Coral Experts Workshop prepares ground for new era of coral conservation in The Bahamas

In October 2024, the MSC Foundation brought together coral experts from around the world to help finalise its roadmap for coral conservation in The Bahamas. The outcomes helped finalise the expansion of its Super Coral Programme, which will be empowered with the opening of the Foundation’s Marine Conservation Center in April 2025.

Focus Area: Marine Conservation

The MSC Foundation hosted a four-day workshop of international coral conservation experts, including its Super Coral Programme partners, between the 6th and 9th of October 2024. The Workshop took place over a series of sessions in Nassau and on Ocean Cay, where the attendees visited the construction site of the Foundation’s Marine Conservation Center, then nearing completion for its official inauguration on 10 April 2025.

The workshop had a deeply practical focus, leading to three concrete commitments by the Foundation, accompanied by a series of detailed recommendations aimed at expanding and intensifying coral reef restoration in The Bahamas, and increasing public awareness and engagement.

The Foundation has already implemented the first of these commitments, having established a Scientific Advisory Committee chaired by our Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor David Smith, and comprising 11 members based at research bodies in The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and the USA. The Committee will provide expert guidance and oversight for the Foundation’s Super Coral Reefs Programme across all its four key areas of activity:

• Reef Conservation & Science to restore coral reefs and increase their resilience
• Guest engagement & education to increase public awareness and action
• Capacity building to advance the technical capabilities of and collaboration between scientific and state partners
• Work to secure Ocean Cay’s status as a marine reserve and on its management

The second and third commitments focus on exploring the benefits of classifying restoration activities as infrastructure projects, and on strengthening existing and building new conservation partnerships between researchers, NGOs and government agencies to share knowledge and develop joint initiatives for scientific research and education.

The recommendations were equally concrete, ranging from details of scientific strategy, including specific restoration techniques, to a defined delivery pipeline for them.

One of the aims of our Super Coral Programme is to develop coral science and education partnerships in The Bahamas. Key aspects of this explored during the workshop and included in the recommendations include facilitating Bahamian student access to Florida university institutions for short-term coral restoration training, equipping Bahamian university research facilities, developing a Bahamian marine science curriculum, and establishing a national coral genetic suite.

The workshop outcomes are now guiding the development of the Super Coral Programme's 5-year roadmap for coral restoration, research, policymaking and conservation initiatives.

While coral reefs continue to face daunting challenges, strong conservation partnerships that develop and deploy innovative strategies can make a meaningful impact. Our Coral Experts Workshop proved a fruitful platform for exchanging ideas and developing a unified approach to conserving coral ecosystems.

The opening of the MSC Foundation Marine Conservation Center in April 2025 will empower the Super Coral Programme to implement the Workshop’s recommendations thanks to its advanced facilities, specialist staff, graduate intern support and increasingly strong local connections, helping ensure the health of coral reefs for future generations.