NEW YORK—Fregate Island is excited to announce a new coral adoption program in partnership with Luxury watchmaker BlancPain and Coralive.org. The aim is to support the regrowth of corals and resilience using first of its kind mineral accretion technology. This trailblazing method results in a higher survival rate of coral fragments compared to classic rehabilitation and is one of the few locations in the world that utilize this practice.
The coral adoption program will allow for participants to join this unique project in three ways; A complete coral dome donation, part of a coral dome donation, or the planting of coral fragments/a supportive donation. All donations will go directly to the Fregate Island Foundation, the nonprofit organization contributing to the conservation and preservation of Fregate Island.
Once a donation amount is selected, individuals can simply reach out to the Sustainability and Conservation Manager or another member of the Fregate Team with their preference. A dome will then be built and placed in the water by island conservationists, where it will receive an individual ID that is linked to the donor’s name. Participants looking for a more hands-on experience will have the opportunity to engage in placing the dome and attaching coral fragments themselves should they have the appropriate diving credentials.
Since 2018, Fregate Island and Blancpain have joined forces to study, restore and preserve the marine environment around the island. Coralive.org and BlueNomads.org led the field projects with additional support from the Green Islands Foundation, and the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust. All partners have worked together in building these unique underwater coral structures made from ferrous metals, which includes power transformers to provide a weak electrical charge. This method promotes growth of coral and resulting in a higher survival rate of coral fragments when compared to classic rehabilitation methods and is the only one of its kind in the Seychelles.
As the team enters the second phase of the coral research project, they will closely monitor survival rates, growth rates, resilience, and recovery during seasonal heat waves as well as algae settlement on the structures. Donors who choose to fund a complete or partial coral dome will be updated with pictures and statistics about the coral growth in the years to come. They will also receive pictures and a certificate from the initial planting process.
