CORAL NURSERIES
HISTORY OF THE BVI CORAL NURSERIES
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On the 1st of June 2015, BVI Government permission was granted to develop the Territory's first coral nurseries. Start-up financial and technical support was provided by The Nature Conservancy and the nurseries were established in Virgin Gorda and Little Thatch in mid-June 2015.
Our coral nurseries are made up of PVC "trees" with monofilament lines attached. Each line gets a fragment of staghorn coral about 3" in length. Trees are maintained by removing organisms that may otherwise eventually smother the coral. All BVI restoration efforts are guided by the BVI Coral Reef Restoration Committee (CRRC), a team made up of various Government agencies, the National Parks Trust, ARK and the H. L. Stoutt Community College. ARK is responsible for the management of coral nurseries with the tremendous support from CRRC members, Dive BVI on Virgin Gorda and numerous volunteers that help maintain nurseries on a monthly basis. |
The BVI's first coral nursery in 2015
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Watching the garden grow!!!!
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The BVI Coral Reef Restoration Committee identified the first outplant site to be within the proposed marine protected area in Smuggler's Cove. Additional outplant sites include Virgin Gorda, Great Camanoe and Norman Islands.
Small coral fragments will remain in the nursery to start the process over. In another year or so, even more coral will be outplanted to local sites as an effort to enhance coral reefs throughout the Territory.
Small coral fragments will remain in the nursery to start the process over. In another year or so, even more coral will be outplanted to local sites as an effort to enhance coral reefs throughout the Territory.
From the nursery to the
Smuggler's Cove Coral Restoration Site
30 June 2017
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Thank you to We Be Divin' for lending us equipment, all the volunteers and Captain Justin from Husky Salvage!!
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