Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

Reef Life Foundation takes a holistic approach to coral reef conservation by aiming to revitalize, restore, and protect reef ecosystems through advanced materials engineering and biological research, applied restoration, international and local collaborations, and educational outreach. In November 2018, Reef Life deployed their revolutionary nanotechnology artificial reefs, called IntelliReefs, onto reefs severely affected by Hurricane Irma (2017) in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten. The deployment goals for these pilot IntelliReefs were to provide food and shelter for fish communities, complex 3-D structures to enhance biodiversity, additional healthy coral reef habitat to attract wild coral spawn, and to adhere to strict budgetary requirements.

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Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

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Understanding and promoting healthy coral reefs for island communities is vital to increase awareness of restoration efforts and integrate local economic entities and anti-poverty groups into landscape management plans and environmental justice initiatives. Improving the health of reefs will improve the livelihoods and health of local populations who rely on reefs for food security, storm protection, and economic stability. We are currently in the early stages of producing an ongoing coral reef online educational outreach curriculum (Reef Life Ocean Academy: https://www.reeflifefoundation.org/ocean-academy) and coral reef cartoon series with Studio Pigeon (http://www.studiopigeon.com/). The aim of the series and companion curriculum is to increase accessibility to immersive coral reef educational experiences around the world. In many island and developing nations, scuba diving and snorkeling experiences are primarily reserved for tourists, and Reef Life Foundation is aiming to empower local children through increasing awareness and protection of coral reefs, environmental justice for local island populations and developing nations, and improving literacy and ongoing education for women and girls (SDG 5 - the curriculum will be provided for free to select SDG5 groups and organizations). We plan to work with the educational outreach coordinator at the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten to provide this curriculum for free to local schools.

We will also be partnering directly with Isla Mar Research Expeditions based out of Puerto Rico to provide specialized ongoing education and outreach training to the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten and fish identification skills to local high school students. Isla Mar Research Expeditions is a Puerto Rico-based marine education company that specializes in training student scientists and citizen scientists in skills needed to survey coral reef ecosystems. Their innovative underwater tablet application, Artedi, was designed to teach users how to identify fish while underwater through intuitive technology to match fish illustrations with what they are seeing in real-life. Trainers from the Nature Foundation will be instructed on how to teach this skill using Artedi and how to manage the data collected in Artedi's back-end user management system. The Nature Foundation will be left with two Artedi dive units to continue the training with their new surveyors.

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