Frequently Asked Questions

SOAR’s work began in 2020, piloting the first in situ grow-out of sea urchins in the Florida Keys.

In 2024, SOAR became an independent nonprofit, supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and FWC.

SOAR currently operates two offshore nurseries located near Tavernier and Marathon. These nurseries are used to cultivate, grow out, study, and eventually deploy sea urchins onto the reef.

These nurseries, at around 30ft, are made up of a variety of structures, including bioballs and egg crates, which act as recruitment devices for settling larvae. As the urchins grow, transferred into buckets and protective cages, where they can safely mature away from predators until they are large enough to be released onto the reef.

Donations help support our daily operations, such as boat trips to the nursery, maintaining the nursery site, caring for the urchins, and launching new projects.

Yes! Our work is grounded in science, and we use established scientific methods to conduct our research and guide our activities.