CORAL RESTORATION PROGRAM
Due to bleaching and overexploitation, Kenya’s coral reefs have significantly declined over the last three decades. Today, hard corals cover only 18% of Kenyan reefs. The Oceans Alive coral restoration initiative aims to halt coral loss and restore the degraded reefs of Kenya through the active approach of natural coral protection and coral gardening.
Safeguards Kenya’s fringing reefs by:
- Restoration
- Awareness
- Research
- Education
OUR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Since 2019, we’ve been running a coral gardening program. Working closely with community members, our founding project partner Coral Reef Care, and with support from Platcorp Foundation and Athlete Media Group, our program has grown. To date, we have planted over 15,000 new coral out in and around the Kuruwitu Co-Managed Area.
Our coral nursery contains 35 tables with the capacity to produce around 12,000 juvenile corals from numerous species. After three to six months of intensive care we plant these adolescent corals out onto our artificial reef structures. It’s hard work but we are already seeing the impact of these new coral sites. It is wonderful to see how they grow and to see marine life flourishing around them. We are always looking for new sites and funding to support the upscale of our coral restoration project.
Our coral gardens and ongoing restoration have created a classroom for education projects with youth and surrounding communities.
Together with Ocean Eyes, a group of young passionate marine conservationists, Oceans Alive is running a project to educate local school children on coral reefs and the coral gardening process, where the students see the impact of their work over time.
15,000 CORAL COLONIES PLANTED
Sponsor a coral
Half a billion people benefit from coral reefs which form part of the coastlines of 100 countries - primarily low-income countries. With the current trend of degrading essential coral reefs, we need to take action to build back our reefs and prevent further damage.
Our aim is to restore traditional reef fisheries through coral gardening along the Kenyan coast. We’ve seen how quickly coral grows if nurtured and protected. It’s incredible to see how soon fish appear and live among the new corals. This regrowth shows that positive change is possible if we lend nature a helping hand.
Join this coral-restoration project by sponsoring an artificial reef structure or a single coral juvenile and actively contribute to restoring our coral reef and supporting coral awareness, research, and education.