Coral Reef Restoration

In partnership with Atoll Marine Centre and Atoll Volunteers, we care for a small-scale coral garden housing coral frames, a nursery and tree structures, with the goal of out-planting to degraded parts of our house reef.

Our Coral Restoration Volunteer Program trains you in Coral ID, maintenance, and the methods used in coral restoration with hands on experience with instructors and marine biologists in an active restoration project.

A Reef Guru partner facility, we also offer training in Coral Restoration and Coral Conservation as well as the ability to join us in our coral dives.

What is Coral Gardening?

Coral gardening is the process of growing coral polyp to help restore the reef. In our ocean-based nursery we take small fragments of coral (corals of opportunity) which have naturally broken off of the reef and ‘plant’ them in our garden. Once broken from the reef this fragments have a very small chance of survival unless attached to a solid substrate, such as a coral frame or nursery.

Monitoring & Maintenance

Each coral is monitored every 6 months to record the health and growth rate. This data helps Atoll Marine Centre’s Marine Biologists assess the health of our garden and make decisions on what corals to plant and where. With 450 corals, and more always being attached, this is a weekly task for our team. Maintenance is also a big job, from cleaning the frames around the corals to checking for (and removing) corallivirous pests.

Become a Coral Gardener

We offer training in Coral Reef Restoration and Conservation to give you the tools you need to work on any coral gardening project worldwide. We also work with Atoll Volunteers for the Coral Reef Restoration Volunteer Project, a 2-4 week project where you put these skills to use, helping our instructors and marine biologists with all our restoration and monitoring work.

Coral Restoration Volunteer Program

About

  • Get hands-on experience in coral restoration at our dive facility’s small scale restoration project.

  • Join our marine conservationists in their efforts to rebuild coral populations at a local house reef, as well as enjoying spending time in one of the most idyllic places in the world.

  • As part of a local NGO, you will be assisting us in our ultimate goal of restoring our house reef.

  • This program is perfect for budding conservationists who want to gain practical skills and field experience, or for volunteers who simply love coral reefs and want to interact with them sustainably.

What to Expect

  • Learn how to restore corals with hands-on experience, helping us expand and care for our shallow coral garden at our beloved house reef.

  • Work on a coral nursery, tree structures, a rope nursery and artificial reef structures, allowing you to experience all of the main types of coral restoration.

  • Participate in Coral Identification workshops above & below water.

  • Practice coral data collection and monitoring skills.

  • Work on an active coral restoration project.

  • Join other conservation activities including our weekly Dive Against Debris.

  • Gain a new qualification with the Reef Guru Coral Restoration Diver course.

  • Learn how to conduct CoralWatch and REEF fish surveys.

  • Option to be certified in PADI Fish ID, Dive Against Debris and Coral Watch specialties.

Example Schedule:

Day 1: Arrive in Naifaru, meet the team and receivev a welcome presentation & briefing.

Day 2: Coral ID presentation & workshop, snorkel tour along the house reef & coral garden.

Day 3: Reef Guru Restoration Diver Course dive 1: buoyancy clinic & coral ID.

Day 4: Reef Guru Restoration Diver Course dive 2: coral garden maintenance & data collection.

Day 5: Reef Guru Restoration Diver Course dive 3: collecting corals of opportunity & dive 4: attaching coral fragments.

Day 6: Learn how to conduct a Coral Watch snorkel survey & submit the data before a Fish ID workshop.

Days Off: Saturdays are usually our day off and here days off mean we go and explore the atoll on a fun excursion!

Week 2+: Time to put your new Coral Restoration skills to practice! The following weeks will be a mixture of coral gardening, fish & coral surveys & clean up dives.

More Information:

Send an email to coordinator@atollvolunteers.com for the full information pack.

Reef Guru Coral Restoration Diver Course

In collaboration with Atoll Marine Centre, learn how to restore corals with hands-on experience.

After you have completed your Reef Guru eLearning, you will join your instructor for a knowledge development session. The first course dive includes a buoyancy clinic and coral ID. Dive 2 covers coral garden maintenance and data collection. On dive 3 you will be search along our reef for corals of opportunity, which you will then attach to our coral frames or nursery on dive 4.

Price: $145.00 (+£50 eLearning). Length: 2-3 Day. Maximum Ratio: 4 students/instructor. Includes: Full equipment. Excludes: Dive Insurance and eLearning

Reef Guru Coral Conservation Diver Course

In collaboration with Atoll Marine Centre, learn how to maintain a coral garden with hands-on experience.

After you have completed your Reef Guru eLearning, you will join your instructor for a knowledge development session. Next, it’s time to get in the water! You first course dive includes a buoyancy clinic and coral ID and dive 2 covers coral garden maintenance and data collection.

Price: $105.00 (+£40 eLearning). Length: 1-2 Day. Maximum Ratio: 4 students/instructor. Includes: Full equipment. Excludes: Dive Insurance and eLearning.

Coral Gardening Dives

Coral gardens take a lot of maintenance so every week we venture out to clean, fix, lift, collect data on and monitor our coral frames.

If you already have knowledge of coral restoration, join us for a dive (overseen by our instructors and Atoll Marine Centre’s Marine Biologists) and help us to expand, and care for, our beloved coral garden.

Price: $35.00