Publix Celebrates Coral Reef Awareness Week by Funding Projects to Protect and Restore Vital Habitats
Coral reefs, among the Earth’s largest living structures, are crucial to marine ecosystems. They serve as essential nurseries for juvenile fish and crustaceans, with around 25% of oceanic fish relying on these habitats, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In honor of Coral Reef Awareness Week, Publix is reinforcing its commitment to these vital ecosystems by funding initiatives aimed at their protection and restoration throughout Florida. Over the past two years, Publix has contributed more than $200,000 to support coral reef conservation projects.
“Publix is dedicated to environmental stewardship, including significant contributions to organizations like the National Park Foundation (NPF), which works to eliminate marine debris and enhance the health of coral reefs in the Florida Reef Tract,” said Michael Hewett, Publix Director of Environmental and Sustainability Programs. “Our support enables local projects in Biscayne National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park to expand and improve the restoration of these critical ecosystems.”
Coral Reef Restoration at Biscayne National Park
A significant portion of the Florida Reef Tract is situated within Biscayne National Park, an area recently impacted by heat waves, hurricanes, and a persistent outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease. Publix’s donations to NPF have facilitated numerous restoration efforts at Biscayne National Park, including:
- Protection, research, and monitoring of 25 coral species
- Location, collection, and transplantation of 78 storm-damaged corals
- Coral disease surveys
- Two coral rescues in response to the 2023 marine heat wave and mass bleaching event
- Cultivation of over 1,200 larvae of protected coral species
- Restoration of reef habitats through the removal of submerged marine debris
Support for All-Women Veterans Group
Since 2022, Publix has supported the Submerged Resources All-Women Service Corps’ Wounded American Veterans Experience Scuba (WAVES) program through NPF. This initiative includes all-women military veterans who conduct marine debris cleanups and coral habitat restoration at Biscayne National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park. Over the last two years, these divers have removed more than 8,000 pounds of marine debris from high-traffic recreational fishing areas.
Additional Efforts
In April 2024, Publix’s Good Together environmental campaign funded tree plantings with the Arbor Day Foundation and coastal conservation projects with NPF and FORCE BLUE. FORCE BLUE is an organization that retrains and redeploys former Special Operations veterans and military-trained divers for marine conservation missions. Publix has also partnered with FORCE BLUE to be the first company to support their Quick Reaction Force (QRF), a team dedicated to aiding Florida’s marine scientific community and environmental agencies in responding swiftly to coastal and environmental emergencies.
For more details on Publix’s environmental initiatives and the projects it supports, visit Publix’s corporate social responsibility website at csr.publix.com.
Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with over 255,000 associates, operates 1,376 stores across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky. For 27 consecutive years, Publix has been recognized by Fortune as a top workplace and continues to be praised for its commitment to quality and customer service in the grocery industry.
