hile human activity has threatened the survival of vital reef ecosystems globally, organizations and companies are
innovating how to advocate for, fund, and cultivate coral. These new solutions give us more hope than ever before to revitalize the oceans, but action must be ubiquitous and swift.
Reefined Arts is one company whose mission is to support cutting-edge coral mariculture, through the development of a fashion culture for environmental advocacy. Reefined Arts works in partnership with Fragments of Hope, Belize (FoH, http://fragmentsofhope.org/) and the Amiga Island Ecological Foundation (AIEF, https://www.facebook.com/AmigaIslandFoundation/) in Haiti, community-based organizations that utilize cutting-edge and scientifically proven Coral Gardening and Coral Micro-Fragmenting techniques pioneered by Dr. Austin Bowden-Kerby (http://www.onecountry.org/story/fiji-new-approach-restoration-coral-reefs-draws-notice) and Dr. David Vaughan (https://vimeo.com/154217735). Coral Gardening helps revitalize reefs at an individual level, cultivating corals in Marine Protected Areas where they can mature and thrive before being planted into reef ecosystems. Micro-fragmenting describes a revolutionary method of coral cultivation where single coral colonies are broken down into many fragments, which can each rapidly regrow, transforming a single mature colony into many in a year’s time. In highly controlled lab conditions, Micro-Fragmented specimens, 0.6–2.4 cm in size, have been shown to grow exponentially, growing 147–163 fold in less than 1 year and averaging 1.67% per day for their initial 10 months post fragmenting, according to Marine Biology magazine.
For a well-established nursery operating under real world circumstances, thousands of coral fragments can exponentially grow by five to ten times in a year, while for just $500 a single team of four to six divers can plant between 2000 and 4000 mature corals a day. In addition to supporting marine life, these organizations empower local communities by hiring, working in collaboration with, and developing projects that benefit local community member and stakeholders.
The Amiga Island Ecological Foundation is a young Haitian based non-profit organization established to protect, preserve and enhance the local marine environment. In its coral gardens AIEF focuses on growing diverse Staghorn (A.cervicornis) and Elkhorn (A.palmata) corals, highly resilient and fast growing corals that are Haiti’s main reef builders. A central component of AIEF’s mission is that root issues go beyond just active restoration and must include community engagement and scientific research as well. Many communities directly depend on coral reefs for their livelihoods and must be included in restoration projects, education initiatives, and scientific research. AIEF develops relationships with local communities and stakeholders, empowering them to protect, manage, and sustainably use their local environmental resources. For AIEF, a healthy ecosystem is the vital foundation for happy communities and a stable economy in Haiti and across the globe.
Fragments of Hope, operating out of the Placencia Peninsula in Belize, builds on over a decade of reef remediation work to implement significant active management solutions and plant tens of thousands of corals. Though primarily engaged in the protection of critically endangered Caribbean Acroporids, FoH also works to protect other marine-related ecosystems, such as mangroves, and incorporate local stakeholders into protection efforts through awareness, education, and capacity building. FoH has successfully adapted micro-fragmenting techniques, developed by Dr. David Vaughan, for use in Belize, allowing them to begin cultivating slower growing corals, such as star, brain and pillar corals in situ (open water, non-land based) nurseries. Such adaptation of micro-fragmenting, which typically occurs in terrestrial aquariums and tanks, for use in open ocean nurseries is revolutionary and will help increase the biodiversity of replenished reef sites. Recently, FoH has also been chosen as an impact partner for the Coral Crucible Rescue the Reefs Art Exhibit, with National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry, an initiative dedicated to raising awareness and funds for coral protection through evocative visual art.
These coral nurseries, operating at grassroots levels, represent some of the most promising methods for protecting corals and revitalizing the oceans. With the global public’s support, many more may start up around the world, and together they can create significant global impact. Unfortunately, funding from governments, granting foundations, and private donors is limited and competitive.
Based in NYC, Reefined Arts came to exist in response to the need for new approaches. Recognizing how many organizations vie for funding, Reefined Art is dedicated to providing alternate sources of funding and support, and have started with jewelry. Their model seeks to directly connect consumers to conservation, using individual-level fashion to support community-level coral gardening and inspire global level environmental impact. Using unique production techniques, Reefined Arts designs high-precision 3d replica coral jewelry, and contributes a portion of every sale to its partnered coral nurseries.
With the backgrounds of its founders ranging from marine biology and jewelry design to grassroots peacebuilding, for them it seemed natural to bring seemingly disparate worlds together and connect fashion culture to mariculture. Each piece is a tangible symbol of the buyer’s contribution and provides an alternative to genuine coral jewelry, which is often the product of harmful live coral harvesting. Because corals have evolved to be among the most efficient light harvesting organisms on earth, their natural forms make for jewelry that captures and reflects light unlike other metal jewelry. Through their contributors and partners, they can drive much needed support to coral nurseries, planting coral and rebuilding reefs.
You can get involved by donating to, and becoming a member of, coral nurseries. You can directly donate to Fragments of Hope through their website, fragmentsofhope.org, and also find them included in the Coral Crucible where you can contribute to coral by purchasing a limited-edition print. Supporting coral is also possible through Reefined Arts Reefined Arts, where you can buy a piece, advocate for coral, and sponsor the reconstruction of vital reef ecosystems.
A Market-Based Approach to
Grassroots Reef Conservation
Damien Beri
May 2017 - Stories from the Sea
78 - SEVENSEAS
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