Coral reefs are among the Caribbean’s most valuable natural resources, supporting marine life, protecting coastlines from storms, and sustaining local communities through tourism and fisheries. In the Dominican Republic, however, reefs are rapidly declining due to climate change, overfishing, pollution, and coastal development. Without urgent action, these ecosystems — and the livelihoods they support — face an uncertain future.

Fundemar research is working to speed up coral reef recovery by bringing innovative coral restoration technologies from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) to the Caribbean and adapting them to local reef conditions in the Dominican Republic.

At the heart of the project is a new approach to growing corals from larvae, giving reefs a better chance to recover naturally and at larger scales. Specially designed aquaculture systems will help improve the survival of young corals during their earliest and most fragile stages of life. The project will also test new settlement tiles and outplanting tools that make it easier, faster, and more cost-effective to place young corals back onto damaged reefs.

The research will compare these new techniques with methods already widely used by SECORE International to identify which approaches deliver the best results in real-world Caribbean conditions. Scientists will assess coral survival, growth, and long-term performance while also evaluating costs and scalability.

A major focus of the project is ensuring that restoration efforts can be expanded across different reef environments. By identifying the most suitable restoration methods for specific locations, the project will help guide more strategic and effective reef recovery efforts throughout the Caribbean.

Ultimately, this work aims to provide practical solutions for restoring coral reefs, strengthening coastal resilience, protecting biodiversity, and supporting the communities that depend on healthy oceans for future generations.