Coral Reef Restoration

RESTORATION HAS THE POWER TO MAKE CHANGE

Underwater view of the ocean floor with rocks and sand, with a school of small fish swimming in the distance.

Underwater scene of coral reef with various corals, fish, and marine structures visible.

The most rewarding experience of my life was starting a coral reef restoration project in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

Through a grant awarded by The Explorers Club, I traveled to Indonesia to study the success of coral reef restoration. Restoration in this area is in response to a pyramid of dynamite fishing. A harmful fishing practice in which charges are dropped into water, killing all fish instantly and destroying coral below.

My project analyzed the success and effectiveness of restoration through 2d and 3d photomosaic analysis (images below). By taking thousands of images of the reef, huge files were created that encompass huge swaths of reefs at a high resolution. Comparing these same reef patches year after year, we get an intimate perspective on how these reefs are changing.

After this initial research phase, I had the opportunity to start my own restoration plot. With the help of my Indonesian collaborators, I designed a study which out-planted nearly 400 corals on wire mesh and steel table structures. I hope this study sheds light on making restoration more affordable, and increasing coral diversity in restoration efforts.

Man in wetsuit standing on a red dock, smiling, with a deep-sea diving mask and scuba gear, holding the mask's regulator, beside a body of water with distant land and sky in the background.

Underwater view of coral reef and metal structures for coral restoration with a diver in the background.

Wireframes of small animal cages set up under trees on a beach, with boats and a dock visible in the background.

Underwater scene with metal cages and artificial coral reefs on the ocean floor.

A person scuba diving underwater with a mask, fins, and wetsuit, holding a surveying device over coral reef.

A close-up of a starfish on the ocean floor, surrounded by seaweed and coral.

3d Reef Model

2d high res reef image