ATLANTA (May 1, 2023) – The Coral Restoration Foundation™ (CRF™), in partnership with Georgia Aquarium, has proudly unveiled the “Coral Bus”, a cutting-edge aquarium trailer system designed to transport nursery-raised corals safely to their new homes within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
With the world’s coral reefs facing unprecedented challenges from climate change, pollution, and other human-induced stressors, the need for innovative solutions in coral restoration and conservation has never been more urgent. The Coral Bus was developed to address the issue of coral stress during transport – removing as many stressors as possible gives these endangered animals an even better chance of survival in the wild.
The Coral Bus is a first-of-its-kind coral transport technology that closely replicates the open ocean conditions to which the corals are already acclimated. The state-of-the-art aquarium trailer enables practitioners to monitor and regulate water temperature, pH, filtration, and water flow to ensure the well-being of corals during transport, minimizing the stress experienced by these fragile animals while they are on the move.
“The Coral Bus now constitutes an incredible tool for our daily operations at CRF™ offering us year-round transport capabilities that can adapt to seasonal in-situ conditions,” says Jessica Levy, CRF™ Director Restoration Strategy, “By closely replicating the natural environment during transport, this system will help ensure the comfort and well-being of the corals we are moving. By reducing shock to these delicate animals, we are giving them an even better chance of surviving and thriving in the wild. We are deeply grateful to Georgia Aquarium for their invaluable contributions to this groundbreaking project. Their expertise and support have been instrumental in revolutionizing coral transportation, paving the way for a brighter future for coral reefs and marine ecosystems. Now we are just looking forward to hitting the road!”
“Coral restoration and conservation is an on-going mission for Georgia Aquarium, both at home and in tandem with partners, like CRF,™” said Steve Hartter, associate curator of fish and invertebrates at Georgia Aquarium. “We were thrilled to have contributed to the completion of the Coral Bus, which will give CRF™ the ability to expand their impactful work preserving our ocean’s coral reefs.”
The Coral Bus was designed and built by Coral Restoration Foundation™ and Georgia Aquarium with support from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
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Georgia Aquarium is a leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Atlanta, Ga. that is Humane Certified by American Humane and accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Georgia Aquarium is committed to working on behalf of all marine life through education, preservation, exceptional animal care, and research across the globe. Georgia Aquarium continues its mission each day to inspire, educate, and entertain its millions of guests about the aquatic biodiversity throughout the world through its engaging exhibits and tens of thousands of animals across its eight major galleries.
