Research goals

 To identify causes of coral reef loss on the island of Curaçao and to find practical solutions to reverse this trajectory of loss and decline.

 

• Our team is composed of scientists and students from the Netherlands and the United States, principally from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands Institute of Sea Research, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, and San Diego State University

 

• The majority of coral reef research on Curaçao to date has been conducted around Piscaderabaai and other central sites. The container lab at the Kura Hulanda Lodge provides a research base in Westpunt and thus opportunities to conduct studies in less developed areas without intensive human pressure

 

• Background information about the status and health of coral reefs on Curaçao is being collecting in a group of interrelated investigations, including:
  • Assessment of the population distributions and condition of elkhorn coral
  • Investigation of fisheries use and management approaches
  • Characterization of fish and coral assemblages from across Curaçao
  • Description of coral population dynamics, focusing on recruitment of young
  • Identification of the role of microbes in coral reef ecosystem dynamics

 

• A large-scale, long-term experiment is planned to test approaches for converted degraded coral reefs to healthy conditions, including abundant corals and fishes and clear water. The experiment will be conducted in the waters adjacent to the Kura Hulanda Lodge, and will involve the installation of large nets to alter the densities of fishes and sea urchins. The experiment is scheduled to begin in summer 2008, and will include an active, full-time presence of affiliated researchers in the Westpunt area.

For more information, please contact: