Coral Nursery and Restoration with TaKata
La Leyenda ECO-TOURS has had the opportunity to lend a hand at the TaKata Dive and Research Center. They have created a coral nursery to lead coral restoration efforts here in Mahahual.
TaKata’s restoration project uses fragments of staghorn and elkhorn coral collected from other areas of the coral reef. In the nursery, the fragments are suspended at different depths suited to each particular species of coral.
The nursery quickly accumulates algae, so it must be cleaned weekly. I was able to join TaKata’s team of volunteer divers to help remove algae from the structure. A clean, minimally disturbed habitat is vital to the health of the budding coral.
The budding fragments will spend around a year in the nursery before being transplanted to different areas of the reef.
It’s great to participate with people who not only care about these ecosystems but also work to conserve them. Cheers, TaKata!
