Closer Look at Coral Farms

An OCEANOS intern (right) and instructor (left) swim down to take a closer look at a coral 'farm' on the ocean floor. Each of the square frames in this photo is filled with small pieces of coral. After a few years of growing in this farm, marine biologists will replant the mature coral into damaged and dying reefs around Puerto Rico. As part of the OCEANOS (Ocean Community Engagement and Awareness using NASA Earth Observations and Science) internship, students learn about coral reef ecology and restoration, helping to build these coral 'farms' as part of the field work section of the internship.