Support the Advancement and Development of Artificial Reefs in Queensland 

Background 

We need your support.

As a Social Enterprise, we are seeking support from the local community to work with us to improve reefs around Australia. Artificial reefs have been created in many countries around the world for various purposes including snorkelling, SCUBA, surfing, energy production, eco-tourism, erosion mitigation, aquaculture, research, infrastructure and conservation. An artificial reef is any man-made or altered material placed into an aquatic environment to mimic certain characteristics of a natural reef. Artificial reefs are often used to create new fishing and diving opportunities, and to shift pressure from other popular locations. Currently, there are over 150 artificial reefs in Australia providing benefits for both commercial and recreational marine users. Nurtured.Co believes this is only the start and with your support we aim to scale and increase the number of artificial reefs in Australia and to create tailor-made reefs to service all marine stake holders. 

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FAQ

Sponsor a Reef Segment
Sponsor a Reef Segment
Sponsor a Reef Segment
Sponsor a Reef Segment
Sponsor a Reef Segment
Sponsor a Reef Segment

Sponsor a Reef Segment

$9.99
  • We build X cm of Reef 
  • Each purchase receives a stunning digital artwork 
  • 6 digital files are sent to your email 
  • Receive ongoing updates about the reef

 The reef that you are sponsoring has the ability to live on for generations, providing habitats for a host of fish, marine organisms and coral. Your payment goes directly towards funding our research into providing the environment with the most resilient and beneficial reef possible. In exchange for your payment, we provide you with a digital certificate. 

Over time, the Nurtured.Co structures will continue to grow and develop into a vibrant reef. Currently, our structures are growing at rates of approximately 5cm per year. While this may not sound like much, this growth is effectively 10x the original diameter of the initial rebar steel implemented. The primary substance depositing and growing on the structure is called calcium carbonate. This is the same material that makes up the foundation of the vast majority of natural reefs around the world. 

 


Through our nurturing methods, both local corals and settled coral larvae will prosper and be brought to life. Surrounding corals that may be suffering are fragmented and placed on the Nurtured structure as a ‘coral transplant’ to provide a much more stable and resilient foundation for further growth. In addition, coral larvae will be attracted to the structures, and brand new corals will begin to grow. This encourages biodiversity and provides the surrounding area with a seed bank of coral that can replenish the surrounding area if a bleaching event occurs.

Coral larval settlement can occur during or even a few months after the spawning season; as corals are typically slow-growing, it can take years to form into a thriving reef. The benefits of Nurtured.Co reefs are not only in their ability to create a structure that allows coral to grow from larvae but also the structure can increase coral growth rates by 2-10x depending on the species. 

While many organisations simply transplant coral into new areas or grow coral on structures that require hours of maintenance per month, our reefs are low maintenance and far more scalable. The small electric reaction created by our nurturing methods allows for the reef to repel algae and encourage larval settlement. 

Nurtured structures are built to survive through bleaching events and other extreme conditions and with your investment into the reef, our structures may be the difference between large ecosystems of marine life surviving or perishing in the near future.

We believe this technology can be used to effectively scale and duplicate the outer reef, allowing for not only a safeguard of biodiversity but a substantial increase in the carrying capacity of the environment.  

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