Publix celebrates Coral Reef Awareness week by supporting projects that restore habitats

Full of life, coral reefs are home to some of the largest living structures on Earth. They play a critical role in providing an important nursery for juvenile fish and crustaceans. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, around 25% of the fish in the ocean depend on coral reefs to survive.

Publix is doing its part to support these habitats by providing funding for projects aimed at protecting, conserving and restoring coral reefs around Florida. Over the last two years, the company has provided more than $200,000 to support these efforts.

“At Publix, we’re doing good for the environment, and that includes donating to organizations like National Park Foundation, which facilitates work to remove marine debris and improve the health of coral reefs in the Florida Reef Tract,” said Publix director of environmental and sustainability programs Michael Hewett. “Through this funding, local projects in Biscayne National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park will have resources to expand and enhance restoration of these important ecosystems.”

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A large portion of the Florida Reef Tract is located within the boundaries of Biscayne National Park. In recent years, the area has been heavily affected by heat waves, hurricanes and the ongoing outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease. Publix’s donations to National Park Foundation have supported coral reef restoration projects at Biscayne National Park, including:

• Ongoing protection, research and monitoring of 25 coral species
• Locating, collecting and transplanting 78 storm-damaged corals
• Conducting coral disease surveys
• Completing two coral rescues in response to a 2023 marine heat wave and mass bleaching event
• Growing more than 1,200 larvae of protected species and
• Restoring reef habitat through the removal of submerged marine debris.
• Supporting an all-women veterans group that gives back

Since 2022, Publix has provided funding to an all-women military veteran scuba program through its support of NPF. The Submerged Resources All-Women Service Corps’ Wounded American Veterans Experience Scuba teams complete marine debris cleanups and coral habitat restoration work at Biscayne National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park. Divers work in high-traffic recreational fishing areas to remove derelict lobster traps, fishing line and other potentially harmful debris. Over the last two years, this group has removed more than 8,000 pounds of marine debris from the water.

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Additional efforts:

The company’s April 2024 Good Together environmental campaign provided funding for tree plantings with the Arbor Day Foundation and coastal conservation projects with NPF and FORCE BLUE, an organization that retrains and redeploys former Special Operations veterans and military-trained combat divers for marine conservation missions. 

In addition, Publix has teamed up with the military veterans at FORCE BLUE to be the first company to fund their Quick Reaction Force. The QRF is a team that is helping Florida’s marine scientific community and environmental agencies respond quickly to coastal and environmental emergencies.