A Coral Fragment’s Journey – Part 1

Comic Illustrations by Fresh ‘n Salty

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a coral fragment…. just hanging in a nursery, waiting for your chance to be outplanted onto the reef?

…now you know!

The cheeky comic below was created by Fresh ‘n Salty, an environmental conservation organization that brings the ocean to life through creative illustrations and education. Here, they depict how we help restore critically endangered Elkhorn and Staghorn corals as part of the Reef Rescue Network.

• First, we collect 5 cm coral fragments from the reef, and hang them from coral nursery trees. Note: A typical nursery hosts 5-10 trees, and hundreds of coral fragments. We often construct coral nursery trees from PVC pipes, and place them in open-water sandy seascapes, adjacent to the reef itself.
• Coral fragments grow quickly on nursery trees. We clean them regularly to remove algae and predators.
• After about a year of growth, we cut coral fragments from the tree, and strategically outplant them at various locations along the reef.
• This process is highly sustainable! The original 5 cm fragments are kept in the nursery, and continue to grow faster every time they’re propagated!