ANTIGUA & BARBUDA — AnuBlue has marked its most successful year of coral restoration since its establishment in 2021, planting more than 5,800 nursery-grown corals across reefs around Antigua. This represents approximately 2.3 acres of restored reef — equivalent to nearly two American football fields.
With an 84% survival rate recorded among planted corals at restoration sites, the milestone reflects not only the growing scale of AnuBlue’s work, but the continued success of its approach to rebuilding coral populations.
As wild coral populations decline worldwide, active restoration has become an increasingly important strategy for preserving existing populations and rebuilding degraded reefs. By growing and planting thousands of corals, AnuBlue is helping give Antigua and Barbuda’s reefs a stronger future.
AnuBlue operates Antigua and Barbuda’s largest active coral restoration programme, with four coral nurseries and five restoration sites across Cades Reef and the North East Marine Management Area (NEMMA), two important reef areas for marine life and coastal communities. From these sites, AnuBlue grows and plants corals across multiple reefs around Antigua, allowing restoration efforts to take place at a meaningful scale. Behind every coral planted is a team of people making the work possible. The people behind the programme are as varied as the reefs themselves, bringing together marine scientists, fishermen, divers and volunteers, all sharing a commitment to seeing Antigua’s coastline thrive.
But successful restoration is about more than the number of corals planted. AnuBlue’s restoration programme is built around both resilience and diversity, selecting fragments from parent colonies that are already showing an ability to withstand pressures such as rising ocean temperatures and disease. Different genetic individuals of the same species are then planted close together, creating greater opportunities for natural reproduction and helping build larger, more genetically diverse coral populations. The programme also grows a varied collection of 15 reef-building species, including five critically endangered species, each playing a vital role on the reef. By combining resilient genetics with a diversity of coral species, AnuBlue is working to build healthier, stronger reefs that are better equipped for the future.
Through continued restoration, monitoring and research, AnuBlue is working to rebuild reefs that can support marine life, protect coastlines and remain an important part of Antigua and Barbuda’s natural heritage for generations to come.
About AnuBlue
AnuBlue, formerly Elkhorn Marine Conservancy, is an innovative non-profit dedicated to enhancing the resilience and stewardship of Antigua and Barbuda’s marine ecosystems through restoration, research and community engagement. To learn more visit www.anublue.org
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: AnuBlue Marks Record Year for Coral Restoration in Antigua & Barbuda.