Nursing Coral Back to Health: a Promising Experiment

The experiment in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, to save coral by nursing and regenerating it in aquariums before relocating them outside the capital’s waters could become a conservation model for other projects and programs.

“We can start to see the sign that the coral is starting to grow slowly from the top,” explains Ahmed Hamdy, a coral farm manager. The corals are already brighter than when they were cut in mid-November.

Nearly 1,000 pieces of coral have been trimmed near a Dubai marina and brought to a land-based laboratory, where they were put in four aquariums to be nursed back to health. In six to 12 months, once the corals are healthy enough, the corals will be relocated outside of Dubai by Coral Vita, a private company working to restore reefs. Environmental degradation and climate change are taking a toll on coral species, and actions must be taken to prevent them from becoming extinct. Reefs are crucial to protect ecosystems, store carbon, and protect shorelines.