Coral Reef Regeneration Assistant

Carriacou is the second largest island of Grenada measuring just 13 square miles. The island's charm lies in its laidback rejuvenating escape from the fast-paced world. The tiny island has unspoiled reefs, an amazing variety of aquatic life, and over 30+ beautiful dive sites. As a Reef Buddy volunteer, you'll help collect healthy corals, place them in nurseries, and then outplant them in the reefs. The volunteers will be working side by side with a qualified and dedicated dive team.

Equipment & Pre-requisites

For a complete and engaging experience in our program, you'll find yourself immersed in underwater realms through scuba diving. If you're already an 'Advanced' level diver, you're all set to jump right in. If you're new to diving, worry not—we offer comprehensive diving training during a dedicated 'CRB Training Week.' Project-specific training will be provided at the start of each 'CRB Project Week,' ensuring you're well-prepared to make a meaningful impact. Our goal is to equip you with the skills you need to dive into the heart of marine conservation and exploration. You'll also have access to all the materials you'll possibly need. Full basic SCUBA diving equipment will be provided too, but for comfort, you might want to bring your own mask, fins, and booties.

The Need for Coral Reef Regeneration

The benefits of coral reefs are well understood, from fisheries production to coastal protection, it has long been known that several different countries and populations rely on healthy coral reefs for employment, food, and protection. It’s estimated that coral reefs provide a combined global income of over $30 billion USD in goods and services. Not only do they support some of the greatest biodiversity on the planet, but they are also of immense value to humankind.

Several studies have confirmed the steady and utterly depressing decline in the health of Caribbean reefs. In addition to the billions of pounds of plastic clogging the world’s oceans, rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification have left the planet’s corals with a fairly bleak and potentially short future. Evidence shows that reefs have declined by more than 50% since 1970 and that they could be gone completely within the next 20 years without conservation efforts.

Once the nursery structures are empty, we can re-populate them with new fragments and the cycle can start over again. With this system, the out-planted fragments can become fully functional reefs in as little as 3-5 years.

How Does It Work?

We use one species of coral and begin by hunting around the reef for pieces that have naturally broken off of a wild colony. Then we cut those pieces into roughly palm-sized fragments and use a special marine-friendly epoxy to adhere them onto nursery structures.

Corals form new colonies in one of two ways, they can reproduce sexually to generate new genetic individuals, and they can asexually reproduce to generate genetically identical copies of themselves. By working with this natural reproductive variety, we have a system that works in cycles.

Once adhered to the nursery structures, the corals reproduce asexually to grow larger. We keep them free of fouling organisms, disease, and stress as they grow. When they have reached an appropriate size, they are taken from the nursery and planted on the reef (called ‘out-planting’), where they can reach sexual maturity and reproduce with the wild colonies nearby.