Puerto Rico gets $5M NOAA grant for coral restoration efforts
The Sea Ventures initiative is one of 32 habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects that NOAA will fund this year.
The Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a $5 million grant to the nonprofit organization Sea Ventures Dive Center in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, to expand its coral restoration efforts.
The nonprofit will deploy its “Renovación de Arrecifes” project, which involves collaborating with partners to “implement the largest single-site coral restoration project in Puerto Rico, near the community of Fajardo,” according to its proposal.
“In addition to coral propagation — focused primarily on threatened elkhorn coral — the project will develop a coral gene bank to provide for rescue of genetic material,” Sea Ventures stated.
Collaboration with local partners will generate K-12 education opportunities, undergraduate and graduate coral restoration internships, and support for the Coral Restoration Technician apprenticeship program, the proposal added.
The Sea Ventures initiative is one of 32 habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects that NOAA will fund this year, with a total of $220 million in funding. The agency has also allocated an additional $66 million in future year funding.
“NOAA prioritized projects that demonstrated a broad base of partner and community support, inclusive practices and meaningful strategies to engage Tribal Nations and community groups, including underserved communities,” the agency stated.
“These transformational projects will restore healthy coastal ecosystems across the country,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “We’re proud to support projects that span a broad range of habitats and restoration techniques, from reconnecting rivers to their historic floodplains, to outplanting corals to rebuild reefs to restoring salt marshes that will protect coasts from erosion and sea level rise.”
The U.S. Virgin Islands also received $2.5 million to enhance ecosystem and community resilience by restoring coral reefs and mangrove habitat.
Local restoration capacity will be built by forming multidisciplinary teams that will establish coral nurseries and apply science-driven methods to improve the survival of coral outplants and mangrove seedlings, according to their proposal.
“The team will develop a module for the Youth Oceans Explorer program, pilot a Corals in the Classroom program, and train university and high school students to assist in restoration and community engagement,” it stated.
