Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire celebrates 10 years of coral restoration.
Ten years ago, the first corals were outplanted on Bonaire reefs by Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire (RRFB), kickstarting the island coral restoration project and giving a helping hand to our beautiful coral reefs. These corals were initially propagated and grown in the nurseries at Buddy’s Reef and South Klein Bonaire. A few small outplanted corals soon became thousands of corals outplanted per year, and, to date, more than 41,000 corals have been outplanted back to almost 9,000m2 of the coral reef!
Over the past 10 years, the Foundation has continued to grow and evolve, and now works on 7 corals species using two different techniques, fragmentation, and larval rearing. These techniques are used to propagate thousands of corals that are strategically outplanted to local degraded reefs on Bonaire every year.
“The integration of the two techniques is very important, as it allows us to work on increasing both coral abundance and their genetic diversity, which are both critical to increase reef resilience and assist the natural recovery of Bonaire’s reef in the long term.” – Francesca Virdis, RRFB Chief Operating Officer
Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire is now a successful organization, recognized worldwide for its tangible restoration results, the continued development and up-scaling of its techniques, the wonderful community involvement effort, and the driven determination to make a positive impact on Bonaire coral reefs.
Over the years, the restoration techniques have evolved and changed, while the original passion, dedication, and efforts of all involved have remained steadfast and determined to make a positive difference for our reefs. Assisting the recovery of deteriorated coral reefs helps enhance the population of coral species.
Education and passion are essential.
Not only does RRFB work to restore multiple species of coral, but they rely on passionate people who want to keep Bonaire’s reefs healthy. Today there are 11 coral nurseries on Bonaire, which host more than 15,000 corals of 75 different coral strains.
“An important result and a restoration benchmark of success has been witnessing, for the past 4 years, the spawning of our own outplanted corals on the reef. When our corals spawn, it means that they are healthy, have reached sexual maturity, and therefore have started seeding the nearby reefs with life, assisting their population’s natural recovery.–Francesca Virdis
Get involved.
The program is a successful combination of year-round fieldwork, community involvement, youth education, and partnership with research-oriented organizations. RRFB has 9 local dive shops that serve as educational ambassadors for Reef Renewal Bonaire’s restoration program as well as training centers for volunteers.
Are you interested in hands-on experience? Consider a Discover Reef Renewal dive, volunteering, becoming certified as a PADI Reef Renewal Diver, or joining an internship program.
You can also get involved by adopting a coral nursery tree, donating, or adding items from the RRFB wishlist to your suitcase for your next visit to Bonaire.
About Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire
Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire is an NGO, non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the recovery of deteriorated coral reef areas in Bonaire, using active coral restoration as a strategy to preserve and enhance the population of coral species, by:
- Propagating, outplanting, and monitoring of the genetically diverse corals
- Developing new and innovative ways to carry out reef restoration on larger scales supported by research and collaborations worldwide
- Training, engaging, and inspiring the community locally and internationally through outreach, volunteering, and educational events
To learn more about how to get involved or lend support, visit reefrenewalbonaire.org.
