PADI Reef Renewal USA Level I Specialty

Do you have a desire to participate in global efforts to preserve, protect, and restore endangered coral reefs? Coral reefs around the world are threatened with extinction. Key Largo Dive Center has partnered with Reef Renewal USA and PADI to bring an exciting conservation opportunity to you and your dive buddies! You can get “hands on” experience cleaning, working with, and preserving live corals at the nearshore coral nursery in Key Largo. Coral reefs are delicate and sensitive to changes in the environment including changes to water chemistry, temperature, and pollution. You can make a difference. Join us to help save our coral reefs so that future generations can enjoy them.

After The Course: 

Upon successful completion of the PADI Reef Renewal USA Level 1 Certification you will be qualified to participate in Key Largo Dive Center’s regularly scheduled boat trips to the Coral Nursery to put your new coral preservation and care skills to use. Once you are issued your Reef Renewal Level 1 certification card, you are not required to repeat any of the training to participate in these additional nursery dive trips.

Additional Details:

The dive takes place in the Reef Renewal USA Coral Nursery which is about a 20-30 minute boat ride from Key Largo. All dives are under the supervision of a Key Largo Dive Center Instructor or Divemaster staff members who are qualified as PADI Reef Renewal USA Dive Professionals. You will be assigned a set of loaner cleaning tools to use during your training dives. The tools must be properly used as described in the classroom training session and returned upon completion of the dives. The nursery consists of several different sections, each containing a different species of coral. These include staghorn, elkhorn, brain, and other varying species. As part of your training you will be assigned a “coral tree” to clean. This includes the removal of any algae, crustations, bivalves, and other biological contaminants that inhibit coral growth. This ensures that the corals have a chance to grow up healthy and attain a size suitable for future transplant onto the reef. After the dive we will return to Key Largo.

Certification:

Upon successful completion of the E-learning, classroom briefing, and in-water dive you will receive the PADI Reef Renewal USA Level 1 specialty certification. This certification is accepted by PADI towards your Master Diver training specialties.