As part of our ongoing work in the Bahamas, SOAR is collecting genetic samples of Diadema antillarum to contribute to a Caribbean-wide study focused on understanding population connectivity of this important reef herbivore. This work is being conducted in collaboration with research partners in the Netherlands who are leading the genetic analysis. This effort involves collecting small tissue samples from individual urchins to analyze genetic similarities between populations

What does reef restoration look like in action? Our work in the Bahamas involves a combination of planning, teamwork, and hands-on fieldwork, both above and below the surface. From organizing and transporting equipment to constructing nursery structures and deploying settlement collectors, each step requires careful coordination. In the water, our team spends long hours diving to build rock pile formations, monitoring urchin populations, and assessing site conditions. These e

With support from the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, SOAR deployed settlement collectors at three locations around New Providence Island as part of establishing the first sea urchin nursery in The Bahamas. These collectors provide a suitable substrate for Diadema antillarum larvae to settle after their planktonic stage. Over time, the collectors develop a natural biofilm, which is known to support preferred settlement cues for Diadema larvae and other echinoids. The coll

We’re excited to share positive updates from the first in situ sea urchin nursery in the Bahamas! Since establishing the nursery, we’ve observed healthy Diadema antillarum  individuals  thriving within the micro-reef rock pile formations. These structures are providing essential shelter and habitat, supporting natural behaviors and offering protection from predators. Overall, the nursery is progressing well and showing encouraging early signs of success.  We look forward to c

After launching our new project in the Bahamas, our team connected with guests through an educational booth at Atlantis, creating opportunities to share the critical role reef grazers play in maintaining healthy coral ecosystems.  Through the interactive, hands-on activities, both adults and children learned how Diadema antillarum  help control algal growth on reefs, allowing space for corals to settle, grow, and thrive. We also highlighted SOAR’s ongoing restoration work and

One month after deployment, we are observing a 42.04% retention rate of the Diadema antillarum released at our experimental plots. These results are promising and provide valuable insight.    Notably, the vast majority of individuals remain within 15ft of their original deployment location, demonstrating strong site fidelity, a critical factor for successful restocking efforts. We also documented clear signs of grazing activity, an encouraging indication that these urchins a

SOAR is excited to share an update from the field on our Diadema familiarization study. Our team has successfully deployed Diadema antillarum along with their reef rubble and living tissue structures at Horseshoe Reef in the Florida Keys. This marks a major milestone for the project.   We deployed both familiarized and non familiarized treatments, allowing us to evaluate differences in retention and site fidelity under real reef conditions.   Monitoring efforts are now unde

SOAR is set to begin a new research study to investigate whether Diadema antillarum are more likely to remain at restoration sites when they are familiarized with reef rubble and living tissue structure prior to stocking and then released alongside that structure. Support for this research was provided in part by a contract from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation under Federal Award NA20NMF4630328. This funding will allow our team to explore an idea we have been inter

In July 2025, SOAR traveled to the Bahamas to kick off a new project funded by the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation: the establishment of the first in situ Sea Urchin Nursery in the Bahamas.  In preparation for this initiative, our team spent multiple days organizing, preparing, and shipping equipment and materials to support our broader research and restoration efforts. After arriving on site, we spent a full day constructing custom grow-outs designed for the next phase of o