To combat coral bleaching, Kenya turns to reef nurseries

WASINI, Kenya (AP) — The marine area off the coast of Kenya at Wasini Island, jointly managed by a foundation and the island’s community, has been planting over 8,000 corals a year since 2012 and placed about 800 artificial reef structures in the channel in a bid to restore Wasini’s coral gardens. But the project is threatened by growing costs and a planned fishing port in Shimoni, a mere 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) away on Kenya’s coast. The United Nation’s Oceans Conference, which begins Monday (June 27, 2022) in Lisbon, Portugal, is set to put protection and restoration efforts for coral reefs back on the agenda.