Coral Adoption Project
Gentleshrimp adopts corals from Coral Guardian, a Europe-based marine conservation project which is dedicated to the protection of corals and their reefs.
What makes this internationally active NGO so unique for us is not only the fact, that it’s one of the first to save the rare European coral reefs in the Mediterranean Sea: in the region of Punta de la Mona in Spain.
We also love Coral Guardian’s idea of involving the local communities in its coral conservation projects and thus contributing to awareness-raising in society.
It all started in October 2021 with the adoption of our first coral: trouble3000
As you can see by the GPS coordinates, trouble3000 will find a new home near Hatamin Island in Indonesia. The same goes for some of our other adopted coral kids. More of them are planted in Spain at Punta de la Mona.
You may wonder why the corals need to be adopted.
Due to human activities, a scary phenomenon called coral bleaching occurred. The most serious cause of this is global warming. With a temperature rise of 2°C above pre-industrial levels, at least 98% of corals are considered endangered. By 2021, the earth has already warmed by 1.1°C. Therefore, corals are fighting fiercely for their lives. About 30% of all coral reefs are already lost, about 40% are massively threatened.
Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor. Yet they are the habitat of more than a million species and a quarter of the world's fish population. Without these "rainforests of the seas", the loss of biodiversity would be huge. The habitat of countless species would disappear. Without this natural coastal protection, there is also the threat of coastal erosion, storm surges, flooding and high tides. So, the socioeconomic damage to society would also be enormous.
So, what can be done?
To help the corals, small pieces of them that have broken off from a reef are collected. If the seafloor is still healthy, these fragments are then transplanted directly back onto the reef. If not, they have to go to kindergarten and school.
Coral kindergarten and schools are built underwater, in places that are ideal for their growth. Without harming the natural environment, the coral fragments are transplanted there onto solid structures. Good growth rates are offered by domes made of metal or - even better - of solid, biologically produced materials. This technique is called coral fragmentation. In this process, the little ones first grow in a safe environment before they are subsequently transplanted onto a local reef. Over time, the reef recovers and a healthy hotspot of biodiversity is once again created!
Throughout the process, scientific data is collected and analyzed to test and permanently optimize coral and reef restoration methods.
Coral Guardian also integrates the local community into the entire process. Both adults and children are taught why it is so important to protect corals. In the process, new ideas are constantly being generated on how to advance coral protection.
With every order you make your own contribution to the project. The corals and we say thank you!