Koh Yawasam West Nursery
Our second coral nursery was established during the COVID-19 pandemic while taking advantage of the period of calm granted to us by the global travel ban. After a brief period during which the National Park was closed, we were able to begin our work in August 2021.
While the actual coral planting methodology remained fairly unaltered from that used on the East side, the disposition of the planted corals and the overall shape of the nursery was modified to better fit the local environmental conditions and to reduce the overall coral loss due to natural causes.
As with our previous site, the location we chose to start our coral nursery on was mostly barren, with an abundance of sand, bare rocks, and very little marine life.
The first adaptation to our nursery design was the creation of a raised quarantine table, which allowed us to temporarily store the newly propagated fragments slightly above ground, reducing loss due to oversedimentation.
Another adaptation was the immediate creation of a high perimeter wall and of flat foundations, in order to effectively contain the propagated corals and reduce to a minimum any disturbances from waves or other marine life such as sea urchins and triggerfish, as well as limiting the amount of sand shifting around the propagated corals.
Our plan is to continue adding corals to the existing sections, and to establish new sections on this nursery until we completely reconnect the various isolated parts of surrounding coral reef.
Join us during one of our Coral Propagation days to participate in this effort, or consider adopting a coral, or maybe even sponsoring a nursery section from home if you are unable to be here in person!
