Coral Restoration in Haiti

The Amiga Island Ecological Foundation
Coral Restoration Project Overview
 
The picturesque Amiga Island is located just off the northern coast of Haiti, near the country's second largest city, Cap-Hatien. 

Surrounding the island is a classic fringing reef, which acts as a local fishing hub and and tourist destination.

This specific reef area is vital to local subsistence fisherman, the communities they live in and to local businesses and tourism. It is an amazing place that helps to debunk the often negative portrayal of Haiti.

Amiga Island is a beautiful and wild place, worthy of conservation not only to protect the intrinsic value of the reefs and biodiversity there but also for the safety, economic stability and cultural identity our local coastal places and their inhabitance.

But all is not well in paradise - the health of this magnificent ecosystem is under serious threat. The major decline of coral reefs seen throughout the Caribbean and the issues faced by coral species around the globe are in many cases even more damaging in Haiti.

Take for example one of the primary reef builders: Staghorn Coral (Acropora cervicornis). This species, which used to be one of the most common corals in the Caribbean Sea, has gone through a rapid and dramatic decline since the 1980’s. The astounding loss of Staghorn Coral has been so intense that in 2006 they were listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as threatened with extinction. Only two years later their major decline was globally recognized by the World Conservation Union and the species was registered on the IUCN Red List as “critically endangered”. Studies estimate that over 90% of Staghorn coral has disappeared and in many cases, like here at Amiga Island, this fundamental reef builder has been almost completely wiped out.

Fortunately, the Amiga Island Ecological Foundation has stepped in to help. Our Coral Restoration Project focuses on actively restoring the local reef through “Coral Gardening”.  This method, in which corals are grown with enhanced rates in a controlled underwater nursery is a scientifically founded technique proven to help reefs recover. Tiny initial fragments of Staghorn Coral are attached to specialized structures and carefully monitored. In less than one year, our coral fragments have grown at incredible rates, some fragments nearly doubling their size in the first two months! By facilitating this type of exponential growth, the Coral Restoration Project is able to build up a large base of nursery grown corals from which to replenish the wild populations on degraded reefs.

So far we’ve seen amazing growth in our own nursery and have real signs of hope! Our goal is help the local reef recover through active restoration, education and scientific research.

We are well on our way to establishing a stable and healthy stock of genetically diverse Staghorn Corals, using what limited resources we have to make a positive difference in our local ecosystem and communities. In the second phase of the project will be transplanting thousands of corals directly onto the reefs in order to restart, rebuild and recover not only the reefs themselves but the incredibly valuable ecosystem services they provide.


Where does my donation go?

All of the funds go directly to the project itself, not to any salary, travel or non-essential components. Specifically your money will go directly towards physical reef restoration materials and to educational and outreach initiatives

-Restoration Materials
-Production of Educational Materials
-Boat and Gear Maintenance / Operation
-Supporting Community Engagement 


REFERENCES

Herlan, J., and D. Lirman. "Development of a coral nursery program for the threatened coral Acropora cervicornis in Florida." Proc 11th Int coral reef symp. Vol. 24.     2008.

Young, C. N., S. A. Schopmeyer, and Diego Lirman. "A review of reef restoration and  coral propagation using the threatened genus Acropora in the Caribbean and      Western Atlantic." Bulletin of Marine Science 88.4 (2012): 1075-1098.