Regional Learning Exchange Strengthens Coral Restoration Capacity in Belize

The University of Belize Environmental Research Institute (UB-ERI) marine team recently participated in the CoralCarib Climate-Resilient Coral Restoration Learning Exchange held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, alongside partners from the Belize Fisheries Department, Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA), and the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE).

Hosted through a collaboration between The Nature Conservancy (TNC), CoralCarib, the Reef Resilience Network, FUNDEMAR, and the Fundación Grupo Puntacana Marine Innovation Center, the exchange brought together restoration practitioners and marine conservation professionals from Belize to strengthen regional capacity for climate-smart coral reef restoration.

Over the course of the exchange, participants engaged in workshops, field visits, and hands-on learning activities focused on coral restoration planning, climate resilience, monitoring, and restoration interventions. Sessions explored topics including restoration site selection, SMART objectives and indicators, coral propagation techniques, and approaches for enhancing coral thermal tolerance under climate change.

The Belize delegation visited restoration sites and marine laboratories operated by FUNDEMAR in Bayahibe and the Fundación Grupo Puntacana Marine Innovation Center, both internationally recognized for pioneering coral restoration initiatives and innovative techniques such as land-based coral nurseries, assisted sexual reproduction, micro-fragmentation, and the identification of thermally resilient coral colonies.

At the Marine Innovation Center, the UB-ERI team learned about land-based coral nursery systems designed to preserve coral genetic diversity while supporting reef restoration efforts. Participants also explored marine organism breeding initiatives involving fish, sea urchins, and planktonic microorganisms, highlighting the broader ecosystem-based approaches supporting coral reef resilience in the Caribbean.

The exchange also highlighted several key lessons for coral restoration planning in Belize. Discussions emphasized the importance of long-term monitoring frameworks, including baseline surveys and reference sites, to evaluate restoration success through time. Participants explored how declining coral cover and low coral population densities across many Caribbean reefs increase the need for approaches that carefully balance the use of wild donor material with the development of nursery and propagation capacity. The training further reinforced that effective reef restoration often requires a combination of approaches, including in-water restoration, land-based propagation systems, and broader efforts to improve environmental conditions that support reef resilience.

For UB-ERI, the exchange provided valuable opportunities to connect on restoration approaches across the Caribbean. The knowledge shared through the exchange will help inform future coral restoration and resilience-building initiatives within Belize’s marine ecosystems.

UB-ERI thanks The Nature Conservancy Belize, CoralCarib, FUNDEMAR, Fundación Grupo Puntacana, and the Reef Resilience Network for organizing and supporting this important regional knowledge exchange.