porites

MNA Marine Biologist Adriana Santacruz-Castro, Ph.D. recently participated in the Delta International Coral Restoration Symposium. Held in Pingtung, Taiwan, the two-day conference invited top conservation institutions, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world's largest nature conservation organization, the Mote Marine Laboratory, an international authority on marine ecology research, and Kaua‘i's very own Mālama Nā `Āpapa. Attendees shared in-depth information on the latest application trends on coral survey mechanisms. The seminar focused on practical applications and technology. Adriana's MNA presentation included discussion of our coral reef surveying operations as well as our planned coral nursery and outplanting facility.

Working with a group of 15 students at Island School, MNA is helping to create an aquaculture nursery for Limu. This nursery is another step towards an approved coral nursery where broken coral can be used to produce new, larger coral formations. These will eventually be planted in locations in the ocean that are coral deficient. The structure of this Limu facility is very similar to what a coral nursery would look like. The tanks or "raceways" are set up for constant turnover of seawater so that the creatures in the tank experience something similar to being in the ocean.