Derby Beach Coral Restoration and Marine Sanctuary
by: Derby Beach Marine Association
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DBMA is nonprofit coalition of local fishers and community members in Silver Sands Jamaica. The projects are coral reef restoration, creation of a marine sanctuary and education to promote stewardship of the coastal ecosystem.
Support This CauseThe DBMA coral restoration project today houses a thriving gene bank of over 70 strains of the formerly dominant Elkhorn and Staghorn corals, which are the building blocks of Caribbean reefs. A team of fishers from the DBMA and University of West Indies graduate students monitor, care for and clean the new corals to propagate these climate smart corals and to reestablish new, reproductive, heat adapted populations. This project will continue indefinitely as long as funding exists.
DBMA’s members have formed a critically important coalition with the local fishers to obtain their agreement, support and participation in the marine sanctuary project. With that agreement, DBMA has marked the temporary boundaries for the no-take zone (see photo). This work was assisted by members of the Oracabessa Marine Trust. The Fisheries department will now review the boundary for a formal designation. The sanctuary will require at least 5 years as a no-take zone to reach optimum results.
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