Coral + Biodiversity

Grow Coral in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

Each coral planted comes with 10 years of monitoring and stewardship.

Restore Coral Reefs
1 Coral Fragment Quantity
Total $40.00/mo
Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
Coral reef restoration
1 Coral Fragment
$40.00/mo
Restore Coral Reefs
1 Coral FragmentGrow coral in Costa Rica
4,000 Corals outplanted from 2026 to 2029
10+ Permanent monitoring sites with annual 3D surveys
8+ Trained, compensated local coral gardeners
5 Years of biodiversity monitoring
How it works

Select. Grow. Outplant.

Seatrees and Raising Coral are restoring reefs in Golfo Dulce and at Caño Island Biological Reserve, off Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, with climate-smart techniques, coral nurseries and community-led stewardship.

1.Resilience-first selection Coral fragments are collected from colonies that survived past bleaching events — thermally tolerant genotypes chosen for their ability to withstand warming waters.
2.Underwater nurseries Branching fragments hang on underwater "tree" structures or rope lines for 8 to 10 months. Massive corals are mounted on ceramic plugs and grown in nursery racks for around six months.
3.Outplanting to the reef Branching corals are attached to Reef Stars, hexagonal frames that lift them off the sediment-laden seafloor and add 3D habitat. Massive corals are attached directly to the reef.

See the restoration in action

Project partner

Raising Coral

Raising Coral is a Costa Rican nonprofit dedicated to the restoration of coral reefs in Costa Rica. Their team works to improve the resilience of reef ecosystems that are essential to marine life, local fisheries, tourism, and coastal communities.

Raising Coral began piloting coral propagation in Golfo Dulce in 2016 as part of a collaboration with the University of Costa Rica, representing one of the first major reef restoration projects on the Pacific Coast of Central America. Since then, they have installed 16 nurseries and outplanted more than 6,000 corals across Golfo Dulce. They recently expanded their work to Caño Island in 2025.

Raising Coral’s approach is grounded in the belief that restoration only works when centered around local communities. Through their coral gardener program, Coralmanía community outplanting events, school presentations, and environmental festivals, Raising Coral has built a growing movement of local reef stewards in the communities surrounding Golfo Dulce and the Osa Peninsula.

Learn more
Global impact

Sustainable Development Goals

Seatrees evaluates every project against the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Costa Rica Coral Restoration Project supports 5 of them.

Goal 4Quality EducationCoral gardener training and community presentations build ocean literacy and technical skills for local residents and youth.Explore all 17 UN Goals →
From the field

Life on the reef

Beyond planting: what each Block funds

Bleaching contingency planningDuring marine heatwaves, the team responds in real time by lowering nursery structures to cooler depths, installing temporary shading devices over sensitive corals, and suspending outplanting until thermal stress subsides.
3D monitoring through photogrammetryPhotos taken with Samsung’s “Ocean Mode” build 3D models of the reef. A time series of models tracks coral growth, reef structure and biodiversity recovery, shared with communities, scientists and policymakers.
Community training and co-managementLocal coral gardeners complete a two-week program covering diving, restoration techniques, leadership and first aid. They are paid for their fieldwork and become long-term stewards of the reefs in their backyard.

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