricity, without fridges, food began to rot. Schools and hospitals could not function properly. Many of the island’s infrastructures were damaged, and worst of all, the national water and sewage systems were off. Clean water supplies ran short.” Her eyes darkened by the memory.

“From that moment, people began to entirely depend on small traditional boats, capable of navigating the labyrinth of treacherous reefs, carrying diesel and gasoline to the island. It was meant to be a temporary fix, but the oil companies realized that scarcity would force people to pay. Transporting petroleum in small quantities was twice as profitable. With no alternatives in sight, prices began to surge, leading to general inflation on the island. For many, their wages were insufficient to afford the new costs of living, and they had to leave the island to look for work elsewhere.”

“It must have been terrible. How did they make it through without food and water?” I asked.

Professor Aria lowered her gaze and murmured, “They barely did.”

“We need to jump a few years ahead,” warned the professor, eyeing me intensely over the rim of her bright red glasses, “...to a period that was later defined as The Awakening.”

“The consequences of more frequent and intense storms hit heavily on the island. Houses and infrastructures needed to be rebuilt. Power outages were frequent, and large reef areas were damaged. During these crises, when most households were already struggling to make ends meet, the loss of coral led to depletion of the local fish populations, on which many were increasingly relying to feed their families. Monitoring and restoration squads had been deployed nationally, but their efforts only had minor effects considering the magnitude of the destruction.” She paused, addressing herself to me now.

“You know why this place is called Makani Bay, don’t you?”

“Because of the strong easterly winds,” I said, sitting up straight like a conscientious student. “Makani means wind.”

“Exactly,” she answered with satisfaction. “It should have been obvious, right? Actually, it was one of these squads that grasped the true power of the wind.”

I took a deep breath, attempting to remain silent to avoid interrupting her flow and the recording. It was so precious to capture the professor herself recalling these historical milestones.

“It’s the story of two friends,” Professor Aria grinned mysteriously, leaning back in her desk chair. “Tuane and Sefina were two friends from the local community working together in one of the squads. One day, they were both out on the reef, over there, you see, just at the edge of the bay’s estuary and the mangrove forests.” She pointed out of the window to where the first rows of AetherReefs were standing tall, oscillating slightly in the continuous trade wind. 

“They were working on a restoration project, collecting data on a potentially undocumented coral species of the Acropora genus. But that day, the scorching midday sun, intense wind, and the waves were making the task almost impossible—and Tuane was struggling to deploy FUCUS, the seabed walker data collector, which was running out of battery.”

“As Tuane was getting more and more frustrated with the device, the wind blew off his cap into the sea, over a patch of recently grown coral. Sefina was witnessing the scene in silence, but in her mind an idea was taking shape.”

Professor Aria was staring right at me, her gaze sparkling in delight. She was obviously rejoicing in the moment. I could sense the nostalgia from her days at the university. I wondered if she missed it…being a lecturer in a room full of savvy students.

“Back on land, Sefina shared her idea with Tuane. It seemed a bit out there, one must admit, but youth and the critical situation of the time fueled their optimism. They knew there was only one person capable of helping them bring the plan to fruition. If only they could convince her…”

“Aterori,” she continued, her voice softening. “...was a frustrated engineer they had seen in the media a couple of times. For years, she had been trying to convince the science community and the government about innovative offshore wind farm ideas. But due to her eccentric personality and the reigning gender biases of the time, no one took her seriously. Exhausted, she had gone into early retirement and was living with her dog, Betty, on the outskirts of town.”

“As expected, Aterori was first reluctant to listen. Over the years, she had become bitter. But Tuane and Sefina were more determined than ever.”

Professor Aria paused, talking more to herself now, soaking in her memories.

“It really was a crazy idea… Guess we had nothing to lose… or else we would have had to migrate too… hmm…” She looked out of the window, seemingly unaware or unbothered by what she had let slip. Coming back to the present moment, she continued her story as if nothing had happened.

