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#20384
South Florida divers looking for something to do?
LatitudeAdjustment - 11/28/2014 10:16 AM
Category: Training
Replies: 3

I just read a story in Alert Diver and this is something I could get involved with once I become a snowbird. Anybody here part of this?

coralrestoration.org/our-mission/

The Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to creating offshore nurseries and restoration programs for threatened coral species. CRF is leading the development of new nursery and restoration techniques. Tens of thousands of corals are grown and maintained in multiple offshore nurseries. After a year in the nursery, corals are outplanted to a degraded reef. With the help of students, volunteers, scientists, dive operators, public aquariums, and community groups, thousands of corals grown in CRF’s nurseries have already been outplanted on coral reefs - See more at: coralrestoration.org/our-mission/#sthash.yRkas020.dpuf

The CRF Dive Program encourages divers of all ages and skill levels to get involved and take an active role in coral restoration. CRF blends classroom instruction and field diving to provide a hands-on learning experience. Program length and content are based on group size and interest. CRF’s core outreach programs consist of one and two day programs covering nursery and restoration techniques. Programs of three days or longer may be requested. - See more at: coralrestoration.org/crf-usa/#sthash.CG7xirSt.dpuf

#12117
Eric_R - 11/30/2014 5:50 PM
That’s a great concept.
Here’s some interesting reading about success with transplanting coral.
coastal.er.usgs.gov/coral-transplant/
#192
Subscribed
BobW - 8/08/2015 3:22 PM
I have not been to the operation in the Keys (we recently moved to Ft. Pierce Fl (about 50 miles north of your Plan B) but have dove the Keys a number of times. They also have a satellite operation in Bonaire just out from the Buddy Dive resort where they are raising stagehorn on the "trees" pictured in their website. Bonaire was hit a number of years ago with a hurricane that destroyed a lot of stagehorn coral beds in the shallows (5-15 ft) which I assume is the driver for their restoration efforts. We first learned about it from a briefing at Buddy either by the dive staff or by Ned and Anna DeLoach (Divers’s guide to Florida, Reef series (editor), Reef Fish Behavior" and DAN contributors) by one of the outstanding briefings on reef life. Overall a very worthwhile project and one of the environmental issues that anyone can help.

On a side note the DeLoachs are normally at Buddy Dive in Bonaire in late Aug - early Sept, the briefings are free and I do not believe they are limited to those staying at Buddy Dive. So if you happen to be their during that time frame (coral spawning season) I would not miss it.