CON LA PRIMA FASE DEL CENTRO DI CONSERVAZIONE MARINA DI OCEAN CAY VICINO AL COMPLETAMENTO, LA FONDAZIONE MSC MOBILITA GLI ESPERTI PER TRACCIARE LA ROADMAP DEL 2030 PER LA CONSERVAZIONE DEI CORALLI NELLE BAHAMAS
La Fondazione MSC amplierà i suoi sforzi di ricerca sui coralli, con la prima fase del suo nuovo Centro di conservazione marina a Ocean Cay a poche settimane dal completamento.
#msccrociere #msccruises #mscgroups #mscfoundation
WITH PHASE ONE OF OCEAN CAY’S MARINE CONSERVATION CENTER NEAR COMPLETION, MSC FOUNDATION MOBILIZES EXPERTS TO CHART 2030 ROADMAP FOR CORAL CONSERVATION IN THE BAHAMAS


Geneva, Switzerland – October 16, 2024 – The MSC Foundation will be expanding its coral research efforts, with the first phase of its new Marine Conservation Center at Ocean Cay just weeks from completion. 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.
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.
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.
“I’m heartened by the progress made under the Super Coral Program. 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% of our nursery corals survived the last marine heatwave,” said Dr David Smith, Chief Scientific Officer of the MSC Foundation Advisory Board.
“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.”
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.
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% survival of nursery corals during the last marine heatwave
About the Experts Workshop
The MSC Foundation experts workshop included representation from The Bahamas Department of Environmental Planning & Protection, The Bahamas Department of Marine Resources, The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), University of the Bahamas, Perry Institute for Marine Science, Nova Southeastern University, University of Miami, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Dominicana de Estudios Marinos (FUNDEMAR), Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP), IntelliReef, International Coral Reef Initiative, International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and Mission Blue.
Executive Director of the MSC Foundation Daniela Picco hailed the collaboration as a “model for long-term partnerships between the public, academic and private sectors.” She added, “This program shows we can make a lasting impact when communities, governments, and philanthropic entities come together with shared objectives. 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.”
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.
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,” said Dr Maria Woodside-Oriakhi, Provost and Vice President Academic Affairs, University of The Bahamas.
“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,” said Matthew McKinnon, Chairperson of the MSC Foundation Advisory Board.
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ABOUT THE MSC FOUNDATION:
The non-profit MSC Foundation implements the MSC Group’s marine conservation, humanitarian, and sustainable development commitments worldwide, utilizing MSC’s global reach and unique knowledge of the sea to protect and nurture our blue planet, its people, and our shared cultural heritage.
Concentrating on four areas – Environment, Community Support, Education and Emergency Relief – the Foundation promotes the protection and sustainable management of ecosystems, empowers vulnerable communities around the world to realize their full potential, supports equitable and inclusive quality education to foster enduring individual and collective development, and helps disaster-struck populations toward recovery.
The Foundation works to achieve this both independently and with dedicated partners: independently, by leveraging MSC Group engagement in designing and managing projects, connecting communities, raising awareness, and mobilizing the financial support of thousands of people, and together with trusted partners selected for their strong innovative vision or track record for effective action.