The Global Coral Reef Alliance is a small, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research and sustainable management of the most valuable and threatened of all ecosystems—coral reefs.
GCRA is a worldwide coalition of volunteer scientists, divers, environmentalists and other individuals and organizations, committed to coral reef preservation. We primarily focus on coral reef restoration, and cutting-edge research on impacts of coral bleaching, global warming, marine diseases, global sea level rise, and pollution on corals.
GCRA scientists work with community groups, environmental organizations, foundations, governments or private firms to build, restore and maintain coral reefs, nurseries and marine sanctuaries.
GCRA Projects include restoration of coral reefs and marine habitats for mariculture, tourism and shore protection.
GCRA invented and developed Mineral Accretion Technology™ and the Biorock™ method of electrical coral reef and marine ecosystem restoration, the HotSpot™ method to correctly predict coral bleaching from satellite sea surface temperatures, and integrated whole-watershed and coastal zone nutrient management (now commonly referred to as Ridge to Reef, or Hilltop to Ocean).
Founded in 1990, GCRA is the direct heir to a pioneering coral reef research tradition stretching back to the 1920s, and has the world’s largest collection of coral reef photographs from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
Restoring
Coral reefs and marine habitats all around the world
Protecting
Coastal shorelines from erosion and the effects of climate change.
Helping
Local communities develop sustainable maricuture practices.
RECENT UPDATES
TUVALU: OUTGROWING CLIMATE CHANGE
TUVALU: OUTGROWING CLIMATE CHANGE Thomas J. F. Goreau, PhD President, Global Coral Reef Alliance January 8, 2026 TUVALU: SINK, SWIM, OR GROW UP? Tuvalu, one of the world’s smallest, lowest, most isolated, and most climate change-vulnerable countries, is widely thought...
JAMAICA cleans up damage from worst hurricane on record
DISCOVERY BAY BEACH COMMUNITY CLEANUP AFTER HURRICANE MELISSA NOVEMBER 16 2025 Photographs by Sharon Chin Quee (right), text by Tom Goreau (second right). Dedicated to the late Lee Arbouin (second from left) who helped lead local efforts to protect the Discovery Bay...
REGENERATE JAMAICA’S COASTAL RESOURCES!
October 29, 2025 REGENERATE JAMAICA’S COASTAL RESOURCES! Thomas J. F. Goreau, PhD President, Global Coral Reef Alliance ‘ Hurricane Melissa: October 28 2025 Yesterday was the worst day in Jamaica’s history, as our island was battered by the most powerful hurricane on...
LATEST PAPERS
LATEST VIDEOS
MALDIVES BIOROCK: Past results & future applications
Maldives Biorock Figures compressed January 31, 2022 GCRA White Paper MALDIVES BIOROCK: Past results & future applications Thomas J. F. Goreau, PhD President, Global Coral Reef Alliance SUMMARY The Maldivian way of life for more than four thousand years is under...
Palmetto point development: potential impacts on Barbuda’s fisheries
Thomas J. F. Goreau, PhD President, Global Coral Reef Alliance Any development at Palmetto Point would cause significant, and probably irreversible, deterioration of water quality in Codrington Lagoon, Barbuda’s major fish nursery ground. Codrington...
Golf courses kill coral reefs and fisheries: harmful algae blooms and disease caused by nutrient runoff from golf course development on Guana Cay, Abaco, Bahamas
Thomas J. F. Goreau, PhD President, Global Coral Reef Alliance Introduction: Bahamas coral reef deterioration This study is thought the first ever to evaluate the health of coral reef ecosystems and fisheries before and after a golf course development....
Climate-proofing Coastlines with Biorock Technology
Climate Proofing Beaches and Coastlines with Biorock Technology https://youtu.be/cv2h8Uv-MEs Biorock Technology grows back severely eroded beaches at record rates by regenerating marine ecosystems and is the most cost-effective solution for protecting...
Close range underwater photogrammetry for high- resolution survey of a coral reef: A comparison between reconstructed 3-D point cloud models from still image and video data
A paper by Verena Vogler, original link here. Abstract Coral threat levels from climate change have increased around the globe. Coral reefs are nature’s best coastal protection device [MS48]. They dissipate portions of the wave energy through a system of...
BIKINI SCIENCE
New update from Project Save the World About “Bikini" Bikini Atoll was the site of U.S. nuclear tests in the 1940s and 1950s. Thomas Goreau's grandfather was the photographer in charge of documenting the events – "before" and "after." PROJECT SAVE THE WORLD JAN 22...
Maldives coral reefs; Past, present, and a sustainable blue future: In honour of Maizan Hassan Maniku
https://youtu.be/QtMW4xBHApQ
HELP US SAVE CORALS
GCRA, is accepting donations to help fund our programs in 2019, training local communities in developing countries to use Biorock methods for large-scale marine ecosystem restoration and sustainable mariculture for the following projects:
Panama
Jamaica
Vanuatu
Grenada
Bahamas
Philippines
Palau
