Setting up the Nets Delsa Gonzalez preparing for brain coral spawning by installing nets over the corals © Matthew Davies/TNC
The Caribbean is home to some of Earth’s most magnificent coral reefs. They harbor abundant ocean life, protect coastal communities and support nearly half of the region’s economy. But today, these critical habitats are in grave decline due to climate change, overfishing and pollution. The launch of our Virgin Islands Coral Innovation Hub represents an important beacon of hope for reefs throughout the region.
At our lab facility, The Nature Conservancy and partners are advancing coral science to help reefs recover at a meaningful scale. Using our land-based and underwater nurseries, we are innovating ways to breed significantly more corals, with greater survival rates, for reef restoration. Novel techniques allows us to dramatically increase coral growth and preserve coral genetic diversity for improved reef resilience. Healthy new corals are then used to bring dying reefs back to life and restore the benefits they provide for our ocean, communities and economies.
Our Work Underwater
Both underwater and in the lab we are advancing coral research and conservation.
In St. Croix’s East End Marine Park, with the help of NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, we are spearheading one of the largest coral restoration initiatives in the insular Caribbean, spanning more than 90 acres of reef area. Thanks to a partnership with the National Park Service, these efforts will expand to include restoration of the Buck Island Reef National Monument
We have created revolutionary tools to better protect and manage ocean habitats—like cutting-edge maps to identify all coral reefs in the Caribbean, including naturally climate-resilient areas where restoration efforts will have the greatest long-term impact. To amplify our advances, we lead the Reef Resilience Network, an educational platform that connects 34,000 conservation practitioners around the globe. Working with governments, communities, international organizations,and the tourism sector, we aim to ensure a resilient future for the Caribbean’s iconic coral reefs and the lives and livelihoods they sustain.
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Latest News
TNC USVI Coral Innovation Hub Receives NOAA’s Research Center Designation
This designation is a huge milestone in recognizing the innovative coral conservation work done by TNC in the USVI.
TNC Caribbean's Coral Impact Hubs; Saving the Heart of the Sea
TNC Coral Innovation Hubs are based on collaboration with local organizations which are already making an impact in coral conservation around the Caribbean. TNC is helping to scale up these efforts.
TNC Participates in U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting
Our teams in Puerto Rico and the USVI convened in beautiful St. Croix for the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting to discuss priorities for coral conservation.