Background
The coral reef ecosystems found worldwide are some of the most magical environments on earth. A foundation of coral provides the habitat for the vibrant life forms found all over the reefs. Unfortunately, these corals, as sturdy and as resilient as they may appear, are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations which are ever increasing with climate change. Rising temperatures reduce the health of the corals and if the temperature remains high, coral bleaching occurs.
Without the coral, all the animals that rely on it for food and habitat will in turn either leave or perish themselves, destroying the ecosystem.
Coral Nurseries are a method used to provide a structure upon which coral fragments can grow until they are ready to be transplanted on to a degraded area of the natural reef or to create an artificial reef. Corals grow very slowly, so in the event of bleaching or damage, once the threat has passed, the ability to have spare corals on hand and replenish those areas is invaluable in sustaining the overall health of the reef.
Objectives
Establish a series of coral nurseries and a collective of conservation minded divers, who can maintain and implement local coral nurseries to ensure we have an adequate contingency plan going forward. Construction and correct handling procedures as well as the right propagation techniques ensure that the health of the nurseries is optimum.
Project leader
Resident marine biologist James Campbell heads up our conservation department, implementing different conservation techniques to ensure our reefs will be there for generations to come. He first started teaching marine conservation and coral propagation nearly a decade ago and has worked on a variety of projects across the globe.
Project Roles
There will be several roles for this project, each is important to its success. These are listed below together with the training prerequisites and the opportunity to sign on to the exploration team. If you have not yet reached the training level required for a role, contact us and we will build a plan to get you there.
Coral Sponsor
This role can be fulfilled by individuals or corporations as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility program. A Coral Sponsor can make a donation to fund the creation of their own dedicated coral nursery area, which can be branded and advertised on our Coral Sponsors page. To become a Coral Sponsor, please contact us to help us define your requirements.
Coral Propagator
To become a coral propagator you need to partake in the Coral Propagation course which entails coral reef ecology theory and then practical in-water skills such as fragment collection, transplantation and securing of corals to the nursery structure.
To take the Coral Propagation course, you will need to be a PADI Open Water diver with a PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy qualification (or equivalent), or a RAID Open Water 20 diver. In addition to the Open Water and buoyancy skills, you will need to be certified as a RAID Ecological Diver.
2 Comments
by Nick Moore
Hello,
It’s a shame you need the PADI peak Buoyancy course – to many divers this is just a way that PADI’s tried to make more money. I have over 400 dives, would i still need to have that qualification to become a Coral Propagator?
by Darryl
Hi Nick, for our scientific diving programs, we do need to make sure that our divers have excellent buoyancy skills to avoid damaging our coral reef structures and nursery tables. If you have already mastered those skills then we do not insist on a PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course. We actually have far more advanced buoyancy courses available in our RAID and UTD training programs.