Bonaire’s pioneering coral restoration efforts are getting a big boost.

The Dutch government has granted the Coral Restoration Foundation Bonaire new one-time funding to further develop its activities on the island.

The project, which first launched in 2012 with the support of the Buddy Dive Resort and the US-based Coral Restoration Foundation, is developing a world-class nursery of newly-planted coral.

The foundation has already installed four coral nurseries consisting of 70 trees with a hosting capacity of 9,000 corals.

More than 8,000 corals have already been transplanted back to the island’s reef, and thanks to the new funding, the foundation will plant 4,000 more corals in the next year.

The funding will also help the foundation purchase basics like a dedicated boat and car, along with a restoration site accessible to snorkelers at Bonaire’s cruise port.

Today, the foundation consists of three partners: the Buddy Dive, Eden Beach and Harbour Village resorts.