How the Global Coral Restoration Community Came Together for Coralpalooza
Coral reefs know no borders, and neither does the community working to protect them. This year, Coralpalooza united more than 20 organizations across 14 countries and territories in a worldwide celebration of coral restoration.
Each entity hosted its own Coralpalooza event, bringing people together to restore reefs, inspire their community, and celebrate our shared commitment to coral conservation. Together, these efforts show that meaningful local action can create a powerful global movement for our ocean planet.
We’re shining a spotlight on some of the inspiring Coralpalooza events that took place around the world during World Ocean Week. ⬇️
Coral Catch
Coral Catch brought 20 participants together for a day of hands-on reef restoration in Indonesia’s Gili Matra Marine Protected Area. Building on years of community-based conservation, the team combined coral restoration, reef monitoring, and environmental education to strengthen reef resilience and inspire local stewardship as part of Coralpalooza 2026.
CRF St. Croix
Coral Restoration Foundation St. Croix welcomed 17 volunteers for a fun day of reef restoration on the water. Participants cleaned approximately 20 Coral Trees and outplanted 182 boulder coral plugs at Long Reef. They wrapped up their Coralpalooza festivities with a community happy hour featuring crafts and socializing.
Derby Beach Marine Sanctuary
In celebration of Coralpalooza this year, Derby Beach Marine Sanctuary completed critical maintenance at one of its in-water coral nurseries. The team installed shade structures to protect 1,538 coral fragments from thermal stress, cleaned nursery frames, and trained volunteers to build additional shade structures. Through these activites, they helped strengthen both coral resilience and local restoration capacity in Jamaica.
Coral World Ocean and Reef Initiative
Coral World Ocean and Reef Initiative (CWORI) combined reef restoration, monitoring, and community engagement throughout World Ocean Week, as part of Coralpalooza. Staff and interns maintained coral nurseries, expanded coral propagation, and monitored recently outplanted corals. They even hosted a community beach cleanup that removed 22 bags of trash from Coki Beach, helping protect the reef they work to restore every day in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Kuleana Coral Restoration
For Coralpalooza 2026, the Kuleana Coral Restoration team brought 183 participants together for a community cleanup and education event on Oahu. In just four hours, volunteers removed 2,709 pounds of waste and 46 pounds of recyclable material, while an educational booth introduced guests to coral restoration methods in Hawaii and basic coral biology.
Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources
Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources celebrated Coralpalooza with a statewide coastal cleanup as part of the Year of Our Coastal Kuleana. Community organizations hosted at least 15 cleanup events across the islands while the land-based coral nursery team cared for hundreds of corals and prepared the next cohort for outplanting.
Maldives Marine Lab
To celebrate Coralpalooza, Maldives Marine Lab engaged 576 participants across three resorts in a week of reef restoration, conservation, and education. The team completed 18 Reef Stars, maintained coral nurseries and restoration structures, and removed approximately 1.5 tons of marine debris. They also hosted a variety of interactive experiences that connected guests with coral reef conservation.
I.CARE
The I.CARE team and 24 volunteer divers outplanted 367 corals over two days while also maintaining sponge nurseries and monitoring 500 corals. Their Coralpalooza activities concluded with a community cleanup at Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park on World Ocean Day, bringing restoration and stewardship together on land and underwater.
Misool Foundation
For Coralpalooza 2026, Misool Foundation partnered with the Kayarepop Village community in Indonesia to expand their ongoing reef restoration efforts. Together, the team deployed a new coral nursery, planted 118 coral fragments, monitored restoration sites, and shared diving knowledge with local youth in order to strengthen both coral reefs and community stewardship.
Nature Seychelles
Nature Seychelles welcomed local students and volunteers for a hands-on coral restoration workshop. Participants learned about coral ecology, restoration, and aquaculture. They also microfragmented a coral colony into 12 fragments, helping inspire the next generation of reef conservationists.
Reef Renewal USA
Reef Renewal USA spent the week of Coralpalooza restoring reefs throughout the Florida Keys with the help of volunteers and community partners. The team outplanted 1,484 corals, maintained offshore nurseries, and monitored previously restored reef sites. They also introduced new audiences to coral restoration through an educational nursery program.
Reef Renewal Bonaire
In celebration of Coralpalooza this year, Reef Renewal Bonaire welcomed 17 volunteers to its South Klein coral nursery for a hands-on restoration dive. Together, participants cleaned nursery trees, monitored coral health, and propagated corals by fragmenting and filling nursery trees to support future reef restoration efforts.
KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative
KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative (KCRI), based in Saudi Arabia, carried out a full week of reef restoration and monitoring across two islands and 10 reef sites in the northern Red Sea. The team monitored coral nurseries, treated coral disease, removed more than 800 coral predators, and brought the broader community together with a screening of David Attenborough’s Oceans to celebrate both World Ocean Week and Coralpalooza 2026.
U.S. Based Collaborators for Coralpalooza 2026:
- Coral World Ocean and Reef Initiative
- I.CARE
- Institute for Socio-Ecological Research
- Kuleana Coral Restoration
- Reef Renewal USA
- State of Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources
- University of Guam Marine Lab
International Collaborators for Coralpalooza 2026:
- Conservacion Marina Ecudaor
- Coral Catch
- Coral Nurture
- Derby Marine Sanctuary
- KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative
- Mars Sustainable Solutions
- Misool Foundation
- Nature Seychelles
- Maldives Marine Lab
- Reef Renewal Bonaire
- Seascapes Caribbean
- SECORE International
- SORCE
- South Caicos Coral Reef Consortium
- The Oceancy
A POWERFUL Network of Coralpalooza Celebrations
🔹 1,259 people joined Coralpalooza events around the world in 2026.
🔹 Across Florida and globally, Coralpalooza 2026 participants dedicated 2,012 hours to direct reef restoration and education activities.
🔹 14 countries and territories were represented during Coralpalooza 2026.
Want to get involved in Coralpalooza 2027?
If your organization, institution, or company is involved in coral restoration anywhere in the world, we want to hear from you! 2027 will mark the 12th annual Coralpalooza, and every year the event becomes more global and more impactful.
To learn more about how to get involved email: coralpalooza@coralrestoration.org
