Restore Corals for 400 Fisherfolks in Wasini

The effects of the devastating coral bleaching incident that ravaged the East African coast in mid-2024 are still being felt today. More than 95% of our coral garden was destroyed, along with the disappearance of most fish species dependent on them. However, two resilient coral species remained unaffected by the bleaching, offering a glimpse of hope that, with time, more bleach-resilient species will emerge.

These are some of the stories of hope we gathered when a team from the Africa Nature Organization and six members of the Wasini Coral Transplant Team met on February 19, 2025, at Wasini Village in the Wasini Beach Management Unit offices. Despite limited resources to enable them to undertake regular monitoring missions, the community members had managed to patrol the coral garden at least once a month. The last visit was on February 6, 2025.

During that visit, the team established that the coral nursery frame was still intact and usable for raising new coral seedlings. The team plans to clean out the nursery bed as well as remove dead corals from the reef in the next three weeks as part of the preparations for coral restoration in 2025.

The requirements for the preparations and coral transplanting will need both time and various resources to accomplish. These resources include a boat, ordinary cement, waterproof cement, diving gear, and an underwater camera to capture the activities underwater. An estimated budget of USD 4,000 (Kshs. 500,000) for 2025 will allow the community to restore the area destroyed by coral bleaching. An additional USD 2,000 will enable the team to acquire three diving kits and their maintenance for the entire year.

The team also deliberated on the timelines for the initial activities based on the available resources. By February 28, 2025, the team will have completed the cleanup of the coral nursery bed and reef restoration sites and populated the coral nursery with coral fragments. By March 15, 2025, the team will have transplanted the corals in the reef.

The coral restoration project has been supported over the years by the generous contributions from well-wishers. Without their support, not much of the knowledge and milestones in restoring the Wasini reef would have been achieved. The coral bleaching incident is unfortunate; however, there are lessons we need to take from this event to build the resilience of our reef in a rapidly changing climate. We, therefore, appeal for your continued support, and efforts to recruit more supporters will be greatly appreciated.

Before departing from Wasini Village, the ANO team presented the Wasini Team with the 2024 People4Nature Conservation Team Award in recognition of their exemplary teamwork in restoring the Wasini coral reef.

Links:

• Presentation of the 2024 P4N Team Award
• Wasini Coral Restoration Photo Album