The island of the Bahamas, a destination for MSC cruises, is also a research center for the restoration of the coral reef.
From the mining site for the extraction of the sand, degraded and contaminated with debris and regrets, to tropical paradise for tourists and research center for the conservation of corals. It is the happy ending fairy tale of Ocean Cay, the Bahamas island in concession to the MSC group, which has converted it by making it a stop for its cruise ships and a destination for biologists who work at the Super Coral Program, a project that falls within the environmental conservation activities of the MSC Foundation.
Established in 2019, the Super Coral Program intends to restore the coral reef threatened by climate change, in the 64 square miles of waters around the island. Developed in collaboration with the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University, the program also involves the University of Bahamas, the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute and the Perry Institute for Marine Science.
From the sea to the tanks, and return
“When, because of the too hot temperatures, a whitening event occurs and the corals die, we go to the sea and we are looking for the survivors” explains Owen O’Shea, a marine biologist consultant of the Super Coral Program. “We take small fragments and cultivate them on the island and also in a nursery in the open sea.
After a period ranging from 6 to 18 months, depending on the species, the corals are large enough and strong to survive in the natural environment: we therefore bring them back to the barriers and begin to plant them to regenerate the areas that have been damaged by historical mining or climate change operations “.
Super resistant corals
“To increase genetic diversity and resilience of the barrier, we use different colonies and species,” continues the researcher. But particular attention is paid to the Corallo Pacific Elkhorn (A horns), inserted in the list of critical endangered species of extinction drawn up by the IICCN, the world union for the conservation of nature, with which the MSC Foundation collaborates.
After a phase of developing techniques and tubs, the actual cultivation began in 2022. At full speed, it aims to increase the capacity of up to 6,000 corals per year, but the first feedback on the work already done are more than positive: in the whitening event, followed by the heat wave of 2023, 100% of the cultivated corals survived.
Alongside the scientific activities, the Super Coral Program Marine also provides for disclosure initiatives aimed at sensitizing tourists on the importance of the conservation of the marine ecosystem
