RoffaReefs and Rotterdam Zoo (Blijdorp) launched the international platform eggspedition.org. The platform brings together images of fish eggs, roe and spawning behavior to gain a better understanding of reproduction within fish populations, coral reefs and the health of the oceans. WWF-NL has been involved in the project from the beginning and emphasizes the urgency of collaboration to help secure the future of fish populations and, consequently, coral reefs worldwide.

Innovation

WWF-NL has been involved from the very start of the project and emphasizes the urgency of collaboration to make fish populations, and therefore coral reefs worldwide, more resilient for the future.

RoffaReefs began five years ago in the Oceanium at Rotterdam Zoo and has since grown into a serious player in the field of nature restoration. The organization is committed to saving coral by breeding fish. The method, which has been successfully trialed on Bonaire, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year and is part of Rotterdam Zoo. Scientists, divers, snorkelers, fishermen and research institutions worldwide can collect and share data on fish reproduction on the website eggspedition.org.

Fish egg © Diergaarde Blijdorp

Protecting coral reefs and fish species

Thanks to the platform, scientists gain a better understanding of populations and fish stocks, while fishermen, divers and scientists learn to view the ocean in a different way. “Coral reefs have been in decline for years. Coral is a living organism that depends on the fish that sustain it. Due to decades of overfishing, climate change and pollution, there are fewer fish in many parts of the world to maintain coral reefs and allow them to flourish, with all the consequences that entails,” says RoffaReefs founder Sander van Lopik.

Around 80% of all fish in the ocean reproduce pelagically. This means that, from the moment they are fertilized, their eggs—often only half a millimeter in size—drift with the current. RoffaReefs is committed to finding these eggs, mapping them, rearing them and releasing them near coral reefs. This small head start gives the fish, and therefore the coral where they live and feed, a better chance of survival.

“With eggspedition.org, we are carefully mapping all of this. Whether you’re a diver, a fisherman or a scientist, you can contribute your own insights and help ensure our oceans are once again teeming with fish life,” says van Lopik proudly.

Coral reef © Casper Douma

Collaboration with WWF-NL

WWF-NL has been a partner from the very beginning and works together with RoffaReefs on the restoration of coral reefs and fish populations worldwide. “What makes this platform so powerful is that it brings together knowledge from different users and makes it directly applicable to nature restoration. Better insight into where and when fish reproduce is essential to effectively support the recovery of the entire ecosystem, keeping coral reefs healthy and resilient,” says Arjan de Groene, Caribbean expert at WWF-NL.