Progress report for
Reef Life Foundation IntelliReefs Biomimicking Coral Habitats
Achievement at a glance
The Nature Foundation St Maarten partnered with Reef Life Foundation in an effort to find solutions for their vulnerable coral reef ecosystems. In November 2018, we deployed three IntelliReefs structures underwater near Philipsburg, Sint Maarten as part of a pilot study. The structures were deployed on three sites: a coral reef in a marine protected area (MPA), a busy coral reef/seagrass bed through-way, and a highly disturbed and degraded seagrass bed in Cole Bay. Sint Maartens marine ecosystems have been degraded by overfishing, hurricanes, runoff, and a suite of other compounding natural and anthropogenic stressors over the past five decades. We deployed IntelliReefs, monitored their progress over a 14-month period, analyzed the preliminary results, and are currently preparing a paper for scientific publication in the fall. After conducting fieldwork to assess the efficacy of this pilot project in January 2020, IntelliReefs scientists found that Oceanite can increase local biodiversity, foster wild coral settlement, and accumulate a healthy, early stage coral community in just 14 months.Challenges faced in implementation
The major challenges that our team faced for our project in Sint Maarten were related to funding limitations and COVID-19 travel/work restrictions. Our pilot project was small, but requires ongoing monitoring and analysis. We are currently seeking large investments for further deployment within the Man of War Shoal Marine Park, but local business and conservation authorities have been severely affected by COVID-19. Our conservation partner, the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, generally monitors our structures when the IntelliReefs team is not on the ground, and they have been unable to resume work as normal due to governmental budget cuts in the past 9 months.Beneficiaries
IntelliReefs directly provide biological benefits for the local reefs in Sint Maarten as well as economic benefits through increases in resources for fisheries and local tourism. We are currently collaborating with conservation organizations, oceanic data collection companies, marine education organizations, and international and domestic researchers. IntelliReefs focuses on reaching clients interested in developing large marine infrastructure. Our products give US and international tourists an unprecedented underwater experience for eco-resorts and tourism agencies. As a cladding application onto sea walls, jetty installations, or submerged breakwaters, IntelliReefs products bring ecological advantages to modern marine infrastructure with inert materials that facilitate colonization by diverse flora and fauna. Our clients from the conservation community have species- and ecosystem- specific restoration targets, and IntelliReefs can be customized to attain global SDGs.