Helping to Rescue Coral Reefs Under Climate Change Threats

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Regional scientists, Marine Biologists, and conservation leaders met in Miami recently to try and find practical solutions to one the greatest threats facing Caribbean coral reefs.

From this workshop, they hoped to provide ways that regional governments, researchers, and environmental organizations can slow the spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease.

MSC Foundation Executive Director Daniela Picco was very clear on why this gathering was so important.

Daniela Picco – Executive Director, MSC

“ We brought here more than 45 experts from seven countries together to discuss about this very important topic.”

The Foundation sees The Bahamas as a key partner in that mission, because last year, MSC opened its marine conservation center on Ocean Cay.

Scientists there are now studying coral, operating underwater nurseries, and researching species that may be more resistant to disease and climate change.

Daniela Picco – Executive Director, MSC

“As a foundation, we’re very committed here in The Bahamas. We have a marine conservation center that we built. We inaugurated last year, and in the marine conservation center, we study the corals. We have underwater nurseries. We have twenty-two external tanks, [and] three internal tanks, [and] a bio lab.”

The Foundation says that partnership is already delivering results.

After years of planning and research, coral fragments cultivated at the center are being transplanted onto Bahamian reefs, marking a major step in the restoration process.

It also gets better – the Foundation is also reporting a near 100% survival rate for the coral grown at the facility.

Daniela Picco – Executive Director, MSC

“  I’m so happy to see the big results, the coral nurseries, the fragments. We are looking to find the genotype of the coral that is resistant to climate change.”

The MSC Foundation plans to expand its Ocean Cay operations next year, with a new visitor engagement center, while continuing to position The Bahamas as a leader in coral restoration and marine conservation.