“I really want everybody to know that this is the aquarium community that started this.” – Ken Nedimyer

From five corals that settled on their rock in 1996, CRF has successfully grown over 20,000 corals for transplantation to reefs in need.  In John Carlin’s “fincast,” Ken Nedimyer describes the contributions of aquarists and the aquarium industry to CRF’s conservation efforts, which include captive propagation techniques, financial support, contributing time for dives, and raising public awareness.

Ken Nedimyer

The Coral Restoration Foundation should be at the top of the list for anyone searching for a NGO to support.  You will not only be supporting an organization doing effective conservation work but also an organization that has deep roots in the aquarium hobby.  Visit CRF’s website to learn how you can help.

And to those who perpetuate the myth that the aquarium industry does not care about conservation, take notice.  Instead of demonizing a hobby that shares the same desire for conservation, try working with us (and science) for the betterment of reefs everywhere.

About The Coral Restoration Foundation:

The Coral Restoration Foundation Inc (CRF) is a 501 c (3) non-profit conservation organization created
to develop off-shore coral nurseries and reef restoration programs for critically endangered coral reefs at local, national, and international levels. The mission of CRF is to develop affordable, effective strategies for protecting and restoring coral reefs and to train and empower others to implement those strategies in their coastal communities.

Since inception, CRF has pioneered novel offshore coral nursery and restoration techniques, and has collaborated closely with other organizations to further develop strategies and methods with threatened
species of corals. We are driven by action and results, and firmly believe that by directly incorporating the community into environmental field programs and daily operations we can significantly improve the success of restoring and preserving these aquatic treasures for current and future generations.

Our Goals:
• Education: To expand interested communities’ knowledge and awareness of the social and environmental benefits of coral reefs, as well as various issues influencing coral survival.
• Partnerships: To facilitate and encourage partnerships for the purpose of research, restoration, and
understanding of coastal resources and coral reefs.
• Public Participation: To reach and engage various user groups into supervised community–based
programs for restoration, that will lead to longterm community stewardship of coral reefs.
• Restoration: To restore coral reef ecosystem services by replanting structure building corals and to
utilize reef restoration to unite our goals education, partnerships, and public participation into action.