By Tiffany Duong and Jim McCarthy
One of the largest coral outplanting events of the year might have been hindered due to conditions, but that didn’t stop the annual Coralpalooza by Key Largo-based Coral Restoration Foundation on June 5. CRF interns and staff teamed up with dive companies and recreational divers from Key Largo and south to monitor reef sites. In Tavernier, a group of divers aboard Rainbow Reef’s “Tropical Legend” visited CRF’s coral tree nursery for a little cleaning. Divers used brushes to scrub the monofilament line that holds the coral fragments to a tree branch. Others used a metal scraper to clean algae off branches. CRF has seven offshore coral tree nurseries, from Carysfort Reef to Keys West. Nurseries contain 11 different coral species. In addition to diving, CRF held a free virtual Coralpalooza Digital Day to bring scientists, celebrities and others in on the event that promotes ocean preservation and raise awareness of World Oceans Day, which is internationally recognized on June 8 each year.
