Glossary

Corals are large colonies of small marine animals, called polyps, that live on hard exoskeletons made out of calcium carbonate, a stonelike material. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with an algae called zooxanthellae, which lives on the outer layer of the coral structure.

A coral nursery is a sheltered, underwater installation where small coral fragments grow into mature corals, so they can be outplanted in degraded reef areas. The goal of this process is to increase coral health, diversity, and abundance and to have a continuous stock of corals. Coral nurseries come in different forms and shapes, such as rebar structures, nylon ropes, or PVC pipe trees.

Mangrove forests grow in tropical and subtropical regions north and south of the equator. Mangrove trees and shrubs thrive in brackish to salty tidal waters. Their characteristic roots allow them to deal with the rise and fall of the tides and help stabilize coastlines, reduce erosion, and provide food and shelter for many animals.

The coral propagation process involves cutting or breaking an established coral colony into multiple smaller colonies, called coral fragments, which are used to rebuild existing, damaged reefs. This is not suitable for creating new reefs in other locations.