Queensland, Australia dive operator Passions of Paradise has opted to use the lockdown productively by developing its scientific partnerships and planting coral at two of its dive sites.
The work is in conjunction with the University of Technology Sydney’s Coral Nurture program.
Passions of Paradise donated a vessel to the program, with the aim of planting over 2,000 corals at two locations on Hastings Reef, according to Alan Wallish, the founder and managing director of Passions of Paradise:
“Hastings Reef provides an excellent opportunity to take this program and really put an intensive effort in supplementing the natural ability of the reef to heal itself. Hastings has faced many challenges in the last decade, from Cyclone Yasi in 2011, the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish outbreak of 2012-2013, and the mass bleaching events of 2016, 2017 and now 2020.”
Since the start of lockdown, Passions of Paradise has conducted four coral planting trips, and have managed to plant around 1,500 pieces of coral in total. They aim to continue their work until they hit and surpass their goal of 2,000.
