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Cooper Allen

Mr. Emerick

English 101

5 January 2023

Abstract

In order to save the remainder of the world's coral reefs from climate change and

destruction, coral reef restoration is a vital ecological undertaking. It is necessary to save the

remaining coral reefs and rebuild the ones that have already been affected since half of the

world's coral reefs have died. They are so important because many people around the globe rely

on coral reefs as a food source, and without the reefs, marine biodiversity would be greatly

affected resulting in the loss of many species and even negative economic impact. Changing

ocean temperatures, pollution, and human destruction are the reasons that coral is constantly

being destroyed or killed. The wave of reef restoration has been around for about forty years and

a lot of research has been done on how to do it effectively by many scientists and marine

biologists. There are also conservation foundations, including one from the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration under the U.S. Department of Commerce, which have been

dedicated to many rehabilitation ventures. Over the years, many different methods to restore

coral reefs have been produced and tested. Many of these methods prove to be extremely

effective and promising, resulting in successful coral regrowth and proving to be more resilient

to future limiting factors.

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Personal Foreword

Standing on the edge of the boat, with around forty pounds of gear on my back, I took the

step off and plunged into a whole new world. That new world being whatever laid beneath the

bright blue water, located a few miles off the coast of Islamorada, in the Florida Keys. This was

completely different than anything else I have experienced, way different than a pool, lake, or

beach. The water was very warm, with endless visibility, and was approximately twenty five feet

deep. From the surface, the bottom was clear as day, and the very first thing that caught my eye

was a Nurse Shark swimming directly under me. As I scanned the ocean floor, I saw a never

ending variety of different corals and sea creatures. It was then that I knew this week was going

to be the best week of my life.

In the summer of 2020, my dad, brother, and I took a flight to Florida, preparing for a

fun-filled week of scuba diving on different coral reefs. The week consisted of six day dives and

one night dive. I was fairly anxious, I had put a lot of work into getting my certification over the

course of two years. I took many tests and practiced a lot, diving in ice cold water many times,

but all of that work was finally going to pay off. Leaving the Fort Lauderdale Airport was when

it all started to feel real, surrounded by palm trees on a sunny and humid day in Florida.

Unfortunately, we had to wait twenty four long hours to dive because of the pressure difference

between flying and scuba diving underwater, but fortunately, those twenty four hours of free time

were in the Florida Keys.

Meanwhile, the dive instructors provided some short classes on what we should expect to

see and things to be cautious of so we do not harm any part of the coral reefs. They taught us all

about specific animals, plants, and even what was being done to restore and protect every living

organism around the islands. Learning about the diminishing coral reefs and how people are
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working to restore them really caught my attention. Most of the reefs we would be diving at that

week had sections of coral regrowth where they were trying to undo the damage that was done. It

was very intriguing to learn about and see first hand in the wild. I even learned about different

careers that allow people to scuba dive all of the time and make money. Soon, the classes were

done and, surprisingly, those twenty four hours too. Before I knew it, we were preparing for our

first dive.

I did not realize how surreal scuba diving truly could be. There is a big difference

between looking at a shark in an aquarium or picture, and swimming alongside one. There were

so many vibrant colors of coral and fish, I was truly mesmerized. Over the course of the whole

trip, two dives really stuck out to me. One of them was at Molasses Reef, a gigantic coral reef a

few miles off the coast. Not only was this the biggest coral reef yet, it consisted of natural

structures and tunnels made of coral that housed a near infinite amount of creatures. The most

exhilarating part, though, was when I rounded a corner and two Hammerhead sharks swam about

ten feet in front of me. They were both approximated to be around eight feet long by the dive

instructors. That moment full of adrenaline has stuck with me and definitely helped fuel my

appreciation for scuba diving. The second dive that I vividly remember was the same day, but it

was the night dive. I was very anxious, being on a boat out in the ocean surrounded by darkness

for miles, and then jumping into the pitch black water with only a flashlight. I was quick to

realize that I was wrong, the coral reef was still full of life at night. It was not as frightening

being in a big group where everyone had a flashlight. Scuba diving at night was truly

remarkable, it really amazed me and added to the overall experience. This scuba diving trip

allowed me to witness the extraordinary ecosystems underwater. I saw so many amazing things

that most people have not seen up close like that. After this experience, I would definitely
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recommend scuba diving to any adventure seeker or nature lover. I know for a fact that I will go

on a similar trip in the future and I look forward to that day.

Coral Reef Restoration: Why and How?

Coral reefs are home to many marine species that depend on each other. Now that almost

half of the world's reefs are gone, it is important that we have successful methods to restore coral

reef ecosystems due to them being damaged by pollution, ship groundings and climate factors.

As coral reefs continue to die off at a steady pace each year, the negative effects will be noticed.

