Punta Cana – The Dominican Republic is home to 181 coral reef sites, but climate change and human activities have significantly reduced the average live coral coverage. In popular tourist destinations like Punta Cana, this coverage fell below 10% by 2020.
This worrying trend was documented in a report by the Propagus Foundation, which highlighted the urgent need for coral restoration. In response, the Los Arrecifes de Bávaro Ecological Foundation is actively cultivating different coral species in its nurseries with the goal of rejuvenating these important living structures essential to marine ecosystems.
The foundation was founded by Spaniard Fernando Sánchez, who witnessed the decline of Bávaro’s marine habitat while running his maritime business. Concerned by high coral mortality, seagrass and shoreline erosion, he felt he had to take action.
In 2016, after receiving verbal permission from the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Environment, Sánchez began working with corals. By 2018, he had formalized his efforts by founding an organization that now has facilities just meters from the beach. These facilities include an interpretation center that combines educational activities with hands-on conservation work in the Caribbean.
