Corals from Laguna de Maya Cuba ©Luis Muiño

Forms Fostering Growth: Mara G Haseltine’s NGO “Geotherapy Institute for Art and Field Sciences” Builds Nurseries for Coral Reef Restoration in Cuba

Olivia Carye Hallstein

Artist Mara G Haseltine, Director of the “Geotherapy Institute for Art and Field Sciences,” has developed her first project for coral nurseries in Laguna de Maya, Cuba.  She has expanded her creative work to collaboratively produce an effective regenerative solution for bleaching coral. As a result, The Coral Nursery applies creativity with restoration within a non-profit framework. Working as an official business entity coordinating with local government and other institutions allows the project to surpass common limitations. 

Geotherapy Institute For Art and Field Sciences official Logo

Mara, your project and NGO address coral bleaching in Cuba. What factors did you take into consideration when deciding on location for this project?

Corals are the ‘canary in the coalmine’ for our planet. When healthy, they soften the shorelines creating natural self-healing beach-breaks, create biodiverse habitats for a myriad of aquatic life, create sustainable fishing opportunities, and offer endless opportunities for scientific research including medicine. These delicate biodiverse habitats are headed for mass extinction and preserving them through anthropogenic means is now our only window into their past glory for future generations.

Cuban waters of course are undergoing the same effects of climate change that we are seeing globally. And there are many Cuban nationals working on this topic in different ways. Acidification and temperature rise both create large-scale bleaching leading to the decimation of coral reefs worldwide.  However, Cuba has little or no agricultural runoff from fertilizers used to farm, drastically less commercial building, and less automobile traffic. As a result, there is much less pollution going into the sea surrounding Cuba, making it far more pristine than the surrounding islands in the Caribbean. This makes it a better place to do coral restoration and study the effects of coral restoration scientifically.  

And to restore these corals you have expanded this project by launching The Coral Nursery in Havana, Cuba as an NGO. What has your process of starting an NGO and working amongst scientific institutions as an artist looked like?

I see my specialty as an artist as ‘making the microscopic megascopic’; sometimes on a very large scale. Art is a wonderful tool for public engagement and can make something so visually seductive that the viewer wants to learn more about it to ‘understand’ and thus be compelled to engage with the work. 

The creation of this NGO ‘the Geotherapy Institute for Art and Field Sciences’ and becoming its Director is another level of magnification. There are so many moving parts and it has become organic in its growth, taking on a life of its own. We are building an unstoppable team all dedicated to infusing art into the field sciences: with students and Professors from the University of Havana, Finca Artnomista (a sustainible organic farm), Cuban artists like Isrealito Matanzas and NGO’s like Cresta, the Global Coral Reef Alliance and The Ocean Foundation. 

The word ‘Geotherapy’ acknowledges that we are in the age of the Anthropocene. It is our moral duty to care for our injured biosphere with ‘nature-based’ solutions as a doctor would tend to a sick patient.  My goal with this project and subsequent projects is to create something so poetic that this vital relationship we have with nature cannot be ignored. In the end, you will not see the reef structures we have carefully crafted but a vibrant healthy reef…

I have been a practicing ‘environmental sci-artist’ working with scientists and scientific teams for over twenty-five years. The intense connections and inspiration that come from learning about the science has been a source of inspiration as well as one of camaraderie. I am drawn to people that think outside the box (and sometimes very differently from me). I firmly believe that scientists are like artists in their approach to problem solving… striving for solutions that have not yet been created. 

Coral nursery model ©Mara G Haseltine

Problem solving by “Making the microscopic megascopic” sounds like a great way to describe this project! So, how does it work? 

My design is for a coral nursery. The ceramic stars have cross-bred gametes using a process called ‘sextual coral larval propagation’. The stars have cross-bred gametes individually placed on them by scientists who capture the gametes during full moon spawning events. Crossbreeding strengthens their immunity which is crucial in acidic and warmer waters due to climate change. The nursery grows these corals on the ceramic stars until the nascent corals are ready to be placed on top of the reef with a sextual coral larval propagation design component. 

My theory is that the lightly electrified nursery structures will also increase the survivability of these cross-bred gametes. The corals we are focusing on are hard corals like stag and elkhorn both from the Acropora genus; they are endangered. As the reef builders upon which many other forms of life and coral attach to or lay eggs or nest in, they play a crucial role.

Ceramic substrates for coral larval propagation © Mara G Haseltine

What a fantastic example of research-based design. As an artist, I am curious to hear: what contributed to your design decisions for shape and material?

I chose the shape because I found it beautiful, but also functional. The domed structure with a flat bottom and flanges make it incredibly sturdy, which is crucial for aquatic environments. Corals create energy in two ways through catching tiny nutrient particles that float nearby and through photosynthesis through symbiotic algae called xoonathalle, the design has open space for nutrients to flow through and sunlight to reach to aide these functions.

For the stars I chose high fire ceramics, because they have low porosity and perfect for sub-aquatic environments and added a coral texture for the gametes to cling too. The Biorock method employed for the metal structures which applies light volts of electricity to metal, creating an accretion process coating the metal with layers of calcium carbonate. This is the same substance coral skeletons are made from, which if grown properly creates a self-healing substrate 5x’s the strength of traditional concrete.  The light volts of electricity boost the immune system of corals attached to the structure and in nearby waters. 

Plankton pod © Mara G Haseltine

It seems like, just as you are nursing the complex ecosystem of these coral reefs, you are also fostering a parallelly diverse community onshore. With so many people involved in different ways, what hopes do you have for this project beyond the coral reefs? 

We have built an incredible team, over the past three years of working on this project. I could never have done this single-handedly. Some of the scientists and explorers working on this project have been colleagues for over twenty years, bringing a depth of knowledge to the project one person alone could never do. 

I envision a future where many other artists and scientists can come and collaborate, creating an underwater sculpture park that champions ‘nature-based’ solutions. I also hope Laguna de Maya becomes known globally for its dedication to art, local culture, science and above all stewardship for the planet.  

A healthy reef is diverse, the stake holders in this project are diverse as well and there can be many positive outcomes from educational documentary films to sustainable fishing, eco-tourism and above all hope for a brighter future - the possibilities are endless…

Thank you, Mara, for sharing your valuable insights and work! 

Mara G Haseltine teaching in Cuba © Mau Abascal