Coral nurseries evaluation season in Dominican Republic continues

Press Release

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Coastal Restoration Consortium (CDRC) and its support team, with the assistance of the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, continues to develop their season of coral nurseries evaluation throughout the Country.

Currently, CDRC is the leading institution in coral restoration efforts in the Dominican Republic and a regional benchmark. A total of 10 coral nurseries are managed and monitored by the CDRC; using the best equipment available and applying parameters to evaluate each coral nursery belonging to the Consortium members.

This solidly advancing assessment season aims at consolidating parametric measurements and standardized procedures for nursery configuration, maintenance, data collection, information exchange, and general performance. Achieving this goal is a challenge that the CDRC has developed through an evaluation tool designed by Dr. Diego Lirman and collaborators of the University of Miami.

This year, the evaluation tool has been improved thanks to the implementation of an evaluation manual that can be executed by the technicians of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, as highlighted by Dr. Camilo Cortés Useche, coordinator of the CDRC.

CDRC’s annual operating plan includes a recommendation phase for each of the country’s restoration projects so that each nursery is strengthened and conservation efforts continue.

The Dominican Coastal Restoration Consortium (CDRC) was created on February 15th, 2017, as a collaboration agreement between three local institutions, including the Grupo Puntacana Foundation (FGPC), the Dominican Foundation for Marine Studies (FUNDEMAR) and Counterpart International (CPI).

The fundamental mission of the CDRC is to conserve and restore the biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems, to enhance environmental and social resilience against the impacts of climate change and other degrading factors in the Dominican Republic through the restoration of coral reef structures and associated species, and the application of practical approaches in which communities can actively participate.

Camilo Cortés – Useche, Ph.D.

Consorcio Dominicano de Restauración Costera (CDRC)

Cel: +52 1 783 8310593

E-mail: cacu9@hotmail.com