This can lead to loss of species, many people's livelihood being affected, and even loss of

coastlines since coral reefs protect the shore. Coral reef restoration first started a few decades ago

and was not refined. It was costly and time consuming. A lot of research has gone into different

techniques and tactics to improve the success rate. There are many promising and effective ways

to restore coral reefs, most of which are proven to be efficient, producing or repairing coral reefs

to be able to withstand many conditions and be more resilient.

Coral reefs are essential underwater ecosystems made up of many coral species and rock

structures that are formed together. They consist of many different species of plants and animals

and they are some of the most “productive” and “biodiverse” ecosystems in the world

(Brathwaite et al. 1). Coral reefs also benefit the land and humans. In an article published by the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, they found that coral has a surprising impact

on the economy, stating: “Corals are extremely valuable, contributing about $10 trillion a year

globally and more than $3 billion a year domestically to the economy. Hundreds of millions of

people depend on coral reefs for food, livelihoods, cultural practices, and a variety of economic

benefits. Corals also provide habitat for fish and other marine species and protection for valuable

coastal infrastructure”(NOAA Fisheries). In more recent years, ‘coral reef tourism’ along with
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recreation is in more demand and is having increasing economic effects (Jaap 2). Not only do

coral reefs have large economical impacts, some peoples lives depend on them. They are a vital

ecosystem that benefits many people around the world. Coral reefs are also responsible for

protecting the coastlines, “Coral reefs play an important role in protecting beaches from erosion

by attenuating wave energy”(qtd in Brathwaite et al. 1). Since they are large rock structures and

formations, coral reefs can break the impact of waves and prevent the shore from washing away

or being ruined in large storms. Not only do they protect the shore from erosion and tropical

storms, coral reefs slowly help add to the beaches: “Additionally, these complex, three

dimensional structures, and their calcareous algae, generate sediments that contribute to and

maintain beaches”(qtd in Brathwaite et al. 1). Without coral reefs, it would not take long for

beaches to erode away and tropical storms to become more detrimental to the coast resulting in

damage to infrastructure and risk to human and animals lives. We benefit so much from coral

reefs and they sustain so many people, yet 40% of all reefs are gone, and that number continues

to increase (Rinkevich 1). Almost half of all reefs have died due to, “changing water

temperatures, ocean acidification, pollution, invasive species, changing weather patterns, and

physical impacts from ship groundings and storms”(NOAA Fisheries). Humans are responsible

for so much destruction to reefs and have been ever since ships first started being used. Without

intervention, we will continue to destroy and lose even more of the world's coral reefs.

Fortunately, coral reef restoration is a growing and urgent subject. The Society of

Ecological Restoration defines coral reef restoration as, “‘The process of assisting the recovery

of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed’”(Rinkevich 9). There are many

ways to restore and rebuild reefs. One of the most common and successful methods used in coral

reef restoration is known as ‘coral gardening’. Coral gardening is a process that is, “... Guided by
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a two-step restoration operation: (a) mid-water nursery phase, where coral-nubbins are farmed

and (b) transplantation of nursery-farmed colonies. Tested worldwide, at least 86 coral species

and over 100 000 colonies were successfully farmed in different archetype nurseries, and several

novel transplantation methodologies were developed”(Rinkevich 2). Coral Gardening covers the

entire process, from farming coral to transplanting it directly at the reef site. Coral can be grown

sexually or asexually and is grown in floating nurseries until they grow large enough to be

brought out to damaged reefs (Lirman and Schopmeyer 4). It has been found that coral gardening

is one of the cheapest and simplest methods of restoration, yet it still yields great success (Spieler

et al. 4). In many cases, the full process of coral gardening is not necessary. After an accident has

caused damage to a reef, it is important to act quickly and gather as many broken pieces of coral

as possible. Then they must be stored in appropriate conditions until they can be properly planted

on the reef again (Jaap 9). Depending on how badly damaged a reef gets, divers will need to

move around rock structures to get them back in place or bring transport in structures to rebuild

the reef. It is important to fix the damaged structures because they serve many purposes such as

providing a surface for coral to grow, providing refuge for animals, attracting marine life,

changing the current, and even providing tourist attractions (Spieler et al.). Reconstructing the

base is vital for all of the life on the reef. The purpose of restoration methods is to fix the reef

and reestablish any damaged parts. Without this, it could take, “Centuries to re-form without

human intervention”(qtd in Spieler et al. 2). Because of this large amount of time it would take to

naturally recover, it is essential for humans to intervene and begin restoration efforts once they

are damaged.

The big downside to many restoration methods is the extreme costs and time it can take

before getting started. Sometimes, it can take years after a reef is damaged by a ship until the
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restoration efforts are completed. This is due to legal and financial factors that create roadblocks

and prevent any work from being started early on. One prime example of halted operations was

when Looe Key Reef was destroyed by a ship that grounded on it in 1994. There was no

restoration effort until the near $4 million settlement was finished. By the time this had

happened, it was already five years after the initial damage. This allowed very little natural

recovery to occur, leaving the reef far more damaged than before the accident (Spieler et al. 2).

