Sustainability First: BREEF Sculpture Garden Now Home to 225 New Nursery Reared Corals

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF), in partnership with the Perry Institute for Marine Science ‘Reef Rescue Network have been on a mission to save our waters.

Their recent collaborative effort involved outplanting nursery reared coral fragments from the breef coral nursery to adjacent reef areas, aiding in reef recovery and resilience. 

At the end of the two days the group, including six BREEF team members, successfully outplanted 225 fused staghorn coral fragments from the two coral propagation units at the site. 

BREEF Executive Director Casuarina McKinney Lambert says it’s the largest they have done to date.

And just what are nursery reared coral? 

“Our coral nursery is made up of PVC pipes with fishing line and then attached to the end of these lines are coral fragments,” McKinney-Lambert said.

“These are fragments of opportunity that were collected from reefs around New Providence and may have been broken off from a storm or from anchor damage. We collected these original fragments and have been growing them in this nursery.”

Located at the Coral Reef Sculpture Garden off the coast of Clifton Heritage Park, the BREEF Coral Nursery is a hub for innovative coral propagation. 

Here PVC propagation units – anchored securely in the sand suspend coral fragments on monofilament lines. 

As the fragments grow, they are carefully trimmed, collected, and cataloged.

Skilled reef rescue divers then clear nearby reef areas and use a two-part marine epoxy to attach the coral fragments directly to the natural reef substrate. 

This outplanting process enables the fragments to establish new colonies, creating vital habitats that foster the natural recovery and growth of the reef ecosystem.

All of these efforts work together to ensure our oceans and their diverse marine life continue to thrive.