The Nature Conservancy Plans to Launch New Caribbean Coral Reef Conservation Project

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) will launch a new strategic approach for conserving and restoring Caribbean coral reef ecosystems that targets Climate Resilient Refugia, later this month.

The TNC, which is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends,  said that the project, CoralCarib, will be launched on April 25 in conjunction with six of its regional partners.

The TNC said that while the project is being implemented in four target Caribbean countries, including Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica, knowledge exchanges will be conducted with Belize over the six-year period of the project and knowledge sharing will be conducted regionally and globally.

Jamaica’s Minster with responsibility for the Environment, Matthew Samuda, will address the launch, as well as Germany’s ambassador to Jamaica, Jan Hendrik van Thiel.

The CoralCarib project is being funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI), an agency of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) in Germany.

“The launch of the CoralCarib project marks a major turning point for coral conservation in the Caribbean, by using a climate-smart approach to focus coral reef conservation in the region. “TNC is delighted to partner with likeminded organizations that are committed to innovative conservation practices that will make our work more sustainable,” said Dr. Rob Brumbaugh, the executive director of TNC’s Caribbean Division.

The official launch will be followed by three days of meetings with all project partners.