Coral Vita: Coral farming in The Bahamas
Gator Halpern, UN Environment’s 2018 Young Champion of the Earth for Latin America and the Caribbean, is working with his company Coral Vita to build the world’s first commercial land-based coral farm, in The Bahamas. Coral Vita’s approach differs from most coral restoration projects in that it uses land-based coral …
Coral reefs worth billions to the Caribbean tourism industry
According to a recent study by the Nature Conservancy, coral reefs contribute over US$7.9 billion annually to the Caribbean economy through tourism. This represents 23% of all tourism expenditures and more than 10% of the region’s GDP. The study, which was supported by JetBlue, the World Travel and Tourism Council, …
Working to build climate change resilience for the Belize Barrier Reef
Marine and climate scientists from Columbia University’s Earth Institute and the World Wildlife Fund are working to protect the Belize Barrier Reef, and the entire Meso American Barrier Reef System, from the effects of climate change: Warm-water coral reefs—composed of stony corals, algae, and other organisms—are classified as a “unique …
The value of nature: seagrass beds save beaches and money
The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research reports on recent research, carried out in the Caribbean, that shows how seagrass saves beaches and money by preventing erosion and reducing the need for artificial beach nourishment: Seagrass beds are so effective in protecting tropical beaches from erosion, that they can reduce …
Belize and Australia exchange experiences on barrier reef conservation and World Heritage Site management
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the largest is the world’s largest coral reef system. The Belize Barrier Reef is part of the world’s second largest coral reef system, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (also known as the Great Mayan Reef). Both the Great Barrier Reef and the Belize Barrier Reef …
How the sargassum influx has affected Caribbean fisherfolk’s livelihoods and income
In an eye-opening article published at Caribbean News Now, Daphne Ewing-Chow and Iris Monnereau write about how the annual sargassum invasions in the Caribbean have been affecting fisherfolk’s ability to make a living: Sargassum has had negative economic consequences for the industry through the altered composition and availability of fish …
Green Antilles interview: Angelique Brathwaite
Today’s Green Antilles interview is with marine biologist Angelique Brathwaite. Angelique is from Barbados, and splits most of her working time these days between her home country and France. Her passion is working with coral reefs, from the science to management to training divers to showing how to conduct underwater …