In the weeks following Typhoon Sinlaku, teams from the Guam Department of Agriculture worked alongside community volunteers to rescue and return nearly 500 living corals that had washed ashore in Tumon Bay.
The Guam Coral Reef Initiative, a section of the Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources, organized two rescue efforts on April 18 and April 20, collecting corals broken from the reef by the storm's waves and surge and returning them to the water while still alive.
The operation was especially urgent given Tumon Bay's designation as one of Guam's five locally managed Marine Protected Areas. Some coral colonies were large enough to require two people to lift. GCRI used paddle boards to transport the corals farther offshore and into deeper water to reduce the likelihood of them washing ashore again. Ten community volunteers assisted in the effort.
GCRI is asking the public to report additional signs of reef damage from Typhoon Sinlaku, including coral breakage, toppled corals and large debris on the reef. Sightings can be reported through the "Eyes of the Reef" citizen science program at guamcoralreefs.info/eor-marianas. Photo submissions are encouraged.
For updates on GCRI's ongoing reef recovery efforts, follow @guamcoralreefs on social media.
