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Last year the Coral Restoration Foundation was invited to assist the local coral reef restoration group on Bonaire in the southern Caribbean. In early February, the Bonaire Island Council granted a permit to the local group to allow work to begin on developing a nursery and restoration program on the main island of Bonaire and adjacent island of Klein Bonaire. Ken Nedimyer, CRF Board member Denise Nedimyer, and the Coral Restoration Foundation staff will travel to these islands in the Netherland Antilles during April to begin work on the Bonaire Reef Pilot Project.
In addition to working with local Bonaire authorities to identify specific sites for coral nurseries and reef outplantings, CRF will collect different genetic strains of staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata) coral, that will be used to populate coral growing trees in two coral nurseries. These corals will be monitored and maintained by the local support group trained by CRF and will form the base nursery stock that will be fragmented every six months to develop second and third generation corals in each genetic subgroup. In late 2013, these second and third generation corals will be taken from the nursery and outplanted onto nearby degraded reefs.
Bonaire, often called the “Divers Paradise,†is well known for its role in preserving nature, in particular the marine environment, and has some of the best-preserved reefs in the Caribbean. However, like many reefs in the Florida Keys and throughout the Caribbean, areas of Bonaire’s coral reefs have experienced extensive damage due to hurricanes, disease, and coral bleaching. CRF’s goals in Bonaire are to assist the local government and local environmentalists to preserve the existing genetic diversity of staghorn and elkhorn corals, establish a nursery and restoration program designed to restore the shallow reefs, and to work with the community to identify and reduce land-based stressors, such as uncontrolled storm water runoff and poor sewage treatment practices.
The main coral nursery will be on Klein Bonaire, where there is limited public access and minimal disturbance for the growing corals. The second nursery off the main island of Bonaire will be used as a training and demonstration nursery, and will be accessible to volunteers from nearby Buddy Dive Resort, Captain Don’s Habitat, and the Sand Dollar Resort. CRF will be working with these and other dive shops and resorts on the island to provide additional educational opportunities, training for volunteers, monitoring coral growth.
CRF is eager to get the entire Bonaire community involved in the Project and would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of the management and staff of Buddy Dive Resort, Ramon de Leon from the Bonaire Marine Park, Frank von Slobbe from the DROB, and the Island Council for they have done and continue to do in preserving the spectacular coral reefs of Bonaire.
More here...
In addition to working with local Bonaire authorities to identify specific sites for coral nurseries and reef outplantings, CRF will collect different genetic strains of staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata) coral, that will be used to populate coral growing trees in two coral nurseries. These corals will be monitored and maintained by the local support group trained by CRF and will form the base nursery stock that will be fragmented every six months to develop second and third generation corals in each genetic subgroup. In late 2013, these second and third generation corals will be taken from the nursery and outplanted onto nearby degraded reefs.
Bonaire, often called the “Divers Paradise,†is well known for its role in preserving nature, in particular the marine environment, and has some of the best-preserved reefs in the Caribbean. However, like many reefs in the Florida Keys and throughout the Caribbean, areas of Bonaire’s coral reefs have experienced extensive damage due to hurricanes, disease, and coral bleaching. CRF’s goals in Bonaire are to assist the local government and local environmentalists to preserve the existing genetic diversity of staghorn and elkhorn corals, establish a nursery and restoration program designed to restore the shallow reefs, and to work with the community to identify and reduce land-based stressors, such as uncontrolled storm water runoff and poor sewage treatment practices.
The main coral nursery will be on Klein Bonaire, where there is limited public access and minimal disturbance for the growing corals. The second nursery off the main island of Bonaire will be used as a training and demonstration nursery, and will be accessible to volunteers from nearby Buddy Dive Resort, Captain Don’s Habitat, and the Sand Dollar Resort. CRF will be working with these and other dive shops and resorts on the island to provide additional educational opportunities, training for volunteers, monitoring coral growth.
CRF is eager to get the entire Bonaire community involved in the Project and would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of the management and staff of Buddy Dive Resort, Ramon de Leon from the Bonaire Marine Park, Frank von Slobbe from the DROB, and the Island Council for they have done and continue to do in preserving the spectacular coral reefs of Bonaire.
More here...