Not only did this project cost an extraordinary amount of money, it also took five years before

any work could commence on the reef. As stated, this resulted in a limited amount of natural

rehabilitation in the reef. Many scientists have argued that no matter how successful any methods

for coral regrowth are, it is important to remember that no matter what, the ecosystems will not

be fully recovered after being damaged or depleted. But coral restoration is supposed to assist in

the natural reconstruction of reefs and the organisms that live on them (Lirman and Schopmeyer

14). That is why newer coral gardening techniques prove to be the best option for restoration

projects. Not only are they cheap, but there is an abundance of coral farms and stock that is ready

to be brought out to a damaged reef.

While there are different techniques and methods for restoring coral reefs, some better

than others, how successful are they? An article from the NOAA stated how successful they are

at farming and transplanting coral. They stated that they have over 20 farms and produce tens of

thousands of coral that is ready to be transplanted onto reefs (NOAA Fisheries). Similarly, an

article from the Coral Restoration Foundation revealed that they have transplanted well over

100,000 corals onto reefs around Florida in the past ten years (Coral Restoration Foundation).

The NOAA and Coral Restoration Foundation are two of the biggest foundations in coral

rehabilitation and restoration, both having successfully farmed and transplanted thousands of
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healthy coral. Farmed corals have proven to be resilient, and marine biologist Dr. Rinkevich even

found, “Studies have already revealed that farmed corals not only compete successfully with

natural colonies’ performance, but also exhibit improved health status, being free of parasites

and diseases”(Rinkevich 2). Not only are we able to successfully replant corals on reefs, these

corals have been found to be stronger and more flexible to their conditions. Rinkevich also found

that coral gardening uses special genotypes during reproduction of corals that allow them to

stand up to climate change as well (6). This means that more corals are being produced to

withstand dynamic conditions, thus meaning that these corals, once transplanted onto reefs, can

continue to reproduce more resilient coral. Through Rinkevichs studies, he has found that the

floating coral nurseries are very effective, finding that, “>100 000 colonies from 86 coral species

of various forms…have already been farmed in these nurseries, worldwide, showing minor

mortalities and enhanced growth rates”(Rinkevich 4). Not only are farmed corals more robust,

they also grow very quickly. Rinkevich had found that they were able to grow large amounts of

coral in a little over a year (2). This is way quicker than naturally growing coral which means it

is more effective at recovering reefs that have been damaged. While restoration is not perfect, it

is a seemingly successful step in the right direction to help mitigate some of the damage that has

been caused to coral reef ecosystems.

It is important that we work to restore coral reef ecosystems as best as possible using

some of the varied effective methods for restoration. Many people depend on coral reefs for their

livelihoods, and there are many economical benefits from coral reefs. Although restoration

efforts can be quite costly in time and money, there are many different approaches, and a lot less

expensive ways to restore coral reefs. It is important to act quickly when coral reefs are damaged

by ships, and are killed off by climate issues and pollution. Although not perfect, most methods
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prove effective, producing thriving coral that can be stronger for conditions and factors in the

future.
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Works Cited

Brathwaite, Angelique, et al, “Coral reef restoration for coastal protection: Crafting technical and

financial solutions”, Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 310, Elsevier, 15 May

2022,

https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.hacc.edu/science/article/pii/S0301479722002912

Jaap, Walter, “Coral Reef Restoration.” Ecological Engineering, vol. 15, Elsevier, 7 Aug. 2000,

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925857400000859.

Lirman​​, Diego and Stephanie Schopmeyer,“Ecological Solutions to Reef Degradation:

Optimizing Coral Reef Restoration in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic.” Ecological

Solutions to Reef Degradation: Optimizing Coral Reef Restoration in the Caribbean and

Western Atlantic,PeerJ Inc., 20 Oct. 2016, https://peerj.com/articles/2597/#.

NOAA Fisheries,“Restoring Coral Reefs.” NOAA, 27 Sept. 2021,

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/restoring-coral-reefs.

“Restoration Program: Coral Restoration Foundation.” CRF,

https://www.coralrestoration.org/restoration.

Rinkevich, Baruch,“Rebuilding Coral Reefs: Does Active Reef Restoration Lead to Sustainable

Reefs?” Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, vol. 7, Elsevier, 20 Dec. 2013,

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877343513001796.

“Secore International: Coral Restoration.” SECORE,

https://www.secore.org/site/corals/detail/coral-restoration.20.html.

Spieler, Richard E et al, “Artificial Substrate and Coral Reef Restoration: What Do We Need to

Know to Know What We Need”, University of Miami - Rosenstiel School of Marine,

Atmospheric & Earth Science, vol. 69, 1 Sept. 2001,

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https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/umrsmas/bullmar/2001/00000069/00000002/art

00059#.