The Coral Nursery

Discover Reef Renewal - Beyond the Corals

Discover Reef Renewal

Reef Renewal Diver - Beyond the Corals

Reef Renewal Diver

Underwater Naturalist - Beyond the Corals

Underwater Naturalist

Peak Performance - Beyond the Corals

Peak Performance

At Beyond The Corals, we are AWARE of our role in helping the environment. The PADI AWARE Foundation harnesses the collective influence of divers and the dive industry to tackle major threats to the marine environment. That is why we take the responsibility to educate and communicate about nature conservation and how YOU as a diver can be a marine ambassador as well.

Reef Renewal

Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire is a non-profit and non-governmental organization dedicated to restoring Bonaire’s coral reefs. With the help of 11 partner dive shops (one of those being us) and dedicated volunteers, Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire has been able to outplant over 55,000 corals back to the reef so far! 

Is that enough? Well, we believe that doing nothing is no option. The results are being measured on continuous basis and are positive.

Maybe in 10 years time, we can say that we made a difference.
And if you help, you can say that you made a difference.

Reef Renewal Volunteers

The coral nursery

In collaboration with the Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire, we manage the coral nursery at Bachelors Beach, which proudly has five tree nurseries and five rope nurseries in it! 

These trees have both ‘Staghorn Coral’ and ‘Elkhorn Coral’ fragments growing in them, carefully selected on basis of genotype.

Give something back

Are you an eager diver, looking to give something back to the beautiful underwater world that has given you wonderful experiences? 

Along with the Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire, we educate people from around the world about how they can help, and use the latest science and research to guide and shape our techniques.

Reef Renewal Course
Staghorn coral

Staghorn coral

Staghorn coral is a shallow-water, branching coral that can form massive thickets. This stony coral is one of the fastest-growing corals in the Caribbean and provides shelter to many fish species, especially juveniles. Staghorn coral is at high risk of extinction,  threatened by disease, bleaching, and geographic isolation.

Elkhorn coral

Elkhorn coral is also a shallow-water branching coral, providing shelter for both mature and juvenile reef fish species. Its strong branches assist in breaking t

he force of waves. A combination of disease and environmental impacts has caused this coral to significantly decline. Both staghorn and elkhorn corals are critically endangered and without action are at high risk of extinction.

Elkhorn coral
Reef Renewal Course

Become a Reef Renewal Diver

The staghorn and elkhorn corals fragments are hung and protected in our nursery and given time to grow (while being cleaned weekly). Once corals are reef-ready they can be outplanted back onto the reef on the outplanting site. Reef-ready entails that its size and health allow for it to have a good chance of surviving outside the nursery environment and back on the reef. The outplanting method is dependent on the coral species and reef environment.  

We offer the opportunity to become a part of this rewarding experience. Through either a Reef Renewal Discovery Dive or the Reef Renewal Diver Distinctive Speciality Course.

Reef Renewal Discovery Dive – try first!

The Reef Renewal Discovery Dive offers you a try out how to maintain a coral nursery and participate in activities, such as removing algae and predators.

Reef Renewal Course

Want to be a Reef Renewal Volunteer? Take the Reef Renewal Diver Specialty Course! This course includes three training dives and classroom sessions to learn all the techniques involved in the reef restoration process. You will participate in all the activities that need to be carried out in the nurseries. Below we have briefly outlined each dive: 

  • Dive 1: Nursery and restoration site maintenance by conducting a survey, cleaning, removing algae and predators, which can damage the corals and affect their growth.
  • Dive 2: Learn how to prune, tie and tag the coral fragments which will be hung on the nursery trees.
  • Dive 3: Learn how to outplant mature corals onto the reef to ensure their growth in the actual reef system.

After completion of this course you will be qualified for the Volunteer Program with the Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire.

Let us know if you are interested in either discovering our coral nursery or becoming a Reef Renewal Volunteer. We would love to welcome you to the Reef Renewal Volunteer community. For those who are already Reef Renewal Volunteers: thank you for helping protect our ocean!
Contact us if you are interested in joining us for a weekly nursery clean. We provide air tanks for volunteers.