Energy + Climate + Nature
The Largest Effort for Coral Reef Regeneration and Resilience Ever
The XPRIZE Coral Reef Regeneration and Resilience Prize is a four-year, $30 million USD, science-driven global competition designed to accelerate breakthrough innovations that will regenerate coral ecosystems and enable their long-term resilience in the face of a rapidly changing climate.
The prize will:
-Task competitors to develop 3 hectares of climate-resilient corals with ecological function
-Emphasize use of autonomous and cost-efficient deployments-
-Use survival, biodiversity and ecosystem services as judging metrics, with special emphasis on hybrid/assisted evolution efforts
-Demonstrate positive impact to economies, uplift local communities, and create coastal resilience
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Become an Ocean Guardian
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Why Coral Reefs?
Why Coral Reefs?
Coral reefs are now among the most critically endangered ecosystems on the planet. Over the past 40 years, more than 50% of coral reefs have been lost, and we are on track to exceed the 1.5°C threshold outlined in the Paris Agreement. On this current trajectory, scientific consensus indicates we are likely to lose 99% of coral reefs by 2050. This crisis has far-reaching global implications.
1 billion people depend on coral reefs for their livelihood and sustenance
Coral reefs generate $2.7T USD annually (roughly the annual GDP of France) in ecosystem services
Without coral reefs, an estimated 250,000 species will perish (25% of all marine life).
Coral reefs shield 93,000+ miles of coasts—losing them leaves communities at greater risk of erosion
$30M Goal
The XPRIZE Foundation and the Government of Barbados are actively seeking to raise funds from philanthropists, foundations and corporate sponsors who will underwrite the competition prize purse and prize operations. We are also looking for field testing partners to provide the necessary resources for this critical part of the competition.
Why Now?
Climate Breathing-room for Coral Reefs: The recently awarded $100 million Carbon Removal XPRIZE catalyzed the emergence of a vital new industry capable of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and oceans at gigaton scale—an essential tool for climate stabilization and reversing ocean acidification. XPRIZE is also advancing additional climate prize concepts focused on accelerating pathways to prevent, destroy, or remove methane from the atmosphere—aiming to substantially slow and even reverse warming by 2050. By pairing global-scale drawdown efforts with this prize, XPRIZE is creating critical breathing-room for corals. These coordinated efforts will slow planetary warming while simultaneously enabling coral ecosystems to adapt and survive. Investing in this prize is an urgent and crucial step in our portfolio approach to mitigate climate change and its impacts on this planet we call home.
This partnership with XPRIZE is part of Barbados’ broader effort to invest in innovative solutions and initiatives that will catalyze a global shift towards more just and sustainable economies.
