Ocean Cay – MSC Marine Reserve

Bright Ideas in Travel 2024

"We are currently in the midst of a global coral bleaching event—the fourth such event on record. But the MSC Foundation’s Super Coral Programme has a small silver lining to deliver: Its 550 coral samples, housed in a 64-square-mile marine reserve off Ocean Cay in the Bahamas, remain alive and well. Through its foundation, the MSC Group supports research around so-called super corals, hardy varieties that are more resilient to environmental stressors like heat. The nursery is home to five different species and 12 genotypes. The world’s coral populations have shrunk by 50% since the 1950s, and global emissions reductions are required to prevent more die-offs—but in the more immediate term, conservation scientists see possibility in super corals to help maintain these rich ecosystems. The goal of MSC’s coral program is to identify specimens that can be used to propagate new reefs in the effort to reverse coral population decline in the Bahamas."