Giving Bonaire’s Reef
a Helping Hand

We protect and restore coral reefs in Bonaire by developing
new and innovative ways to restore reefs that are supported
by research collaborations and shared worldwide.
JeffDavis
2018
JeffDavis
2024

Dedicated to restoring Bonaire’s coral reefs

Since 2012, Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire has been dedicated to restoring Bonaire’s coral reefs through innovative coral nurseries and restoration techniques. Guided by our key priorities, we continue to restore multiple coral species, educate people from around the world about how they can help, and use the latest science and research to guide and shape our techniques.

Our techniques

We assist the recovery of deteriorated coral reef areas in Bonaire, using active coral restoration as a strategy to preserve and enhance the population of coral species.

coral-tree-icon

Coral Fragmentation

Coral propagation by fragmentation is a coral reef restoration technique that is based on the asexual reproduction of corals. It allows us to harness the natural process of fragmentation to propagate large numbers of corals.

larval-prop-icon

Larval Propagation

We use coral sexual reproduction as a coral reef restoration method. This method increases the genetic diversity of corals on reefs scales up the number of corals we can outplant.

Do you want to get involved with coral restoration?

Have you ever wished you could give something back to the underwater world that has provided you with beautiful and fun experiences since the moment you learned to dive? Are you ready to dive for a worthy cause?

Explore Our Impact

Discover our projects around Bonaire and witness the positive changes we’ve made around the island.

Want to help?

The Adopt A Coral program is designed to provide a tangible way to engage in Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire’s restoration efforts. When adopting through the program, you are directly funding the restoration of Bonaire’s reefs.

Thousands of corals are propagated through fragmentation and larval rearing techniques and strategically outplanted later to local degraded reefs on Bonaire, promoting genetic diversity.

Photo by Lorenzo Mittiga

Every coral counts in our mission to restore the reefs

divericon

Corals outplanted

+
Artboard 6@2x

Restoration sites

staghorn_tree@2x

Coral nursery capacity

staghorn_bunch@2x

Restored area (m2)

coralspecies

Our coral species

Last updated: February 2024

News

Strengthening Bonaire’s Coral Reefs Amidst Unprecedented Bleaching
Caribbean coral reefs, including Bonaire’s, have experienced unprecedented bleaching in the past two years, driven by record-high ocean temperatures that threaten the survival of nearly all species in the region. Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire (RRFB) is growing heat-resilient corals to strengthen vulnerable populations and help them survive mounting challenges. To scale up its response to bleaching, ...

Read more

Shading Bonaire’s Corals: An Innovative Approach to Bleaching Mitigation
By RRFB Intern Nicolas Franchini This past April, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a statement confirming the occurrence of the fourth global coral bleaching event, which persisted from May 2023 through March 2024. At Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire (RRFB), we witnessed firsthand the devastating impacts of rising ocean temperatures on our coral ...

Read more

RRFB’s New Leadership and Team Expansion
RRFB Announces New Leadership and Team Expansion The Board of Directors of Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire (RRFB) has appointed Ernst Noyons as Chief Operating Officer (COO), who has over 3 years of experience at the organization and previous roles in marine conservation. Our team continues to expand and scale their restoration activities to enhance the ...

Read more

anbi-logo

Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire is a non-profit, non-governmental organization located in Bonaire. We have an official ANBI-status as designated by the Dutch Tax Administration (RSIN 825690468), and are accredited as a CAF America Validated Organization. Our Fiscal Identification Number is 303074802. RRFB is also a registered Global Giving non-profit organization as of 2024.