Tela Bay is home to about a dozen critically endangered species of coral, including miles of elkhorns (Acropora palmata). These animals have already proven to be ground-breaking for restoring reefs throughout the Caribbean, including on the Florida Reef Tract.
Once we discovered just how rare and resilient Tela’s corals are, we understood that we needed a facility on the ground to ensure that these animals and their genetics stay safe because environmental conditions are not predictable. This kind of facility is called a biobank
Building the Biobank
Two years ago, we were able to provide a grant to our partner Tela Marine to purchase land on which to build the facility. Over the last year, we’ve been able to raise funds for construction both through grants and through our partnership with Music for the Ocean.
Now, we’re making fast progress on the biobank in Tela. We were in Honduras in August and able to take drone footage of the construction from above. I’ve annotated the image, but read on to learn what’s happening where. 
The Layout
What will be the front veranda on the left sits on top of a massive cistern. This extends a meter and a half deep and half a meter high and contains as much water as a swimming pool. It will act as a barrier against storms and also hold the seawater that will be used in the biobank.
Taking care of the corals is our first priority, but we can’t do that without funding. So, a big part of our goal is to make the biobank sustainable so that we will not have to continue raising funds for general operations.
That’s why we will welcome visitors to see the facility for a small admission fee. We’ve already learned through the virtual reality experience we created at the Tela Marine Aquarium that with enough visitors even a small entrance fee–we’re expecting to collect about $4 per person–can create financial stability.
Visitors will enter on the left side of the framed out area. They will view a film explaining why coral reefs are so important (a quarter of all marine life depends on them); why Tela’s corals are uniquely important (80 percent of corals in the Caribbean have already died and elkhorns are nearly extinct); and why this facility matters so much.
The large open space in the middle of the image is the working heart of the biobank. It’s where the raceways that will hold the coral will be located. People will walk along the outer deck and be able to view the corals from above. They won’t be able to get close to them for biosafety reasons, but we will have screens with close up video and information about each species so they can see what the animals look like and how they grow.
The cement structure in the back is the septic system, actually two separate systems as required by local regulations. But this is space for additional experiences for visitors such as virtual reality and perhaps a touch tank. We’re still working on the details.
Visitors will walk along the outer deck on the right side back to the right side of the framed out space. This area will hold a small gift shop and offer drinks and snacks, a little bit more of a revenue stream for biobank operations.
Making Progress
In the month since this image was taken, even more has been framed out, including the roof. The shots below are a bit blurry because they were clipped from a video Antal Borcsok from Tela Marine sent us on September 10. But they show the fast progress that’s happening.
We’re so excited that the biobank is becoming a reality and we hope you continue to follow along!
If you’d like to donate, your contributions are incredibly important and appreciated.
Framed out front veranda, looking toward the cement wall in back.
Looking from back of construction toward the ocean. Wooden scaffolding is currently in place.