Mote partners with SCUBAPRO on new Coral Reef Restoration Citizen Science Program
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, anounced today a partnership with Johnson Outdoors, a leading global innovator of outdoor recreation equipment and technology, together with its SCUBAPRO brand, to create a community coral reef restoration program that offers divers the opportunity to participate and make a positive difference in the health of our coral reef system.
"At Johnson Outdoors, we consider it our responsibility to leave the world a better place and to accelerate our environmental efforts. We’re excited to partner with Mote Marine Laboratory to offer divers the opportunity to dive with us and help restore coral reefs," said Helen Johnson-Leipold, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson Outdoors.
“Coral reefs are the building block of the ocean ecosystem, accounting for 25 percent of marine life worldwide. We’re excited to partner with Johnson Outdoors and SCUBAPRO on this program that will bring scale to a program rooted in ground-breaking science,” said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President & CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.
SCUBAPRO is partnering with its vast network of ocean conservation-conscious brand dealers to organize a series of coral reef restoration events for divers to experience first-hand Mote’s science-based research and conservation efforts to protect the oceans we all love and enjoy.
During the full-day program, participants will learn about coral reef ecology and get a hands-on experience with Mote’s leading, holistic science-based coral reef restoration methods, including a Mote pioneered technique called microfragmentation and reskinning, which allows Mote to grow thousands of coral fragments on land before planting them onto the reef, stimulating rapid growth at a rate as fast as 50x compared to natural coral growth.
Participants may also help maintain Mote’s underwater coral tree nurseries, and plant coral fragments grown in the program out on real ocean reefs. All scuba divers are welcome to join SCUBAPRO and Mote for these restoration events.
To learn more about the partnership and to get involved in the coral reef restoration project, visit: SCUBAPRO.com/Mote.
About Johnson Outdoors
JOHNSON OUTDOORS is a leading global innovator of outdoor recreation equipment and technologies that inspire more people to experience the awe of the great outdoors. The company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft Recreation, Fishing, Diving and Camping. Johnson Outdoors' iconic brands include: Old Town® canoes and kayaks; Carlisle® paddles; Minn Kota® fishing motors, shallow water anchors, and battery chargers; Cannon® downriggers; Humminbird® marine electronics and charts; SCUBAPRO® dive equipment; Jetboil® outdoor cooking systems; and Eureka!® camping and hiking equipment. www.johnsonoutdoors.com.
About SCUBAPRO®
SCUBAPRO® is the most respected diving brand in the world. SCUBAPRO sets the gold standard for performance, reliability and technical rigor. SCUBAPRO offers best-in-class quality and technical excellence in breathing regulators, buoyancy compensators, dive computers, dive wear, masks, fins, snorkels and a full range of accessories to make every dive unforgettable. To learn more, visit SCUBAPRO at www.scubapro.com.
About Mote Marine Laboratory
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium has a nearly 70-year legacy as an independent, nonprofit, 501(c)3 global marine research and science education institution. Mote began in 1955 and flourished on the foundational pillars of “Passion, Partnership and Philanthropy” - the passion of a single researcher, Dr. Eugenie Clark, her partnership with the community and philanthropic support, first of the Vanderbilt family, later with the significant support and guidance of the William R. Mote family, and today through donations by thousands of individuals who believe in the mission of Mote.
Today, Mote has grown into eight campuses stretching from Tampa Bay to Key West, with a ninth new campus, the Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA), currently under construction. Mote has more than 25 diverse world-class research programs studying oceans locally and internationally, with an emphasis on positively impacting conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. The current Mote Aquarium in Sarasota showcases Mote Research and is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 pm, 365 days a year. Learn more at mote.org.