18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Coral restoration project: the assisted fecundation

Scientific divers collecting coral capsules during the spawning at night. The coral capsules contain fertilized eggs and sperms. By collecting, mixing them together and release them in the water, the biologists are able to help the coral's reproduction and diffusion by increasing the fecundation of a huge percentage. The assisted fecundation is an extraordinary technique to speed up the reef recovery and rebalance the loss of coral environment that occured in the last 50 years.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 12.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Kralendijk, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Copyright: © Lorenzo Mittiga