The MSC Foundation is set to enhance its coral research efforts with the imminent completion of the first phase of its new Marine Conservation Center at Ocean Cay. This flagship initiative focuses on coral propagation using growth fragments from five distinct species and 13 genotypes of reef-building corals.
Phase Two of the construction and setup of this state-of-the-art research facility is scheduled for completion by April 2025, significantly accelerating restoration efforts under the Super Coral program at Ocean Cay, a Mission Blue Hope Spot in the Bahamas. The Marine Conservation Center will also feature educational facilities aimed at raising public awareness about the necessity of saving coral reefs, which is a key element of the Foundation's outreach efforts.
During a three-day workshop aboard MSC Seashore and at Ocean Cay, the MSC Foundation outlined its 2030 Coral Conservation Roadmap, based on discussions with 20 national and international conservationists and other experts. This plan represents a significant update to the Foundation's original Super Coral Program Roadmap, validated during an expert meeting in Bimini, Bahamas, in 2019.
“I am encouraged by the progress made in the Super Coral program. We have identified high thermal resilience in certain genetic populations of corals, developed techniques for growing corals in open nurseries, and begun testing methods for transplanting these corals. Notably, 100% of our nursery corals survived the recent marine heatwave,” stated Dr. David Smith, Chief Scientific Officer of the MSC Foundation Advisory Council.