As the world’s largest in-ocean coral nursery, our Tavernier location covers 1.5 acres of the ocean floor and has over 500 Coral Trees™. This impressive site is currently undergoing some big changes based on our Disturbance Mitigation Strategy – the result of lessons learned during past hurricanes, disease outbreaks, and heating disturbances.
Disturbance mitigation is necessary to not only preserve our existing coral populations but also to ensure the resilience of future generations. Protecting coral reefs isn't just about preserving the present; it's about safeguarding a legacy for the ocean's future. This approach is essential in our battle against the unprecedented challenges faced by marine ecosystems globally.
These changes will also strengthen the genetic diversity, ensure a balance in our propagation efforts and facilitating adaptation in coral populations. By organizing the production nurseries to have only two trees per genotype, we can add additional genotypes from our gene bank that are not currently in our production nursery.
Our Restoration Team has been hard at work, remapping plans began months ago, with careful planning of the new grid layout. Just this past week the team has begun the Herculean effort of moving the trees along the ocean floor. Unfortunately, the weather here in South Florida has not been cooperative – high winds and seas have slowed our efforts down, limiting days when we can go out to the nursery.
Even with the weather setbacks, CRF™ is committed to persevering through these challenges. Phanor Montoya-Maya, Ph.D, CRF’s™ Reef Restoration Program Manager, emphasizes, “'The ocean’s resilience is mirrored in our efforts. No matter the obstacles, our dedication to restoring and preserving coral reefs remains unwavering. Our work here is more than a task; it's a testament to our enduring commitment to the ocean's health and biodiversity."