In Jamaica, divers are laboring to restore coral reefs. And it seems to be working! Everton Simpson squints into the Caribbean water from his motorboat. He is scanning the dazzling bands of color for hints of what lies beneath. Emerald green is sandy ocean bottom. Sapphire blue lies above seagrass meadows. And deep indigo marks coral reefs. That’s where he’s headed.
Mr. Simpson straps on flippers and an oxygen tank. The diver tips over backward into the water with a splash.
Twenty-five feet down on the ocean floor, small pieces of coral dangle from suspended ropes, like socks hung on a laundry line. God gave Adam and Eve the job of taking care of the Garden of Eden. Mr. Simpson and other divers are gardeners too. But they are tending an underwater garden. It is a coral nursery.
The divers slowly and carefully pluck off snails and fire worms that feast on the young, growing coral. They collect baskets of coral stubs that have grown to about the size of a hand.
A few hours later, at a site called Dickie’s Reef, Mr. Simpson dives again. He uses bits of fishing line to tie clusters of staghorn coral onto rocky outcroppings. The surface provides a temporary binding until the coral’s limestone skeleton grows and fixes itself onto the rock.
Transplanting coral stubs to rebuild reefs takes patience. It is like planting a lawn one blade of grass at a time. And even fast-growing coral species add just a few inches a year.
The work may be worth the effort, though, because healthy reefs attract fish. And almost everyone in Jamaica depends on the sea, including Mr. Simpson. The 68-year-old always made a living from the ocean. At one time, he worked as a spear fisherman and later as a scuba-diving instructor. Now he is a “coral gardener.” More than a dozen small organizations are paying people like Mr. Simpson to tend Jamaica’s reefs. The goal of each small project is to jumpstart the natural growth of coral.
Sometimes we think the work we are doing is small and isn’t making a difference. But just like every tiny new piece of coral helps rebuild an enormous reef, every bit of work we do for God is pleasing to Him.
