Welcome to the Edwin O. Smith High School Coral Propagation Project!

With the world’s reefs in peril from a number of anthropogenic factors, the students at E.O. Smith are on the front lines of trying to save this endangered ecosystem. The E.O. Smith Coral Project currently maintains approximately 1200 gallons of coral propagation systems at the school. We have over 50 different species of coral growing in our various systems and involve over 100 students per year in learning about corals, coral reef ecosystems, and conservation. Oceanography, environmental science and biology students are introduced to the biology of corals and methods that can be used to propagate them in captivity.

Objectives

• To introduce students to corals and coral reef ecosystems in a hands-on environment.
• To involve students in the research to improve coral aquaculture techniques, increasing the number of aquacultured corals available to the marine aquarium trade.
• To involve students in the scientific research that will help us to better understand our impacts on the world's reefs.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Toyota Corporation for their generosity in the Toyota Tapestry Program which provided the funding to start this project.

We would also like to thank the E.O. Smith Foundation for their generosity and continued support for the project.