Project BEAM is Love The Oceans' youth-led coral reef restoration project in Jangamo Bay, Mozambique, tackling one of the biggest threats to our reef: overgrown algae. Populations of herbivorous fish like parrotfish and rabbitfish have been destroyed through overfishing but they're vital for keeping algae levels in check. Without these species, algae is smothering our corals and preventing new coral larvae from settling, which affects the entire food web and reduces fish catches for local fishers. Our data shows that algae cover on our reefs has more than doubled from 2018-2024 alone.

To tackle this issue, instead of relying on expensive methods like coral transplantation, in BEAM we're using an innovative, low-cost “sea-weeding” method, in collaboration with scientists in Australia who have been successful with this method. We'll manually remove algae and give native corals the space they need to recover naturally - like weeding your garden but underwater. This will be the first trial of the technique outside Australia, bringing a globally relevant, scalable solution to a country with limited technical resources. It’s a hands-on, science-driven approach integrating restoration with local capacity building.

We ran an initial fundraiser that successfully launched the project, but challenging diving conditions meant we need more dives than we expected to set up the coral plots. Without additional funding, we cannot complete this crucial first phase, and the project will stall before we can demonstrate impact.

This grant will allow us to finish establishing the restoration plots and begin monitoring coral recovery. We’re training local youth in reef restoration and data collection, integrating our work into our community education programs, and showing how restoring reefs directly supports biodiversity, food security, and climate resilience. BEAM is a movement for ocean stewardship that could inspire coastal communities far beyond Mozambique.