Emergency Response to Mass Coral Bleaching

Why Relocating Supercorals Can't Wait:

Corals for Conservation's lead scientist, Austin Bowden-Kerby, recently returned from Cairns, Australia, where he was a keynote speaker for the Reef Resilience Symposium.  Austin repeatedly raised the question: "How do we fast-track our response with a unified strategy that works?"  If you're reading this, you likely know the answer:  "By moving hot-pocket heat-resistant supercorals to more protected cooler reef areas, of course!"

First Nation Peoples were recognized, honored, and given audience, with one first nation dignitary explaining how his community listens to what the reef says.  They have heard the reef crying for help, and they are ready to come to the forefront using the Reefs of Hope strategy.

Austin explains the upscaling of the work:  We're creating a tipping point in the coral restoration community.  The goal is to move from random coral planting to targeted coral adaptation.  Restoration has well-developed methods; we simply need to adapt them to rescue interventions.  This way, we can save coral species from local extinction via translocation from hot areas to cooler ones.  No more random planting of a million corals to watch them die in the coming heat waves.  Our future lies in harnessing the same drive to rescue heat-adapted corals by moving them to the safety of cooler waters, wherever they are present.  One or two degrees makes all the difference!

The recent thermal surge in the oceans makes coral reefs an endangered species.  We simply cannot reverse the ongoing collapse.  The majority of the world's great coral reefs will annually exceed bleaching thresholds within this decade.  Reefs of Hope is an action plan to save coral species from local extinction by enabling their continued reproduction in the field.  When the natural processes of adaptation and larval dispersal continue, we can achieve natural recovery, especially as nearshore waters begin to cool due to sea level rise.  

With the UNESCO endorsement, Reefs of Hope becomes the first and only coral-focused adaptation program for reef rescue and survival.  UNESCO's Ocean Decade scientists and executives have instructed us to seek wide endorsement by governments, international research and conservation organizations, and local stakeholders to build a platform for a well-funded global movement. 

A note from Duke (Austin's 'partner in crime') --  Glorious as the United Nations endorsement sounds, it is still you who make this happen.  You put gas in our outboards, plane tickets in our hands, and food in our bellies.  You are our blood brothers and sisters in this great struggle, and we bring you with us through every storm -- on every dive.  We thank you for giving us the chance to work on the front lines: advancing the science, sharing the techniques, and manifesting the love! 

Here's an idea for Earth Day: Share C4C's mission with someone you care about.  Who knows?  They might just love us, too!

;-) Duke, Austin, and the C4C team