The Coral Gardeners of Saint Lucia: Local heroes against coral bleaching

The Coral Restoration Programme in Soufriere, Saint Lucia, employs 'coral gardeners' to restore endangered elkhorn and staghorn coral species to combat bleaching caused by warming ocean temperatures. Integrated into Saint Lucia's National Adaptation Plan (2018–2028), the initiative is a partnership between the government, non-profits, and the private sector, including CLEAR Caribbean Ltd and the Department of Fisheries. The programme aims to produce 4,000 coral colonies to protect coastal communities from storm surges and support the tourism and fishing sectors, which are critical to the local economy.

• Coral bleaching caused by warming ocean temperatures threatens Saint Lucia's food security, tourism, and coastal protection, with potential climate-induced damage to reefs estimated between USD 1.7 billion and 3.4 billion by 2050.
• The Coral Restoration Programme is a priority action within the fisheries sector of Saint Lucia’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for 2018–2028, helping the initiative align with national priorities and access more resources.
• Based in Soufriere, the programme is a public-private partnership involving CLEAR Caribbean Ltd, the Department of Fisheries of the Government of Saint Lucia, the Sandals Foundation, PANORAMA, and the Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Resort hotels.
• The programme aims to produce approximately 4,000 coral colonies, specifically focusing on the recovery of fast-growing, endangered elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) species that are less prone to bleaching.
• Early results indicate successful growth of endangered species over an 11-month period, leading to increased fish landings for local fishers and expanded business opportunities for diving operators.
• The initiative provides global adaptation research by tracking coral genotypes to ensure genetic diversity and the selection of the most resilient specimens.

APA

Burge, C., & Doxerie, L. (2023). The Coral Gardeners of Saint Lucia: Local heroes against coral bleaching. NAP Global Network. https://napglobalnetwork.org/stories/the-coral-gardeners-of-saint-lucia-local-heroes-against-coral-bleaching/

Chicago

Burge, Catherine, and Lucius Doxerie. The Coral Gardeners of Saint Lucia: Local heroes against coral bleaching. NAP Global Network, 2023. https://napglobalnetwork.org/stories/the-coral-gardeners-of-saint-lucia-local-heroes-against-coral-bleaching/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Burge |first1=Catherine |last2=Doxerie |first2=Lucius |title=The Coral Gardeners of Saint Lucia: Local heroes against coral bleaching |publisher=NAP Global Network |date=31 July 2023 |url=https://napglobalnetwork.org/stories/the-coral-gardeners-of-saint-lucia-local-heroes-against-coral-bleaching/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{burge2023coral, author = {Burge, Catherine and Doxerie, Lucius}, title = {{The Coral Gardeners of Saint Lucia: Local heroes against coral bleaching}}, institution = {NAP Global Network}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://napglobalnetwork.org/stories/the-coral-gardeners-of-saint-lucia-local-heroes-against-coral-bleaching/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }