CORALPALOOZA 2019
Image above: Jack Fishman/Project Aware
We don't mean to brag but this year's 5th Annual Coralpalooza™ was a hit, and the perfect way to celebrate World's Ocean Day 2019!
It was our most successful Coralpalooza™ to date, with roughly 250 divers outplanting 1,760 critically endangered corals back onto the reef in just 6 hours. Talk about a record!
Captain Coral held the fort at the Exploration Center and sent intrepid youngsters and their families off on a prize winning treasure hunt! To learn more about the crazy Captain Coral sure to check out our website.
The best part is that preparation for next year's 6th Annual Coralpalooza™ is already underway.
So, If you're hungry for more Coralpalooza™, or you missed this year's event, head over to our website where you can already get on the First Alert List for Coralpalooza™ 2020!
Boats fill up lightning fast so be sure not to miss out!
DIVING WITH A PURPOSE
Diving With a Purpose is an amazing international organization dedicated to restoring the oceans and preserving heritage! They have joined CRF™ on multiple-day restoration dives for many many years and we always look forward to their visit.
This year, coming from all parts of the world, including Costa Rica, we had 16 awesome participants outplant 80 corals back onto the reef!
McCellus (left), was with us for the first time with DWP. After two days with us, he said, “I came to CRF™ with minimal knowledge and left with an urgency to educate my community about pollution on land and in our seas.”
THANK YOU TO OUR CORALPALOOZA™ SPONSORS
Coralpalooza™ is one of the largest events we have every year here at the Coral Restoration Foundation™. Planning this event is no small task and despite all the amazing work done by our staff, intern and volunteer team we could not have accomplished Coralpalooza™ 2019 without our amazing group of sponsors.
Thank you to also our local partners at MarineLab, Divers Direct, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Reef Environmental Education Foundation, the Laura Quinn Bird Sanctuary, Florida International University and the History of Diving Museum.
For more information on how to become a sponsor for next years Coralpalooza™ click here.
"Diving In" Editorial Intern
JD graduated from the University of New England with a B.S. in Marine Science and Aquaculture/Aquarium Science. During his time as a student, he partook in a coral biology travel course to Ambergris Caye, Belize where he quickly discovered his passion for reef systems. He soon found himself traveling back down to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef to live at a remote dive base for two months where he studied coral population abundance as well as predation, disease, and bleaching metrics. In order to continue fostering his newfound passion for reefs and diving, he
quickly became both a certified PADI Divemaster and the Dive Program Intern with us here at the Coral Restoration Foundation™. He is beyond excited to be sharing his passion with the numerous individuals who partake in these immersive experiences and not only continue to help return corals to the reef but also help create stewards for these vital ecosystems.