What We Do

CORAL recognizes that our best chance to save coral reefs is in collaboration with the people who are most closely connected to coral reefs. In partnership with local communities, we take a multipronged approach to restoring and protecting coral reefs. Our signature initiatives are:

• Healthy Fisheries for Reefs
• Clean Water for Reefs
• Intact Reef Ecosystems
• Science of Adaptation

At the heart of our work are Adaptive Reefscapes – networks of healthy reefs that can adapt to climate change because they are diverse, connected and large.

Throughout our work, we rely on the following strategies:

• Using science to inform solutions 
  In the Puakō community in Hawaiʻi, we are collaborating with university partners to conduct dye tracer studies that track the movement of wastewater from cesspools to the ocean.
• Building partnerships with stakeholders
  In Indonesia, we work with local partner Lensa Masyarakat Nusantara (LMN) to implement PhotoVoices, a project that encourages locals to identify conservation priorities by photographing environmental issues in their community.
• Creating win-wins for communities and conservation
  In Fiji, we established a voluntary dive fee system for tourists visiting the Namena Marine Reserve, which funds management costs, community infrastructure projects and a scholarship program that has benefitted over 200 students.
• Ensuring that policies support conservation
  In Honduras, we encouraged the government to declare two new Sites of Wildlife Importance: Cordelia Banks in Roatán and Tela Bay. The designation affords a greater level of protection and regulation, thereby reducing fishing pressure and enabling coral reefs to thrive.
• Establishing effective and sustainable local management systems
  In the Mesoamerican Region, we support our partners Amigos de Roatán Marine Park in conducting patrols and effectively managing Roatán’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).