Continued funding for 2026

We’re excited to share some great news: our coral reef restoration project has received continued funding for 2026, enabling us to build on the progress achieved over the past few years. With the ongoing support of Saruni Basecamp Explorer Foundation, ReefoDivers Diani can further strengthen its community-based approach to coral reef restoration.

At the heart of the project is our Reef Ranger team: locally trained men and women who maintain coral nurseries, monitor reef health, and restore a damaged reef area within the Diani-Chale National Marine Reserve. This continued funding allows us to focus on capacity building within the existing team, upgrading dive certifications, and ensuring fair daily allowances that support transport, meals, and long-term commitment to conservation work.

In early 2026, our Reef Rangers will begin outplanting over 500 coral colonies to 75 artificial reef cages that we deployed in the last few weeks. These corals have been carefully grown and maintained in our nurseries and will be monitored closely to assess survival, growth, and attachment success. Community involvement remains central to the project. Through close collaboration with the Mwakamba BMU, we continue to strengthen local stewardship of the marine environment. Interest from neighboring communities and BMUs in establishing similar coral nursery areas — functioning as no-take zones with positive spillover effects — shows the broader relevance of this approach for both reef restoration and local livelihoods.

We are deeply grateful for the continued trust and support of Saruni / Basecamp Explorer Foundation. Their commitment enables us not only to protect and restore coral reefs today, but also to prepare our local Reef Ranger team for a possible expansion of the project in 2027. We hope to establish a second community managed marine area (CMMA) to ensure that marine conservation knowledge and efforts will further spread among the community. Thank you to everyone who supports our work — above and below the surface.