Marine Conservation
Area of interest
Barbados is situated windward of the Lesser Antilles and is the most easterly island in the Caribbean surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean.
Surrounded completely by coral reefs, the Barbados marine landscape showcases a diversity of sea life including the famous Flying Fish. Barbados is also the nesting home for two of the world’s rarest sea creatures the Hawksbill and the Leatherback Turtles. However, significant threats continue to impact the health of the waters surrounding the island. Rising sea temperatures coupled with increasing solid and chemical waste pollution from the land continue to plague the water quality and over 70% of the island’s coral reefs have suffered significantly from coral bleaching. Most recently, the waters have been battling the largest bloom of sargassum seaweed ever recorded, which cause danger to marine life and the coastlines.
There are many innovative and valuable efforts to address these issues being made locally by both the government and civil society organizations, Initiatives ranging from coral restoration to marine protected areas to community engagement and education campaigns to promote care and health of the oceans The Barbados Environmental Conservation Trust looks forward to supporting the enhancement of these initiatives and others that complement the preservation of the ocean’s health.
