BAHAMAS CORAL INNOVATION HUB
This fall marks the beginning of the Bahamas Coral Innovation Hub! Based out of Cape Eleuthera, the hub aims to upscale coral reef restoration in the Bahamas, develop new technologies, as well as educate, train and engage local Bahamians on the importance of coral conservation. Key hub members include The Nature Conservancy, The Perry Institute for Marine Science (PIMS), SECORE International, SHEDD Aquarium and the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI).
Our Goals
As an archipelago of over 700 islands and cays painted in clear, popsicle-blue waters, it’s no secret that coral reefs are vital to Bahamian culture, economy and ecology. Still, live coral cover is lower in the Bahamas than any other Caribbean nation. Over the next five years, the Bahamas Coral Innovation Hub will develop one of the largest coral reef restoration projects in the Caribbean, as well as tackle the following cutting-edge research questions:
1 – How can we use sexual coral recruits and microfragmentation to grow and farm corals on a much larger scale than what we see today?
2 – How can we maintain genetic diversity of our reared coral populations, so that they might be more resilient to climate change?
3- How can we raise awareness about the importance of corals and coral restoration technology? In particular, how can we involve local communities and Bahamian youth in our reef-rebuilding work?
“By working together, we plan to grow and plant thousands of baby corals onto Bahamian coral reefs each year,” said PIMS and CEI coral researcher Lily Haines, “as well as offer experiential education opportunities in coral restoration to hundreds of students in the Bahamas.”