“For over a month, Sefina and Tuane visited Aterori almost every day. They just wouldn’t give up, until she eventually gave in and agreed to sit down with them. Together, they confirmed Sefina’s belief: producing renewable energy while helping coral reefs withstand climate stress WAS possible! At least, theoretically…” She was smiling again.

“But how was it supposed to work?” I asked.

“At its simplest…” she explained, “The idea for AetherReefs was to build offshore windmills in a hybrid microgrid that would produce energy all year round for the islands, while providing an artificial structure for corals to regenerate. The whole structure would also protect the coastline from heavy waves.”

“But that wasn’t all. For the plan to be effective, they had to convince the whole community to buy into the idea. As expected, people were at first reluctant to listen to another of Aterori’s theories. But with Tuane and Sefina’s enthusiasm, they soon won everyone over. To be honest, while a handful of people might have truly supported them, most simply needed something to believe in. Hope is a powerful motivator, and the plan definitely succeeded in uplifting people’s mood at the time. The more they talked about it, the more momentum they gathered.”

Her eyes were gleaming with excitement now.

“The whole community came together. Local fishers, diving instructors, tour operators, and researchers began by identifying partially degraded, flattened reefs that had served as larval sinks, where coral recruits typically settled, as places to install AetherReefs.”

“Meanwhile, the trio united a team around them and began prototyping. The whole community invested their meagre savings into the endeavour. Working day and night, while kids, adults, neighbours and extended family members were regularly popping in, bringing food or helping to source materials.”

“It took less than five years to develop the first successful prototype, which is actually a remarkably short time! Much thought and work went into design and material innovation to make the AetherReefs sustainable in the long term. To develop a technology that would not harm biodiversity, but rather enhance it by using bladeless oscillation systems for energy generation and underwater artificial reef structures for the corals to grow onto. In collaboration with local craftsmen, scientists developed ingenious materials that could be either repurposed entirely or composted in the long run. The windmills also had to be silent to avoid harming sensitive marine life, and robust enough to resist the yearly storms. Every aspect of the plan was thought through, involving every member of the community.”

“And what was the role of the government in this?” I asked.

“Oh, you know,” she replied with a bitter tone, “There is no victory without a battle, is there? Equipped with plans, preliminary results, and boundless passion, they presented the AetherReefs concept to the government only to be completely dismissed.”

“The government refused to allow them to install and test-run the first AetherReefs prototype. Oil companies had a powerful lobbying influence over the authorities, and the project posed a clear threat to their interests. But the citizens of Makani Bay wouldn’t let themselves be deceived so easily… they were prepared to fight back,” fire flickering behind her calm expression.

“Little did the government suspect the trio’s stubborn resolve. Aterori herself had become a different woman. Galvanized by the recent recognition and the support that the project had gathered locally, she was ready for everything!” Professor Aria laughed at the recollection of the late engineer.

“They campaigned across the whole archipelago, forming a coalition with other local communities to protest against the government’s barriers and the monopoly that the oil companies had built up over time.”

“But it was only when they did the unthinkable that they got taken seriously: They went on strike to halt tourism. For weeks, no one went to work. We were sitting in front of parliament every single day for 90 days. We didn’t falter, we didn’t give in. Since no one was going to work, all the schools were closed, and entire families were camping in front of the President’s office day and night. People were doing shifts to cook meals and distribute food to the protesters. At times, the mood was even joyful. Planes weren’t flying anymore, the entire economy was on hold.”

“After a while, though, tensions began to build up. People’s mood was starting to shift. At one point, we were almost on the brink of a civil war! Until finally, the government gave in. Forced to confront our demands to legalize our customary tenure rights over the Bay and allow the installation of the first AetherReefs!”

She took a breath, quietly gleaming with pride.

“What happened next?!” I almost yelled, totally caught up in the story. I wasn’t even thinking about the recording anymore.

“Eight years after the revolution, the AetherReefs network was fully operational and was a model adopted across the entire archipelago. The technology proved successful in providing energy independence and supporting coral reef restoration, creating climate-resilient habitats for coral life. AetherReefs also created an artificial rim protecting the island’s coastline from storms and erosion, providing a critical defence against the ravages of growing climate impacts.”

