
- grenada|
- environment|
- November 2022
The Sandals Foundation has collaborated with the Grenada Coral Reef Foundation to provide artificial reef equipment and supplies while also training community members in coral gardening and restoration.
With roughly half of the island's population living within the coastal zone and relying heavily on its marine and coastal environment, the marine and coastal resources, coral reef, seagrass beds, wetlands, beaches, and fisheries, serve as an essential economic engine, supporting jobs, income, and overall economic prosperity.
However, because anthropogenic stressors, primarily pollution, overharvesting of resources, and coastal development, have degraded Grenada's coastal and marine ecosystems, the reefs are more vulnerable to chronic stresses and the future effects of climate change. It also puts coastal communities at risk because coral reefs provide ecosystem services such as coastal protection, livelihood, and food security.
BIOROCK structures and coral trees are being installed as part of the community-led coral restoration project, as well as biweekly in-water coral gardening and PADI SCUBA diving sessions for people in the parish of St. Mark's. BIOROCK structures have proven to be extremely effective in restoring reefs around the world, and the project aims to assist Grenada in strengthening its vulnerable reefs in order to protect the lives and livelihoods of communities that rely on the health of the marine environment.
School and community awareness activities will also be carried out to support the overall health of the region's marine resources.