It is an active restoration initiative carried out in degraded reefs of Tayrona National Natural Park, in the Colombian Caribbean. This unique marine landscape—shaped by processes such as seasonal upwelling and continental runoff—places corals under both natural pressures and cumulative human impacts.
Since 2024, the project has been implementing an innovative technique that relocates juvenile colonies of massive corals, which naturally settle in shallow areas where they cannot survive, to mid-depth reefs (10–20 m), where they have greater chances of growth and ecological success. This strategy makes it possible to restore without compromising genetic diversity or causing additional harm to the ecosystem.
The actions are structured in three phases: assessment, transplantation, and education, bringing together science, academic training, and the active participation of local communities, dive centers, students, and staff from Colombia’s National Natural Parks. Led by the National University of Colombia, this initiative aims to expand its scope and establish itself as a replicable model of comprehensive coral reef restoration, with a territorial, inclusive, and sustainable approach.
