Where We Work
CRF Global Partnerships
Through CRF Global Partnerships, we work in collaboration with local groups who already have their own operations in place, providing increased access to resources and knowledge.
We tailor techniques to suit these different practitioners’ specific circumstances and cultural contexts, aligning our efforts around shared aspirations.
CRF GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP: ST THOMAS, USVI
PARTNER: Coral World Ocean and Reef Initiative Inc (CWORI)
CRF is providing three years of funding to Coral World Ocean and Reef Initiative Inc (CWORI) in support of their continued growth and expansion of restoration efforts.
Funding comes from NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation fund and supports two new full-time staff members.
The partnership also provides technical expertise to support field-based implementation at scale, aligned with the US Virgin Islands Coral Restoration Plan.
CWORI is responsible for the restoration efforts at Coki Beach, one of six sites listed under the USVI Coral Restoration Plan
Scope of work
- In situ nursery propagation, maintenance, monitoring
- Multi species outplanting of 2,300 to 3,000 corals
- Outplant monitoring and reporting
Key Progress and Achievements as of 2024:
- The project is approximately 30% complete.
- CRF staff have completed three visits to St. Thomas, including a launch meeting with the USVI Coral Reef Task Force and a territory-wide training on pillar coral spawning.
- CRF has been conducting regular remote check-ins with CWORI to discuss project progress, challenges, and direction throughout 2024.
- Three staff members from CWORI have visited the Keys for field-based training.
- CWORI has hired two full-time employees to support project implementation.
- CWORI has initially leveraged existing nursery structures, with a plan to install 20 Coral Trees and tables in preparation for large-scale coral propagation in 2025.
- CWORI has completed broodstock collections for five coral species: elkhorn (Acropora palmata), staghorn (Acropora cervicornis), bouldering star corals (Orbicella spp.), great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa), and symmetrical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigose).
- 2,000 corals from CWORI’s current coral inventory are slated for outplanting to Coki Beach in 2025.
CRF GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP: PUERTO RICO
PARTNER: Sea Ventures Marine Response (SVMRU)
CRF is providing three years of funding and technical support to Sea Ventures Marine Response (SVMRU) as part of a NOAA subaward to help expand local talent and enhance technical expertise in photomosaics and scalability.
The project focuses on the expansion of pillar coral propagation, elkhorn (Acropora palmata) outplanting, and staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) genetics.
SVMRU is leading the efforts, focussing on sites at which they have been working for a number of years. This funding continues to leverage their knowledge to enhance these efforts.
Scope of work
- In situ nursery propagation, maintenance, monitoring
- Production of 1,000 pillar coral fragments
- 9,000 elkhorn outplants of secondary cuttings
- Outplant monitoring and reporting
- Multi-species genotyping
- 35% of the project has been completed.
- In-person training sessions, led by CRF have focused on building capacity to generate large-area photmosaics.
- SVMRU employees around 10 contractors
- SVMRU has installed 14 trees, which are now home to 330+ colonies of pillar coral
- SVMRU has now outplanted 1,280+ elkhorn via their pioneering technique known as secondary cuttings.
- SVMRU worked to manage loss of genotypes in extreme bleaching events by relocating elkhorn from one reef to another in a multi-site exchange.
- The team has now captured photomosaics of 1,300 square meters of reef restoration sites