Best moment Saturday 170610

"Coral reefs are threatened worldwide. Here's a way to rescue broken coral fragments that have fallen in sand and will die. With the expertise of NOAA, the community was able to make some racks to plant the fragments in a coral garden! After they hopefully regrow, we will be able to put them back on a safer place on the reef." --Kathy Hall, marine biologist

On Saturday volunteers met on Shacks Beach for the first "plantings" in our new coral nursery.

The nursery bed is PVC pipe with holes drilled in it. Coral fragments are attached to cups filled with cement with twisted wire. The cups are then placed in the holes and secured with cable ties.

Volunteers carry the PVC frame out to a pre-selected spot then divers secure the frame to the ocean floor with rerod driven into the sand.

Meanwhile, other volunteers collect fragments of coral, in this case elkhorn coral (and one bit of staghorn), for seeding.

And the first seed bed is in place! The coral will be allowed to grow here. Healthy coral will later be transplanted to the reef. If this bed is successful, more will be added. Several more frames are already under construction.