The Coral Restoration Foundation Curaçao celebrated its one-year anniversary this past week by planting 360 new coral sections on the island’s offshore reefs.

The effort began in May 2015 with 400 coral fragments hanging from 10 coral “trees” located on the house reef of Ocean Encounters Diving and Lions Dive & Beach Resort Curaçao. The trees provide a safe and nurturing environment for the various coral species, including Staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata).

During the first year CRFC staff installed 10 additional trees with the help of volunteers, local schools and tourists. The nursery grew to contain 1,250 corals, with the largest staghorn fragment growing from an initial 2 inch/5 centimeters to 103 inch/263 centimeters! With such significant coral growth, the team felt the corals were ready to be transplanted to restore the reefs of Curaçao.

May 2016 marked CRFC's first anniversary and to celebrate the CRFC staff invited the Coral Restoration Foundation’s founders, Scuba Diving's 2014 Sea Hero of the Year Ken Nedimyer and his wife Denise, to join in their efforts. Between May 25 and May 27, 360 corals were replanted between the Tugboat, Sweet Bottom and the house reefs of Lions Dive and Sunscape beach resorts.

”What an amazing year! It’s a great feeling to give back to our delicate marine environment and to realize that together, we can make a difference. The health of our nurseries is extraordinary, and I sincerely believe that we will be able to outplant more than 2,000 corals in our second year,” said Pol Bosch, CRFC’s Project Manager.

CRFC would like acknowledge its initial sponsors, Lions Dive & Beach Resort Curaçao and Curaçao Airport Holding, for their donations to help the organization through its first year. They also welcome Maduro & Curiel’s Bank (MCB) as a new sponsor for the next three years.

Support for this project through sponsorship is integral to the project’s success. Volunteers are always needed to assist with regular nursery maintenance and care. For donations and more information, visit www.coralrestorationcuracao.org or contact: [email protected].