THE CORAL NURSERY OF PUERTO RICO INC

IN 2023, THE CORAL NURSERY HAS MADE EXTENSIVE PROGRESS TO BRING OUR MISSION TO LIFE IN PUERTO RICO. DUE TO THE IMMENSE WAITING PERIOD FOR OUR ORIGINAL LAND PARTNERS FOR AN OCEANFRONT PARCEL TO OPERATE OUR OPEN WATER SYSTEM TO GROW CORALS, WE BEGAN TO LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR A SITE FOR THE NURSERY. DUE TO THE NEED FOR OCEANFRONT LAND, THIS WAS VERY DIFFICULT. LUCKILY, OUR PARTNER DR. VAUGHAN AND ENGINEER BEHIND OUR LAND BASED CORAL NURSERY WAS ABLE TO REDESIGN OUR ENTIRE WATER SYSTEM, ALLOWING OUR CORAL NURSERY TO NOW BE OPERATIONAL AT A SITE INLAND, AND NOT REQUIRE OCEANFRONT LAND. THIS SYSTEM REDESIGN TOOK TIME, AND FUNDS THAT WERE RAISED BY THE CORAL NURSERY TEAM. EVERY DOLLAR HAS BEEN PUT TOWARDS BUILDING THIS CORAL NURSERY TO BRING IT HERE TO PUERTO RICO NOW THAT WE CAN BE LOCATED INLAND, WE HAVE CREATED A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PALMAS ACADEMY. OUR NEW SITE IS LOCATED ON THE SCHOOL'S LAND. WE ARE WORKING ON SITE PREP, PERMITTING, AND WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL AND LOCAL ARCHITECTS TO CONTINUE MAKING PROGRESS. OTHER THAN PHYSICAL LOCATION AND NURSERY DEVELOPMENT, THE CORAL NURSERY HAS BEEN DEVELOPING A K-12 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. JOINING OUR FLAGSHIP INITIATIVES, THIS K-12 AQUACULTURE SCIENCE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO IGNITE A PASSION FOR OCEAN CONSERVATION WHILE EQUIPPING STUDENTS WITH VALUABLE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SKILLS THEY CAN CARRY WITH THEM THROUGH THEIR CONTINUED EDUCATION AND DAILY LIVES THIS PROGRAM, ALIGNED WITH THE NATIONAL MARINE EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION FRAMEWORK, CONNECTS SCIENCE TO REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES. OUR GOAL IS TO REACH MORE THAN 500 STUDENTS IN HUMACAO, PUERTO RICO, PROVIDING THEM WITH FUN, AGE-APPROPRIATE, HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES FOCUSED ON RESEARCH, DATA COLLECTION, AND CORAL AQUACULTURE. WE'RE THRILLED TO BE AN OFFICIAL PARTNER OF THE PALMAS ACADEMY, WHILE EXPANDING OUR OUTREACH TO OTHER LOCAL SCHOOLS AROUND THE ISLAND, NO LIMITATIONS THIS PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED VIA RECEIVING A GRANT BY THE CECFL, ALLOWING FOR THE CURRICULUM TO BE WRITTEN. LASTLY, WE'VE HELD COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, GIVEN MANY CORAL RESTORATION EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS TO GROUPS OF ALL SORTS, AND HELP BEACH CLEANUPS PICKING UP OVER 10,000 LBS. OF TRASH ON THE PUERTO RICAN COASTLINES. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION OF CORAL REEFS IN THE REGION, EMPLOYING BOTH PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE STRATEGIES AS OUTLINED BY THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM (UNEP) GUIDELINES AS OUR CORE MISSION, ONE STEP AT A TIME.