Transplantation

From its inception CMCR has maintained the core ideal that Coral Transplantation (i.e. removing corals from their natural location to another site), should be used as a last resort and only if:

• The project is one of National Significance and is supported by the wider community, local laws, and it is confirmed that corals will be killed if left in their original location.
• The transplanted corals and selected control reefs must be monitored for at least one year after the project to quantify the net ecological benefits.
• It has been experimentally decided that the areas selected to receive the transplanted corals should have similar, if not better, environmental characteristics (e.g. water quality, depth, clarity, temperature) as the donor site. This means that the donor site must not be chosen simply because it is close or convenient to the client, but because it is an area that has the best conditions for maximum survival and growth.

Restoration

Obviously repairing or reattaching corals that have been damaged by natural means such as storm damage, or by anthropogenic damage (e.g. ship groundings/anchor damage), is a much more straight forward process in terms of net benefits/impacts, and quite often must be conducted quickly.

Our transplantation techniques have been perfected over the years, and can be altered to work with various types of substrates (e.g. volcanic, cohesive carbonate, to porous and brittle cervicornis substrate).

With a core team of marine scientists, research divers, sociologists and sub-contracted coastal, metallurgic and civil engineers we offer a range of field, research, and report services including (inter alia):

CMCR is the Coral Transplanting Specialist in the Caribbean and we have maintained survival rates over 90% with the most prevalent hard coral species.

Water Quality monitoring is often a crucial area of resource management, and CMCR has established several short and long term monitoring protocols. This monitoring has targeted bacteriological pathogens, chemical spills, or have been real-time sedimentation / turbidity studies to provide an early warning system during construction / dredging in the coastal zone.

Conducting full Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) of projects within the coastal zone.

Sinking of vessels to create artificial reefs. This process starts with coordinating a total environmental cleanup of the decommissioned vessel, opening up of vessels for sunlight, and making safe for divers. Finally, the location of the wreck is jointly determined by local stakeholders and prudent benthic assessments.

Installation of permanent moorings and the in-situ demarcation of protected areas. This has significantly reduced anchor damage in Barbados most popular dive sites.

Dive training and building of core local divers. Due to the fact that corals are often found in areas with little to no funding for environmental monitoring, CMCR dive instructors have trained personnel to dive and then taught them simple yet effective ways (e.g. Reef Check) to monitor their coral reef communities using various standardized monitoring techniques.

Other projects have been labelled Confidential and all monitoring timeframes were set by clients. Please inquire for more information.

Nassau, Bahamas

2015
Survivorship: 95%
Monitoring: 12 Months

Windjammer, St. Lucia

2004
Survivorship: 96%
Monitoring: <1 Month

Barbados Port Expansion

2001
Survivorship: 92%
Monitoring: 12 Months

Port Ferdinand Marina

2010
Survivorship: 100%
Monitoring: 2 Months

Barbados Coast Guard Base

2004
Survivorship: 83%
Monitoring: 2 Months

Folkestone Marine Park

2000
Survivorship: <95%
Monitoring: 2 Months

Montego Bay, Jamaica

2009
Survivorship: 98%
Monitoring: <1 Month

Oistins Fuel Pipeline

2003
Survivorship: 92%
Monitoring: 1 Month

Barbados Hilton Breakwater

1999
Survivorship: 91%
Monitoring: 6 Months

Nassau, Bahamas

2008
Survivorship: 94%
Monitoring: 6 Months

Port St. Charles Marina

2002
Survivorship: 91%
Monitoring: 2 Months