Over half a billion people around the world depend on coral reefs for storm protection, food and income, but scientists estimate that 90 percent of the world’s reefs could die off in the next five years if we don’t slow the pace of planetary warming.
Conservation International Colombia and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, in collaboration with local organizations, are using an innovative technique to restore 1 million corals in Colombia — the largest effort of its kind in the Americas.
Scientists and local volunteers are using a special saw to break corals into smaller pieces. This technique — called micro fragmentation — stimulates the coral tissue to grow 40 times faster than normal, and, in 12 to 18 months, these fragments will grow large enough to be transplanted into larger reefs.
To date, more than 430,000 coral fragments are growing in nurseries around Colombia, and over 13,000 have been transplanted to reefs in 12 different areas of the Caribbean and Pacific coasts.
Doubling Ocean Protection
How we're helping oceans adapt to climate change
The ocean feeds us, regulates our climate, helps us breathe and supports much of the world’s economy. By the end of the century, however, more of the world’s ocean could be hot, more acidic and lifeless — with catastrophic implications for marine life, Earth’s climate and the food security of billions of people. The science is clear: Setting aside large areas where human activities are carefully managed can buffer our planet against the increasing stressors it faces. That’s why Conservation International is partnering with countries to meet the global goal of conserving 30 percent of the ocean by 2030 and ensuring that production systems in the other 70 percent are sustainable.