Replanting a hurricane-flattened reef off southern Belize
After Hurricane Iris wrecked a reef near Placencia, a biologist and local fishers began growing coral fragments in nurseries and replanting them, even as marine heatwaves set them back.
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The small thing
After Hurricane Iris in 2001, Lisa Carne noticed broken pieces of elkhorn coral lying in seagrass and wondered whether reefs could be replenished by planting such fragments.
The problem
Hurricane Iris struck southern Belize in October 2001 and, according to UNDP, left live coral cover at Laughing Bird Caye National Park below 6%. Caribbean Acropora corals had already declined by more than 98% in recent decades and are listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
Why Lisa Carne started
Carne had lived in Placencia since the mid-1990s and worked on reefs as a researcher and park manager. Seeing coral fragments scattered after the hurricane led to her idea of replenishing reefs by planting corals, and in 2006 a research grant let her use Laughing Bird Caye as a natural laboratory and nursery (Fragments of Hope's own account).
What they did
The group grows fragments of fast-growing Acropora corals in underwater nurseries and replants them on degraded reef, choosing naturally heat-tolerant colonies, keeping genetic diversity and planting only between December and May, outside hurricane and bleaching season. Fragments of Hope was registered as a Belizean not-for-profit in 2013.
The Commonwealth case study describes local fishers, tour operators and Fisheries Department staff as central to the work. UNDP reports that Placencia fisherman and guide Dale Godfrey chaired the group, that 30 more Belizeans had been trained and certified in coral replenishment, and that the work had spread to 10 reef sites in four protected areas.
What changed
According to Mongabay, live coral cover on the restored reef at Laughing Bird Caye rose from about 6% in 2006 to about 60% by 2023, with more than 92,000 fragments planted over roughly one hectare. The Commonwealth case study reports that outplanted corals reproduced sexually in each year monitored from 2014 to 2017. In 2017 the project received a UN Momentum for Change 'Lighthouse Activity' award.
What they learned
Carne has stressed that local action still counts even though climate change is global, telling UNDP that "there are smaller things you can do that impact local sites". The group has also learned to identify heat-resistant 'winner' corals and move them to lower-stress sites.
“2024 was the worst bleaching event since we've been recording around 2008”Lisa Carne and Fragments of Hope, as quoted by Mongabay
Copy this idea
Practical guidance written by our editors from the sources below. Adapt it to your place, and check local rules and safety first.
- Problem addressed
- Damaged reefs near communities that depend on fishing and tourism.
- What to do
- Community coral gardening: nursery-grown fragments replanted under permit, with long-term monitoring.
- Materials and resources
- Nursery frames or lines, dive or snorkel gear, cable ties or cement, monitoring equipment.
- Approximate cost
- Moderate
- Skills
- Diving, coral biology, species identification, data recording; formal training is essential.
- Time
- Years to decades.
- People needed
- A core trained team plus volunteers, fishers and the fisheries or parks authority.
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Risks and limitations
- Coral collection and planting usually require government permits; poor technique can damage reefs. Heatwaves can kill planted corals.
- How to adapt it
- Non-divers can support monitoring, reduce local pollution and overfishing, or volunteer with an established restoration group.
- Lessons learned
- Plant outside storm and heat seasons, favour heat-tolerant colonies, and budget for monitoring from the start.
Why it matters
Replanting a hectare of reef cannot offset ocean warming. But the project shows that a small, locally rooted team can rebuild damaged reef, train neighbours to monitor it, and learn which corals are most likely to survive hotter seas.
Policy connection
International commitments this kind of action contributes to. Listing a framework does not mean the person or group was working towards it.
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Targets 2, 3 and 22: Restoration, area-based conservation, and full participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities, including protection of environmental human rights defenders.
- SDG 14 and SDG 15: Life below water and life on land.
What didn't work
Mongabay reports that 2024 brought the worst bleaching the group had recorded; many planted corals at Laughing Bird Caye died from heat stress and disease, and at another site, Moho Caye, live coral cover fell from over 50% to under 5%. The group paused planting to focus on monitoring. The Commonwealth case study also lists unreliable funding, illegal fishing and monitoring costs that exceed the cost of restoration itself.
Editor's note
Active in 2025: Mongabay reported that after record bleaching in 2024 the group paused planting to monitor, then lifted its self-imposed moratorium in June 2025.
Sources: how do we know?
Evidence level: Documented. Supported by reliable published sources such as UN agencies, award bodies and reputable journalism. Not yet independently re-verified by our editors. What the person says and what independent sources establish are attributed separately in the text.
- government
Case study: Fragments of Hope – community-led coral reef restoration at Laughing Bird Caye — Commonwealth Secretariat, November 2020Supports: Methods; community involvement; sexual reproduction 2014–2017; 2017 UN Lighthouse Activity award; challenges including funding, illegal fishing and monitoring costs. - un agency
Innovation helps rebuild Belize's coral reef — UNDP, 7 June 2019Supports: Coral cover under 6% after Hurricane Iris; Dale Godfrey as chair; 30 Belizeans trained; 10 sites in four protected areas; Carne quote on smaller local actions. - reputable journalism
Restoration, protection aim to save Belize's coral reef from extreme heat and disease — Mongabay, July 2025Supports: Coral cover ~6% (2006) to ~60% (2023); 92,000+ fragments; 2024 bleaching losses; Moho Caye decline; planting pause and June 2025 resumption; monitoring training; Carne quote. - organisational
History — Fragments of HopeSupports: Organisation's own account: Carne's background, post-hurricane idea, 2006 research grant, 2013 registration.