Save the Corals of Panama

The Reef Life Foundation is teaming up with Mother of Corals in Panama for a comprehensive approach to coral restoration.

Our site in Bocas del Toro, Panama, will serve as (1) a biodiversity hotspot, (2) an underwater classroom, and (3) a critical research area. Oceanite, our substrate, is the ideal home for wild coral spawn and has proven to increase biodiveristy by 400% in only 14 months. The site will also serve as an underwater classroom for hotel guests to learn about the importance of these critical ecosystems to the planet's overall health. They will even help increase coral growth by planting their own coral grown by a local coral nursery. The site will attract most of the island's ecotourism, allowing us to assess the use of artificial reefs as a restoration method and eco-friendly option for ecotourism.

Additionally, the Reef Life Foundation will provide fun programming for local schools that teaches kids about their local ecosystem. Kids of all ages will get to go home with a UN Ocean Literacy Certificate. Interested teenagers will be trained as volunteers for coral monitoring to increase their experience in science and foster a love for the ocean.

Everything needed for this project to be a success is already in place: Mother of Corals has built relationships and programming with local partners. Mother of Corals has secured funding to build and monitor their portion of the artificial reef and launch the program. Permits for building the artificial reefs are in hand and we have Oceanite cast and waiting to be shipped.

We are currently seeking funding for Phase 1: Deployment and Initial Data Collection.

Funds will be used as follows:

$10,000 Oceanite

$6,000 Shipping*

$4,000 Deployment Team (Project Coordinator and Scientists)

$1,200 Data Collection Tools

Total: $21, 200

*We are currently in the process of seeking a partnership that will provide a portion of our shipping for free. In the event that we are able to reduce this cost, saved funds will roll over into the ocean literacy projects of our Education Program, including awareness campaigns and developing classroom materials in English and Spanish.

Want to know more? This video shows the success of our work in the Caribbean at St. Marteen.

These are our wonderful partners, Mother of Corals, training volunteers!

Here is a close up of Oceanite, already covered in life with fish feeding on the reef every 15 seconds. Our eDNA analysis showed a rapid increase in biodiversity that was unprecedented!

Our team installing Oceanite in St. Marteen.