Osborne Tire Reef Coral Removal, Relocation, and Monitoring

Managed by the Coral Reef Conservation Program, the objective of this project was to remove corals growing on tires that are part of the Osborne Tire Reef so that commercial divers can subsequently remove tires from the seafloor. This effort was an extension of the tire removal project that is permitted and managed by DEP’s Division of Waste Management. A total of 700 corals were removed from tires, most of which were outplanted to natural reef to evaluate small colony survival and changes in health conditions. Other corals were donated to universities for research related to coral restoration, symbiont communities and immunity, and growth and predation. An additional 700 corals are planned to be removed from tires during the following fiscal year.