About 10 years ago, Counterpart International looked closely at what could be done to address the rapid pace of coral destruction around the communities we serve. Without an intervention, the decline would soon have devastating effects for other marine life as well as the communities who depend on fishing and tourism for their livelihoods.

This urgency led to an innovation in reef restoration, called coral gardening^TM, which Counterpart developed and refined in collaboration with Miami University and the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation.

Here’s a look at how Counterpart and its public and private sector partners have taken a community-based approach to building greater awareness, support and action for restoring these natural resources.