Spanish
Punta Cana.– In the framework of the closing of the tourism fair DATE 2025, the Bávaro Reefs Foundation offered this Friday a press conference where it presented its advances in the restoration and conservation of coral reefs in the East region of the country, at the same time alerting about the critical environmental situation facing the Dominican marine ecosystem.
“Suddenly, we arrived 40 years ago, destroyed and removed everything that nature put. Today, the country's coral reefs are practically dead,” expressed Manuel Alejandro, one of the foundation's spokespersons, who explained that currently no reef in the country is considered functional, a situation they described as “very serious.”
The representatives of Bávaro Reefs explained the relationship between the health of the corals and the stability of the beaches. A single hectare of live coral can produce up to five tons annually of biogenic sand, while a dead reef does not generate even one ton.
“If we run out of beach, what will tourism come for? Our economy depends on coral, not only for the beaches, but also for fishing,” said Manuel Alejandro.
The foundation highlighted the implementation of areas under special management, where fishing has been restricted to favor the recovery of the ecosystem. In these zones, corals cultivated in the laboratory are being planted and also actively working with the long-spined black sea urchin, a key animal for coral health due to its role in controlling invasive algae.
In addition, emphasis was placed on the importance of protecting species such as the parrotfish, whose diet of algae helps keep reefs healthy.
“We have algae such as ramicrusta and peixonelia, which suffocate the coral. Only the parrotfish and sea urchins can control their expansion,” they explained.
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Another fundamental axis of the foundation's work is environmental education, which seeks to transform the collective mentality regarding marine conservation. To this end, they give workshops in schools, companies, and communities, and have developed an educational catamaran tour program, where both locals and tourists can actively participate in coral planting.
“Each visitor plants their own coral, takes it to the reef, and learns up close how marine life is restored. That experience transforms people's perception of the sea,” indicated the technical team of Bávaro Reefs.
Finally, the foundation reiterated its urgent call to all sectors of society to commit to the protection of the reefs, as the future of tourism, fishing, and coastal sustainability in the Dominican Republic depends on them.
