Coralku receives the prestigious CAP Grant Award

We are thrilled to announce that Coralku has been awarded a Coral Accelerator Program (CAP) grant by the G20 Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP). This funding supports Project ASSIST, a smart decision-making framework to enhance coral restoration by identifying and propagating the most resilient coral colonies. 

ASSIST: a smart-decision framework for coral restoration - CORDAP

Project ASSIST uses a data-driven selection process: our field teams screen wild coral colonies for thermal tolerance, reproductive capacity, and symbiotic partnerships. These insights guide the selection of high-performing donor colonies for nursery propagation and outplanting. Over the next three years, Coralku and its partners will establish 70 coral nurseries across Pulau Lang Tengah, outplant nearly 4,000 corals, and monitor their survival and growth. A cost-effectiveness analysis will also weigh ecological gains against financial feasibility, making ASSIST adaptable for resource-limited restoration teams. 

This international collaboration is led by Coralku's Sebastian Szereday, with Prof. Christian R. Voolstra (University of Konstanz) and Dr. Joseph Henry (Triton Oceanic Exploration Society) as co-applicants, bringing together a multidisciplinary team to bridge science and on-the-ground action. 

Coralku is the first CAP-funded project to begin fieldwork, launching a coral screening test in September 2023 on Pulau Lang Tengah using portable heat-stress testing assays (CBASS). Early results are already shaping the selection of "super corals" for upcoming nursery propagation and large-scale restoration in 2024. 

Project ASSIST will also generate open-access tools, including a guidebook, software codes, and webinars to share the framework globally. Through science-driven, cost-effective solutions, Coralku hopes to strengthen coral reef resilience and restoration outcomes across tropical reef regions.