Reef Restoration in Panama
Restoration is where monitoring becomes action. At Ankay, our restoration program builds on the same ecological foundations and data-driven methodology as our Conservation Programs, but moves beyond surveying to active reef intervention. Training combines focused theory with intensive in-water practice, delivered in small groups to ensure accuracy, safety, and ecological integrity.
After the initial training phase, day-to-day work revolves around coral nursery management and structured restoration monitoring. Every action is recorded, evaluated, and fed back into our long-term dataset to guide future restoration decisions.
What's Included
- Accommodation in a shared dorm (or private upgrade)
- Home-cooked meals Monday to Saturday
- Airport pick-up
- Coral Restoration training
- 8-12 dives a week
Highlights
- Develop and perfect your diving skills
- Learn coral gardening and nursery management
- Contribute to long-term reef rehabilitation science
- Collect detailed monitoring data to track fragment survival
- Live in a beautiful jungle next to the ocean, while still having excellent amenities
What you will learn
Coral Restoration Methods
You will learn how active reef restoration is designed and executed, from coral propagation to outplanting. This includes nursery design and maintenance, fragment handling, species selection, and attachment techniques — all adapted to local reef conditions and ecological constraints.
Restoration Monitoring & Evaluation
You will develop skills to assess restoration outcomes. This includes survival and growth assessments, health indicators, photo-documentation, and understanding how data is used to evaluate effectiveness and guide adaptive management.
Decision-Making in Restoration
You will learn how restoration actions are informed by monitoring data, site suitability, and environmental stressors. Emphasis is placed on understanding limitations, trade-offs, and why some reefs are restored while others are left to recover naturally.
Typical Day
Accommodation
More Info
Breakfast, lunch and dinner offered Monday through Saturday.
We can cater to most allergies (please give us notice about any serious allergies prior to arrival). There is a vegetarian menu option. For any more complex dietary regimens, we can offer that you cook for yourself in our kitchen.
Sunday is an off-day for our staff and for yourself where you can prepare your own food in our kitchen or go into town for lunch and or dinner.
Breakfast
We begin our day with a self-served continental breakfast consisting of cereal and milk, bread, cheese, butter, jam, fresh fruits and of course tea and coffee.
Lunch
A typical lunch will have a protein (fish, chicken or a vegetarian option) , rice, beans and salad. We have lunch after we come back from diving.
Dive Snack
We offer granola bars (or similar) and water for the dive surface interval.
Dinner
Dinner is served around 7pm and everyone eats together. Participation isn’t mandatory, and if you wish to go out and try something else for a change you’re welcome to do so. Our cook prepares and serves a variety of local specialties.
The minimum stay is one week for certified divers with 20+ registered dives.
For non-certified divers or divers with less registered dives, we recommend a 2 week program so you have enough time to gain experience and contribute.
The program has a daily cost of $180 USD
Participants must have a minimum of 20 logged dives and demonstrate good neutral buoyancy and trim. A buoyancy and skills assessment dive is conducted upon arrival.
Participants who do not meet buoyancy standards may be reassigned to non-invasive tasks or asked to complete additional training before participating in in-water restoration activities.
If not already a diver, a minimum two week stay is required and we will certify you as PADI Open Water adding on training that focus on the skills necessary for restoration action underwater such as proper buoyancy.
The cost of the PADI Open Water is $375 + I.T.M.B (7% tax)
We also teach other PADI courses and specialties which you can enquire about depending the length of your stay.