Reef Restoration

While coral reefs are beautiful, they are also essential to maintaining a healthy ocean.

These animals not only help to support the ocean food chain, but also our own! In fact, nearly one billion people on earth rely on fish as their only source of protein. Reefs help provide jobs, protect shorelines from hurricanes and storms, are used to make medicines, and help keep the oceans free of pollution. Unfortunately, without healthy and strong corals the reefs simply can’t survive.

Corals are facing a lot of challenges - some are naturally occurring, but most are caused directly by humans.

As a result of rising greenhouse gasses, spiking water temperatures and ocean acidification are killing our coral reefs at an unprecedented rate. Coupled with increasing storm power and direct physical impacts, like anchors and poor boat maneuvering, it is estimated that only 1% of the natural reef tract in the Florida Keys is still alive.

With an army of professional divers, we have the unique opportunity to help restore our reefs by growing and outplanting new corals to provide the reef the boost it needs to rebuild itself!

We are working closely with scientists and research organizations to help in any way possible and are determined to replant and restore our reefs so they can be enjoyed by many generations to come. With the help of our staff of professional divers and volunteers we have the ability to replant the reef at a rate never seen before and we take this responsibility seriously!

OCF has partnered with expert coral restoration organizations Mote Marine Laboratories and the Coral Restoration Foundation.

These organizations are taking a variety of scientific approaches to research and grow new corals in innovative ways to outplant onto the reef and help restore the Florida reef tract. Our goal at OCF is to magnify the efforts of these scientists by providing the manpower to outplant those corals quickly and effectively. In addition to planting corals, our team of professional dive staff will also help build and tend to the above-ground and in-water nurseries in which they are cultivated.

Through working with Rainbow Reef, Mote, and CRF, we contribute to Mission: Iconic Reefs, a project designed to restore seven iconic reefs throughout the Florida reef tract.

But wait, there’s more! In addition to the 7 iconic reefs identified by the National Marine Sanctuary, we also outplant in other permitted areas since we know, the more coral on the reefs, the better!

What we are doing with Mote Marine Laboratory:

As part of the ongoing innovation in coral husbandry, Mote utilizes both in-water and on-land nurseries to grow coral outplants and conduct scientific research. OCF staff have been trained to work alongside the expert staff in Mote’s on-land facilities to help clean, install, fragment and take care of the growing corals until they are ready for outplanting. Our staff participates in this work several times a week to help ensure the on-land facilities have all the help they need to keep these corals growing!

What we are doing with Coral Restoration Foundation:

As the operator of the largest coral nursery in the world, the Coral Restoration Foundation houses in their in-water nursery more than 45,000 corals! OCF staff regularly help with upkeep in the nursery to make sure the coral trees remain clean and healthy so the baby corals can grow quickly. Once the corals are ready, our staff, under the direction of CRF, help to outplant those corals into the environment to help restore the reef as quickly as possible! This outplanting is part of the larger Mission: Iconic Reefs project with the FKNMS.