Causes:
Animals,
Environment,
Environmental Education,
Water,
Water Resources, Wetlands Conservation & Management,
Wildlife Preservation & Protection
Mission: Reef Relief is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to Improve and Protect our Coral Reef Ecosystem.
Our GoalsIncrease public awareness of the importance and value of living coral reef ecosystems
Increase scientific understanding and knowledge of living coral reef ecosystems
Strengthen grassroots community-based efforts to protect coral reef ecosystems
Design, develop, and help implement marine protected areas associated with coral reef ecosystem
Encourage and support eco-tourism as part of sustainable community development that protects and preserves coral reef ecosystems
Strengthen our organizational capacity to carry out our mission
Reef Relief’s goal is S.E.A. for C.P.R.
We focus on rigorous Science to Educate the public & Advocate policymakers to achieve Conservation, Protection, and Restoration of coral reefs
Target demographics: the coral reef
Geographic areas served: Florida Keys
Programs: Reef Relief is focused on four program areas:* Marine Projects: Founder Craig Quirolo documents reef health from the Coral Photo Monitoring Survey. Images from the ongoing survey of coral reefs in Florida and the Caribbean can be accessed via an Online Archive at www.reefrelief.org. Numerous short videos of these same reefs have been produced and loaded onto Youtube. Quirolo's study of the images from the 18-year survey have led to the discovery of new coral diseases in collaboration with the Reef Relief Scientific Advisory Board. * Coral Reef Conservation Program: Reef Relief's environmental education program increases awareness of the importance of coral reefs through a multimedia grassroots effort that includes operation of the Reef Relief Environmental Center in Key West, an extensive website at www.reefrelief.org, the Discovery Coral Reefs School Program for 4th grade students in the Florida Keys, production of educator tools, and educational campaigns for target audiences such as divers, boaters, fishermen, residents and visitors to coral reefs. The Clean Water Campaign guides policymaking to improve water quality for coral reefs, especially improved sewage and stormwater treatment to advanced nutrient removal standards since corals can tolerate only minute levels of phosphates and nitrates. Headquarters are in Key West, one of the only public learning facilities in the world dedicated to coral reefs. * International Projects: Reef Relief provides information and onsite training to grassroots organizations and communities around the world involved in launching coral reef protection programs. Past projects include Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Guanana/Bay Islands/Honduras, Mexico, St. Kitts and the Bahamas. Reef Relief operates the Capt. Roland Roberts Environmental Center as a public educational facility in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas. The center features a classroom, activity room for children, library catering to boaters and visitors, and offices for Reef Relief volunteer docents, who provide guided tours of the facility, an aluminum recycling program, a green bag project and a Bush Native Garden. In previous years 18 reef mooring buoys were installed at coral reefs around Green Turtle Cay and a coral nursery established to salvage storm-damaged coral at nearby Noname Cay. The Capt. Roland Roberts House is a historical circa 1840 house that was recently restored by the local Architectural Historical Foundation. These programs are supported by a growing membership, foundation support, donations of goods, equipment and time, and fundraising events such as the annual Holiday Online Auction. The annual membership meeting is in Key West each year and includes induction of new board members and announcement of new board members and the results of the the board of directors advance and their goals for the coming year.
