Publix Celebrates Coral Reef Awareness Week by Supporting Projects That Protect and Restore These Important Habitats
July 17 2024 - 2:00PM
Business Wire
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.”
Coral reef restoration at Biscayne National Park
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 (NPF) 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 (WAVES) 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.
Other 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 (QRF). The QRF is a team that is helping Florida’s
marine scientific community and environmental agencies respond
quickly to coastal and environmental emergencies. More information
about QRF is available by reading last year’s announcement in the
Publix newsroom.
Learn more about the programs and projects the company supports
by visiting Publix’s corporate social responsibility website at
csr.publix.com.
Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more
than 255,000 associates, currently operates 1,376 stores in
Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North
Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky. For 27 consecutive years, the
company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In
addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer
service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For
more information, visit the company’s newsroom at
corporate.publix.com/newsroom.
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Maria Brous (863) 680-5339