Coral and Sponge

How Can You Take Part?

Sign up for a “coral restoration dive charter”! You’ll meet in the I.CARE education center (located at our dive shop in Islamorada) at 8:30am for a tutorial on corals, the threats to our reef, and a hands-on workshop on how to transplant coral. At 12:30pm you meet back at the dive shop and join us on a 2-tank dive trip transplanting coral onto the reefs. This will be one of your most rewarding days spent under the sea!

What Is The Schedule?

Key Dives offers outplanting trips on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month. If that is not convenient for you, please email I.CARE directly at icareaboutcoral@gmail.com and ask for the complete schedule with other participating shops.

Who Is I.CARE?

Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education, or in other words, I.CARE (www.IcareAboutCoral.org) is a team of interns and scientists dedicated to the restoration of Islamorada’s reefs.

I.CARE cares for a variety of coral species (brain corals, bouldering star corals, branching staghorn and elkhorn corals, and more) in an on-land nursery until the fragments are ready to be transported out to the reef and places them with your help into their new home. You can come back year after year to see the fruits of your work and help to transplant more coral!

What Is The Cost?

The cost is $25 plus the cost of the days dive charter. This means you only pay $25 more for the education and training in the morning with the I.CARE interns and scientists, hands-on workshop, and underwater work planting coral – what a bargain! Keys locals dive for only $25. Of course, if you want to donate more than $25, the folks at I.CARE would be very appreciative!