With the first phase of its new Marine Conservation Center at Ocay Cay just weeks from completion, the MSC Foundation has announced it will be expanding its coral research efforts.

“I’m heartened by the progress made under the Super Coral Program,” Dr. David Smith, chief scientific officer of the MSC Foundation Advisory Board, said in a press release.

“We have identified high thermal resilience in some genetic populations of corals, developed techniques to grow corals in open-water nurseries, started to trial methods to outplant these corals, and 100 percent of our nursery corals survived the last marine heatwave,” Smith said.

“With renewed commitments coming out of three days of fruitful discussions with Bahamian stakeholders, partners and other experts, the opening of the research lab at the Marine Conservation Center will support the scale-up of our coral nursery and outplanting work and serve the community as a hub of scientific collaboration and education.”

The state-of-the-art research facility will further the Foundation’s Super Coral Program at Ocean Cay—a Mission Blue Hope Spot in The Bahamas. This flagship endeavor centers around a thriving coral nursery with fragments growing from five distinct species and 13 genotypes of reef-building coral.

                              Part Two of Marine Conservation Center

Phase Two of the Marine Conservation Center is scheduled to be complete by April 2025 and will significantly accelerate restoration efforts under the Super Coral Program. It will also include new educational facilities for raising awareness around the critical need to save coral reefs and will help the Foundation scale up the reach and impact of its public engagement efforts—a core element of the program.

Since 2022, the Super Coral Program has been focusing on identifying, researching and propagating hardy species of coral, primarily of the critically endangered elkhorn variety. The work builds upon MSC Cruises’ multi-year restoration of Ocean Cay’s marine ecosystem, which began with the company’s redevelopment of the former sand-mining site. The 64 square miles of ocean around the island has since flourished. With a revised roadmap and the new Marine Conservation Center, the Super Coral Program is entering a promising new phase of development.

“This program shows we can make a lasting impact when communities, governments, and philanthropic entities come together with shared objectives,” Daniela Picco, executive director of the MSC Foundation, said in a press release.

“Our Marine Conservation Center will unveil the immense power of uniting the strengths of our Bahamian and Florida partners with other leading stakeholders, and the potential for a new model for ocean stewardship,” Picco said.

                                           Three-day expert workshop

During a three-day expert workshop held on board MSC Seashore and at Ocean Cay, the MSC Foundation laid out its 2030 Roadmap for Coral Conservation based on discussions with 20 international conservationists and other experts. The plan will represent a significant update to the Foundation’s original Roadmap for the Super Coral Program, which was validated at an expert meeting held in Bimini, The Bahamas, in 2019.

During the workshop, the group of experts highlighted marine science education as a critical component of the Super Coral Program. The MSC Foundation has worked with Nova Southeastern University and the University of Miami in Florida since 2020 to support graduate students in developing research that informs coral restoration at Ocean Cay.

                                         Foundation’s newest program partners

The workshop included the Foundation’s newest program partners—University of The Bahamas and BAMSI. The agreements finalized in July 2024 will lead to scholarships and internships for Bahamian students, representing a crucial step toward regular exchanges of expertise and capacities in marine research and conservation.

“Support from MSC Foundation for students at UB helps to fulfil our strategic vision for expanding programs in areas of national need, and broadening research opportunities for our students,” Dr. Maria Woodside-Oriakhi, provost and vice president academic affairs, university of The Bahamas, said in a press release.

“This workshop reaffirmed that coral conservation is an environmental concern and a social and economic imperative. The future success of this program depends on continually evolving our partnerships. The experts’ input will help us to outline ambitious targets for 2030, including large-scale public awareness campaigns aimed at cruise guests and visitors, informing them of the vital importance of conserving coral reefs in The Bahamas, the Caribbean and around the globe,” Matthew McKinnon, chairperson of the MSC Foundation Advisory Board, said in a press release.

Among the Super Coral Program’s successes to date:

Identifying high thermal resilience in some genetic populations of corals

Developing techniques to grow corals in open-water nurseries

Successfully exploring methods for outplanting resilient corals

100 percent survival of nursery corals during the last marine heatwave

 Renderings by Arquitectonica

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