Bonaire: Where Coral and Cactus Thrive, and the Sea Soothes the Soul

Coral reefs play a vital role in the ecosystem, but are facing a dire future in many parts of the world. In Jamaica, however, "grassroots-run coral nurseries and fish sanctuaries" have been established over the last decade, which has helped bring reefs in this area back to life.

Adapting to climate change in coastal areas means adjusting local fishing and cultivation practices. Residents of Velondriake, a locally managed marine area in southern Madagascar, have introduced seaweed and algae farming as an alternative to fishing. With the help of Blue Ventures, an NGO based in the UK, and the University of Toliara, residents are monitoring their ecosystem and finding new markets for their harvests.

In the mid-1990s, a small fishing community in Baja California Sur stopped fishing to give their depleted reef a chance to recover. Thirty years later, Cabo Pulmo National Park stands as one of the most documented cases of marine conservation success in the world. Scientific monitoring confirmed a 463% increase in marine biomass within a decade of protection. Drawing on this evidence, marine scientists have developed the Marine Prosperity Areas (MPpAs) framework, a replicable model that integrates ecological restoration with community well-being.

The Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration initiative (SOAR), coordinated by the Pew Charitable Trusts, The Nature Conservancy, and various state agencies, NGOs, and universities, spent millions buying oysters from 100 farms in seven states to put back into the oceans for reef restoration. Working in areas that already have reef monitoring programs, SOAR is supporting 20 reef restoration projects to create habitat for more oysters and other marine species, clean the water, and mitigate coastal flooding. SOAR also helped mitigate potential losses for shellfish farmers due to COVID-19.

In Jamaica, locally-led coral nurseries are working to restore the coral reef that have been lost to natural and manmade disasters. These organizations have small coral gardens where they can grow free of danger and when they’re big enough, are transported to a reef. With coral and fish being so codependent in the underwater ecosystem, the regrowth of coral has meant an increase of fish and fishing for the country, which many people rely on for their livelihood.

To protect the health of Belize's coral reefs and fish populations, the tiny country has implemented restrictions around where and who can fish commercially. This managed access program divides the region's territorial waters into nine different zones and so far has resulted in a decline in illegal fishing.

The island of Mauritius off the coast of Africa was once a prime destination for fishing and healthy coral reefs. However, the region deteriorated due to issues plaguing many coastal communities such as overfishing and population growth. To turn things around, marine protected areas and stricter regulations were implemented and are slowly proving to have a positive impact.

Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico communities, land and the local coasts. With many relying on fishing as a significant source of income, fishermen have been suffering since with polluted waters and a diminished fish population. One local man is taking a stance by working with community fishermen to utilize their skills to clean up the coastal waters through incentivizing results.

Scientists and conservationists have been pushing for more marine protected areas, regions that restrict human activity to protect marine life. But, they're quickly realizing it’s not about the quantity of mpa’s, but the quality.

Nonprofits and coastal communities are popularizing sustainable fishing practices and fishery management to allow ocean ecosystems to bounce back from overfishing and sustain the fishing industry long-term. For example, a community-led organization in Scotland campaigned to create the country’s first “No Take Zone” marine reserve, and a nonprofit in Hawaii is restoring fishponds to revive traditional Hawaiian aquaculture.