November 2021

 

It's all kicking off under the Caribbean Sea! MSC Foundation’s pioneering coral conservation and restoration programme just made a BIG step towards its destination. In fact, we’ve just signed an agreement with the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University, Florida, for a graduate internship programme to support its research and development activities.

Home to more than 25% of marine species, including many on the critically endangered list, coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems in the world. What's more, they provide food and work for half a billion people, while protecting coastal communities from storms and erosion. So, it is deeply worrying that, according to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, up to 90% of coral reefs are in danger of dying out within the next two decades.

Faced with this emergency, the MSC Foundation has launched its own initiative with a panel of international experts. The Super Coral Programme takes its name from certain hardy species of coral that have survived recent extreme heat and other impacts in the waters around Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, in The Bahamas, where the programme is based.

The interns involved will be actively involved in developing, testing and refining methods to pioneer the rebuilding of damaged reefs with these more resilient forms of “Super Coral”.

Announcing the agreement, Pierfrancesco Vago, Chair of the MSC Foundation Executive Committee, explained: “This partnership marks an important step forward in our commitment to reverse the steep decline of coral reefs around the globe. More than a local initiative, our programme is designed to build unique expertise in coral resilience and develop a model that can be successfully replicated worldwide.”

Want to know more about the Super Coral Programme? Follow its progress at mscfoundation.org.