If you slipped below the turquoise surface off Jamaica's coast forty years ago, you'd have entered a cathedral of colour: branching elkhorn corals sheltering parrotfish, brain corals the size of boulders, and a living breakwater taming the waves before they reached our white-sand shores.
Today, that cathedral is crumbling. Scientists estimate that Jamaica has lost up to 85% of its reef-building corals — ravaged by hurricanes, pollution, overfishing, and disease. But this isn't just an environmental tragedy. It's an economic one. Healthy reefs generate sand, protect hotels, and draw millions in tourism revenue. Erosion and reef loss are already threatening to wash those earnings away.
Nature Fixing Nature
Enter the Sea Farmer Foundation, a homegrown non-profit harnessing the ocean's own engineers — sea moss and corals — to restore what we've lost.
Sea Moss That Pays It Forward
Rows of sea moss sway beneath the waves, filtering pollutants that would otherwise fuel algae blooms. In just three weeks, a single cultivation line can yield 100lbs of nutrient-rich Irish moss. The revenue generated from Irish moss sales supports our work to restore coral reefs and mangroves.
Coral Comeback With High-Tech Limestone
In partnership with Reef Construction Ltd, Sea Farmer Foundation is deploying reef structures to support coral restoration efforts around Jamaica's coast. These interventions are part of a broader vision: a snorkeller's paradise of restored reef towers that double as living art — an underwater museum just off Jamaica's coast.
Oyster nurseries are on deck for 2026, once permitting and infrastructure are complete.
Jobs On Land And Sea
The Sea Farmer model is circular by design:
- Sea moss cleans the water.
- Clean water boosts coral growth.
- Vibrant reefs support fisheries and eco-tourism.
In the process, new green jobs are created:
- Sea-moss farmers tending and processing harvests.
- Dive technicians planting coral and monitoring reef health.
- Eco-tour guides leading snorkelers through "reef-adoption" trails.
For youth in communities like Port Royal, these roles offer alternatives to unsustainable fishing and a direct stake in protecting Jamaica's marine future.
Diaspora Power:
Your Seat at the Reef Table
Sea Farmer's work has been endorsed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), a testament to the alignment between our restoration work and the broader goals of sustainable tourism in Jamaica.
The Foundation's work depends on a global tide of small actions. Whether you're yaad or abroad, your support has ripple effects:
- Adopt a coral – For the cost of a Sunday brunch, sponsor a coral fragment and receive geo-tagged updates. Come visit your coral the next time you're in Jamaica.
- Sponsor a mangrove seedling – Mangroves sequester up to four times more carbon than rainforest trees.
- Book an eco-tour or volunteer day – Snorkel the nursery, clean sea moss lines, or help plant along the shore.
- Share the story – Every repost, message, or link to seafarmer.info helps grow awareness faster than coral polyps on a moonlit night.
What's Next?
By the end of the year, the Sea Farmer Foundation plans to scale up to 20 Irish moss structures and install its first coral sculptures near Lime Cay — steps toward turning Kingston Harbour into a beacon of community-powered marine renewal. Oyster nurseries will follow in 2026.
Let's Rebuild Jamaica's Reefs — Together
This isn't just a Jamaican issue — it's a diaspora opportunity. The same spirit that built communities abroad can help restore the ones beneath our waters. Let's protect our reefs, empower coastal youth, and ensure that future generations can swim in the vibrant underwater world we once knew.
Claim your coral. Plant your seedling. Tell a friend. Jamaica's reef revival needs all hands — above and below the waterline.