Wounded US veterans accept new mission: Healing coral reefs

KEY WEST, United States – Mr Billy Costello walks the deck of a ship wearing his scuba gear and fins, as well as a prosthetic right leg, before dropping into the sea.

He is part of a group of US Army veterans wounded in combat who are planting coral in a reef off the southern tip of Florida.

The mission is two-fold: Save coral that is threatened by disease and rising sea temperatures, and help veterans heal wounds – both physical and emotional.

A total of 31 veterans were joined by six divers from the Mote Marine Laboratory in Key West on a recent July morning to render their services planting coral at a reef called Higgs Head.

Since 2011, the lab and the non-profit Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge (CWVC) have teamed up for a week annually to help restore coral reefs, a key ecosystem for marine life.

Mr Costello, 41, is in his element as a former diver for the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group.

In 2011, as he passed along a road in Afghanistan, a bomb exploded, ruining his right leg. In the following months, he learnt about CWVC and joined its activities.

Now, on this Florida morning, he is swimming to a site chosen by Mote scientists, about 800m offshore.

CWVC puts wounded veterans in challenging environments, partnering with researchers who observe and gather information on them to help improve treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, head trauma and other conditions.

“I have climbed mountains with them, and I have scuba dived to the depths of the ocean,” Mr Costello told AFP.

“They have been instrumental in my recovery, helping me learn what I was going to be able to do after losing my leg.”