The professor’s enthusiasm was growing with each word.

“The rest was a cascade of positive effects…with access to cheap, renewable energy, households had more money to meet other needs. Young people no longer had to migrate for work as highly skilled jobs were being created to maintain AetherReefs. At that time, there was a strong global push for sustainable tourism. With coral life rebounding and the advent of zero-emission touristic experiences, sustainable tourism flourished.”

“Most businesses were locally owned, meaning that there was an increased flow of financial resources within the local community. Fishers had been involved in the process of establishing and managing AetherReefs, leading to more sustainable and respectful fishing practices, reviving traditional methods as the marine life population replenished. With the economy flourishing, the citizens of Makani Bay added pressure on the authorities to ban all industrial fishing practices in the region. A very bold and affirmative moratorium was passed, enabling the entire trophic pyramid to bounce back.”

A shiver ran down my spine. Small tears were shining in her wrinkled eyes, a small layer of fog clouded her glasses. She took them off, putting them gently on the table. Her emotion was tangible.

“It still moves me every time I think of it. It was incredible to see the reef growing back, to witness turtles and young sharks and rays returning to the shores… See, we would never have thought such a miracle to be possible. But we fought hard, we held our position, despite all the attempts made by powerful corporations to intimidate us, to stop us. We made it! You youngsters are lucky not to have had to experience the hardship we went through, but my generation will remember this shift of fate forever. It still makes me so proud!”

“But what about the storms? They didn’t go away, did they?” I asked.

“True. The storms continued striking, but AetherReefs had been designed to mimic local plant species and mangroves, which have the ability to resist strong winds. In extreme scenarios, they can also be dismantled and reinstalled relatively easily.”

Remembering the purpose of my visit, I still had to ask her a few questions.

“Could you tell me a bit more about the emergence of the Pacific Island Network?”

“PIEN, the Pacific Islander Energy Network, you mean… Well, Sefina was the mastermind behind it. Inspired by the first prototype and how the revolution had unfolded, she conceptualized a financial mechanism to expand the idea, using community-based savings funded by tourism expenditures to replicate AetherReefs across the region. Then, she leveraged novel global funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation to scale the technology.”

“It was not easy, but over time, with AetherReefs being open source, they spread throughout the Pacific Islands, becoming a runaway success. By 2049, an astonishing number of 3,000 AetherReefs networks had been built, and for the first time, energy sovereignty was achieved throughout the Pacific,” she concluded with a proud, youthful smile.

“Oh, I almost forgot about the other hero of the story,” she continued hastily as I was about to respond. “It’s the years catching up, don’t mind me.”

“For decades, Aterori had been campaigning tirelessly to establish the first Polytechnic University of the Pacific, dedicated to training young people in maintaining and improving AetherReefs. In 2041, she fulfilled her dream. As part of the Makani Bay Memorandum, which secured marine tenure over the coral reef for local and Indigenous communities, Aterori became the first director of the University.”

“What happened to Tuane and Sefina?” I asked.

She smiled mysteriously at me and answered, 

“Jomari, don’t you know it already? They became faculty members at the university to carry on the legacy. Aiming to inspire young creative minds to keep pushing the boundaries of sustainable innovations that cater not only to humans but to the wider community of life on Earth.”

“You are Sefina, aren’t you? Why keep such a mystery around it all these years?”

“It's barely a secret, isn’t it? I guess I’m old now, it’s okay. Tuane and I didn’t want to become heroes. We thought we’d leave the center stage to Aterori to celebrate her life’s work. She died before seeing the whole network being fully deployed, and we thought she deserved more of a legacy than us.” 

“The Bay Revolution was centered around community, and how collective effort can change established power dynamics. This is what we wanted this era to be remembered for. None of us would have achieved any of it all alone.”

Credits: 

The text of this story ‘Project Reefoir’ is the copyright of Ignacio Gianelli, Laura Pereira, Andrew Merrie, and Kim Yip Tong. The artwork and associated imagery are the copyright of Kim Yip Tong.