Helping to rebuild the Keys’ vital coral reef ecosystem fits the bill for Earth Day, and that was the goal on April 20-22 as Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters once again partnered with Reef Renewal USA and Captain Hook’s for a coral fragmentation workshop and coral nursery maintenance dives.
In a continuation of the partnership’s first Marathon event in September 2022, Reef Renewal, Aquarium Encounters and Captain Hook’s staff spent Thursday and Friday afternoon helping members of the public use band saws to cut larger pieces of boulder corals into smaller pieces. Known as fragmenting, the process accelerates the growth of the corals, allowing each coral to grow, cover the cement plug to which it is affixed, and eventually spawn earlier than it would otherwise. The fragments are typically ready to outplant on areas of the reef after six to 12 months spent in a nursery.
On Saturday, teams of divers headed out to the reefs off Marathon and Big Pine Key to return the fragmented corals to nurseries where they can grow undisturbed under close supervision. Volunteers also spent time cleaning coral trees and touring restoration sites to showcase the progress of already-outplanted corals.
Reef Renewal USA’s Jim Brittsan, right, supervises Clara Hill as she makes her cuts. 
Reef Renewal USA’s Jim Brittsan, right, offers guidance to Lincoln Hill as he fragments a boulder coral. 
Lincoln Hill is all business as he makes his cuts. 
Heather Jennings, left, helps Lincoln Hill affix coral fragments to cement plugs before their trip out to the offshore nursery.
