I.CARE's Sponge Outplant: Restoring Florida's Coral Reef

Sponges are vital organisms on the reef. They facilitate habitat, improve water quality, and serve as a "living glue" to ensure corals remain attached to the reef. Nevertheless, Caribbean reef sponges are an understudied and underappreciated subject area. I.CARE actively restores reef sponges through sponge outplant trips, where recreational divers participate in hands-on sponge restoration. Since the start of our program, we have transplanted over 5,500 sponges back onto the reef! Take a look at a first-person POV video by I.CARE intern Zoe Szabo and experience a sponge outplant from the eyes of a SCUBA diver. This video is also available in 360 format in our "360-Degree Reef Restoration" folder and in VR at the I.CARE education center! Interested in joining us on a dive? Learn more at www.icareaboutcoral.org