News
Coral Restoration Foundation transplants 10,000th coral back to Bonaire reef
While celebrating its fifth year anniversary, the Coral Restoration Foundation Bonaire (CRF Bonaire) transplanted the 10,000th coral back to the reef in Bonaire. This 10,000th Staghorn coral colony was grown at the Klein Bonaire nursery and transplanted back to Playa Lechi, one of the six restoration sites of CRF Bonaire.
“We are very happy to have reached this milestone thanks to the efforts and hard work of our volunteers and supporters”, said Francesca Virdis, coordinator at CRF Bonaire. “These 10,000 nursery-raised Staghorn and Elkhorn corals aim to restore damaged reef sites around the island of Bonaire.”
The CRF Bonaire project took off in 2012 with the original support of Buddy Dive Resort Bonaire and the Coral Restoration Foundation USA. “In the beginning we started with only two nurseries in which there were growing no more than 4000 corals”, explains Virdis. “We have grown to a hundred trees among five nurseries with a hosting capacity of 10,000 Elkhorn and Staghorn corals along Bonaire and Klein Bonaire.” In the last couple of years Eden Beach Resort, Harbour Village and Gooodive partnered up alongside of Buddy Dive Resort with CRF Bonaire. “We are proud to announce Tropical Divers will join the program this year.” These local dive shops support the foundation, facilitate education and courses and help spread the love for corals. A PADI Coral Restoration Diver Distinctive Specialty Course was developed in order to train volunteers and already 500 divers, both tourists as well as residents, received their certification.
Thanks to a funding from ‘Nature Funds BES’ last year the foundation was able to increase the numbers of transplanted corals and made a big step towards becoming an independent, financially self-supporting foundation. In 2016 this funding made it possible to purchase a dedicated CRF Bonaire car. Virdis: “In 2017 we celebrate the arrival of a new dedicated boat for the Coral Restoration Foundation Bonaire, named ‘Coral Lover’.” Thanks to the funding from ‘Nature Funds BES’, CRF Bonaire was able to purchase this 35 feet boat, which can comfortably host ten to twelve divers. Another investment the foundation would like to do with the funding is to set-up three more restoration sites accessible to snorkelers. By creating awareness and extending accessibility the foundation hopes to involve more people, divers and non-divers. Other individual donations and the ‘Adopt a Coral’ program will stay vital to the further development of the foundation into the future.
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
-
News3 months agoHone your underwater photography skills with Alphamarine Photography at Red Sea Diving Safari in March
-
News3 months agoCapturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography Workshop 2024: Event Roundup
-
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs3 months agoCreature Feature: Swell Sharks
-
Blogs2 months agoMurex Resorts: Passport to Paradise!
-
Blogs2 months agoDiver Discovering Whale Skeletons Beneath Ice Judged World’s Best Underwater Photograph
-
Marine Life & Conservation2 months agoSave the Manatee Club launches brand new webcams at Silver Springs State Park, Florida
-
Gear Reviews3 months agoGear Review: Oceanic+ Dive Housing for iPhone
-
Gear Reviews2 weeks agoGEAR REVIEW – Revolutionising Diving Comfort: The Sharkskin T2 Chillproof Suit