I.CARE – Islamorada’s coral restoration program run out of Bud ‘N Mary’s Marina – has exciting news for local divers. Thanks to new funding, you can come learn about current coral planting efforts and dive for free.
Funding for the locals dive program is made possible through partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory, which informs many of the coral nursery and planting techniques being employed by I.CARE citizen-scientists. Generous donations from Bass Pro/Worldwide Sportsman, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State Wildlife Grants and individuals and local businesses also helped.
“We are so excited about being able to offer this to the community,” said Mike Goldberg, co-founder of I.CARE and owner of Key Dives, one of the nonprofit’s core community partners.
Here are the details:
- Participating dive shops: Key Dives, Islamorada Dive Center and Conch Republic Divers, alternating each week
- Every Friday at 10:30 am: “Continuing Education Courses – Monitoring and Maintenance”
Local divers train on coral monitoring and maintenance techniques at a participating dive shop before making two dives in the afternoon to assist I.CARE monitoring or maintenance. There are two separate trainings. All workshops and diving are free. Tanks and weights included. No training necessary for repeat trips. Limited to six local divers each week.
- Every Saturday at 8:30 am: “Coral Reefs and Restoration Basics – Everything You Need to Know”
Local divers attend a coral workshop at Bud ‘N Mary’s Marina (open to the public, including non-divers). The workshop includes an overview of the local coral reef system, its health, the science behind I.CARE’s methods and a tour of the Islamorada land-based nursery. Note: there are 1,000s of coral babies. Cost: $25 donation to I.CARE. The afternoon session will include two dives on local reefs with a participating dive shop to help with coral restoration. Dives are free. Tanks and weights included. Limited to eight local divers each week.
- Every 3rd Sunday: same as Saturdays.
This program will continue through April 2024.
Since the start, I.CARE has functioned as a community-led, -run, -funded and -focused endeavor. Its mission is to restore Islamorada’s coral reef ecosystem, and, by proxy, the local Keys economy that relies on it. Community engagement and education are critical pillars in the efforts. This new funding will allow the nonprofit to take that message further and to involve more locals.
“Who better to restore our reefs than a local diver?” asked Goldberg. “Anyone that lives here knows that our economy is dependent on a living coral reef. So, our goal is to create an army of local divers to help restore what is essentially their own back yard.”
Local divers who participate will assist with monitoring, maintenance and actual coral plantings on local Islamorada reefs. They will also come to understand what kind of data I.CARE scientists are collecting and how that data is used to assess reef health.
For more information and to reserve your seat, email info@icareaboutcoral.org with your name, phone number and dive experience. Every Monday, you will receive a text message telling you which dive shop has space and the contact number to sign up.
Goldberg concluded, “Let’s face it: we’ve lost 95% of our corals, so for us to win this war, we need the help of our Keys divers.”
