Help restore Jamaica's endangered staghorn and elkhorn coral populations, devastated by the 2024 bleaching event, while protecting vital reef habitats that support marine life, local fisheries and coastal communities. White River Fish Sanctuary is rebuilding these populations by propagating corals from documented survivor colonies, nurturing them in underwater nurseries and outplanting them onto Jamaica's reefs.
Jamaica's coral reefs are facing an ecological crisis. The devastating 2024 marine heatwave and bleaching event caused widespread coral mortality, further threatening already endangered staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata) corals. These species are essential reef builders, creating habitats for marine life, supporting local fisheries and helping protect coastlines from erosion and storm damage. With their populations severely depleted, the loss of these corals threatens
WRFS's Adopt a Coral Jamaica initiative restores endangered coral populations using surviving colonies identified and documented across Jamaica. Carefully selected fragments are propagated in our nurseries, where our coral gardeners maintain and monitor their growth over nine months before outplanting suitable corals to restoration sites. Our goal is to grow and care for 1,000 coral fragments across 10 nursery trees. Donations support this essential need to rebuilding vital reef habitats.
Our long-term goal is to rebuild sustainable populations of these endangered corals across Jamaica's reefs. By increasing coral abundance and restoring essential reef structures, we aim to create healthier habitats for marine life, support recovering fish populations and strengthen coastal protection. Healthier reefs will benefit not only local fishing communities and marine tourism but also 80% of Jamaica's total population who depend on the ocean for their livelihoods.
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