San Andrés Island, Colombia

rrreef 1.0 was built together with 11 workshop participants in collaboration with our local partner NGO Corales de Paz and the valuable support of Conservation International Colombia, the Colombian Ministry of Environment, the Colombian Navy, and the local environmental authority CORALINA.
The 228-brick reef is our most important project to date. After material and structure field tests, it is our first proper reef. Financed by a crowd of supporters, this project is not only a scientific experiment, but also here to connect people. Amongst each other and with coral reefs.

in our hands-on in-water reef-building workshop with Corales de Paz, participants got insights into coral ecology, different approaches to coral restoration, and ecosystem rehabilitation. they learned why structure matters for coral larvae settlement and growth, and about appropriate design, logistics, and scientific underwater methods. after learning critical background information on reef restoration best practices, we introduced participants to our new approach of passive, structure-based habitat regeneration.

they really got their hands on it and learned how to safely build a new reef structure underwater, acquiring in-water skills such as handling heavy gear, lift bags, ropes, and of course our rrreef brick system. this included construction of the reef foundation, scouting and preparing the reef site, implementing and anchoring the new structure underwater, and finally using coral fragmentation and transplantation techniques to outplant first corals onto the new reef. further our participants experienced the process of selecting and evaluating donor, nursery, and transplantation sites, and maintaining and monitoring nurseries and reef structures.