From June 4-7, hundreds of divers, snorkelers and coral advocates traded their normal weekend plans for a chance to get their hands wet and their fins involved in helping restore Florida’s reef tract.
As part of Coral Restoration Foundation’s (CRF) 11th annual Coralpalooza, volunteers joined staff from Key Largo to Key West to clean coral nurseries, learn about reef restoration and celebrate one of the ecosystems that define life in the Keys.
“It’s come a long way from a single-day coral outplant goal between staff, interns and volunteers all the way to a full celebration within a community,” said Roxane Boonstra, CRF’s learning ecosystems administrator.
She added, “These events are critical to letting everyone know that coral reefs are a resource that belongs to all of us, and that we can all have an active role in helping them thrive.”
Rather than simply showcasing coral restoration, the annual event gives volunteers a chance to experience it firsthand, spending a day alongside scientists and restoration practitioners above and below the water while learning what it takes to care for Florida’s endangered corals.
This year’s Coralpalooza brought together 190 volunteer divers and snorkelers, supported by 15 boats, which largely were donated by local dive operators. Participants contributed more than 1,100 hours of restoration learning and work, including 514 hours underwater cleaning 100 coral trees across three offshore nurseries.
The work is an important part of keeping nursery corals healthy ahead of the summer season and heat. Removing algae and other growth that can compete with corals gives the latter a better chance to survive, grow and hopefully be outplanted back on local reefs.
Beyond the underwater efforts, Coralpalooza reached nearly 1,500 people through education booths, community socials and public events at Zoo Miami, Key Largo’s Caribbean Club and the Key West Aquarium.
“Every Coralpalooza, I’m overwhelmed by the excitement of the participants,” Boonstra said. “Their enthusiasm for Coralpalooza as an event and appreciation for the hard work being dedicated to our coral reefs are a duality that reminds me of the innumerable people who truly care about the world’s coral reefs and want to help make a positive impact.”
According to Boonstra, roughly 40% of this year’s participants were returning volunteers, and many first-time attendees said they’d been trying to register for years before finally getting a spot.
“This celebration has become a wonderful reunion of what feels like old friends, who bring new friends along every year,” she said. “Together, we grow this event.”
While the Keys remain the geographical heart of Coralpalooza, the celebration has stretched across borders in the last few years. In 2026, 20 organizations participated worldwide, including CRF’s St. Croix program and partners in Hawaii, Ecuador, Indonesia, Australia, the Maldives, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia, the Seychelles, Curaçao, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico and more.
Some groups maintained nurseries. Others outplanted corals and sponges, monitored reefs, installed shade structures or hosted educational events. The goal was unified: helping people connect with coral reefs and understand their role in protecting them.
Boonstra said, “Whether it’s something hands-on like coral restoration or more important as spreading coral reef awareness by sharing what someone learned, coral restoration groups open their doors to people who want to learn.”
For Kate Toth, conservation coordinator with Tavernier’s Conch Republic Divers, this year’s Coralpalooza was her first.
“Everyone on the boat was so stoked to be participating in the dives and getting to see the coral nursery,” Toth said. “A lot of times, people are so focused on fish that our less mobile but just as important friends (like corals) get left behind.”
Her team’s assignment was to clean the in situ coral trees in CRF’s Tavernier nursery, which is the largest in the world. She loved guiding her divers, many of whom were Florida Fish and Wildlife officers, through the task.
For Toth, that’s exactly why events like Coralpalooza matter: they connect people who already love the water with the work happening beneath its surface.
“Global conservation events are key to informing and engaging local communities,” she said. “Here in the Keys, so many people enjoy snorkeling, fishing and diving, but may not be aware of the part local nonprofits play in restoring and maintaining our reefs, or how much work goes on behind the scenes.”
“As someone with a background in coral science, it was equally if not more rewarding to see how big, healthy and happy the ACER (Acropora cervicornis, or staghorn corals) were,” Toth added.
Healthy corals, happy people — what more could we ask for?
