Global Divers Return for the Coral Restoration Initiative
Global Divers Return for the Coral Restoration Initiative
From April 17 to 26, divers from around the world will again descend on Key Largo for the Coral Restoration Initiative, a ten-day working expedition organized by the Coral Restoration Foundation. Volunteers fin out to the reef each morning carrying coral "trees" of nursery-grown staghorn and elkhorn, attaching them to degraded reef sites in some of the most famous — and most stressed — dive sites in the Florida Keys.
The initiative is one of the largest active reef-restoration efforts in the world, and Key Largo is its operational heart because of the town's proximity to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first undersea park in the United States. Dive slots for the initiative fill months in advance, and the foundation partners with dozens of Key Largo dive shops to support the effort. Even if you're not diving, the foundation's Land Base in Tavernier welcomes walk-in visitors during the event.
If you want to help: short volunteer dive programs, reef-monitoring walks, and educational sessions are open to visitors. The foundation's website lists the current event schedule and registration.
