The Bahamas has launched an aggressive national conservation initiative to address and reverse the devastating effects of warming ocean temperatures and a disease ravaging its coral reefs. The country’s first coral gene bank opened today at Atlantis Paradise Island to house, propagate, and replant healthy coral on damaged reefs. The coral rescue initiative is the result of a powerful collaboration between the government of The Bahamas through the Department of Marine Resources, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection and the Office of the Prime Minister, as well as Atlantis Paradise Island and the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, the Perry Institute for Marine Science (PIMS), the University of The Bahamas, and the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI).
“Today’s opening marks a major milestone and also represents just the beginning,” said Atlantis Blue Project Foundation Executive Director Debra Erickson. “The Bahamas Coral Gene Bank at Atlantis Paradise Island is more than a facility—it is a symbol of hope, a safeguard for biodiversity, and a strategic investment in long-term reef resilience. It not only strengthens national conservation capacity but also inspires young Bahamians to take on leadership roles in the stewardship of our natural resources.”
The Bahamas Coral Gene Bank at Atlantis Paradise Island can accommodate up to 200 large, mature coral colonies, in addition to smaller fragments and juvenile corals. Fifteen coral species have been relocated to the Atlantis Paradise Island-based biosecure Gene Bank research facility. Coral fragments collected from the ocean are placed in pristine, on-site aquaria, and once stable, they grow and reproduce quickly with the aid of innovative reproduction techniques such as lunar-cycle simulations. Part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ global Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) program, onsite management of the new bank is led by PIMS experts, including a former BAMSI graduate and student interns from BAMSI and the University of The Bahamas, with support from marine-life experts at Atlantis.
“Coral has become increasingly endangered over the years, but the introduction of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease completely changed the game and created extreme urgency to act,” said PIMS Executive Director Dr. Craig Dahlgren. “Transmitted among corals through direct contact and water circulation, the disease has spread to all major Bahamian islands and causes a high death rate in corals. Treatments are emerging slowly, but corals need to be rescued and isolated from the disease while these methods are perfected. Our collective vision is not only to preserve coral currently under threat, but also to foster new generations of corals that, when replanted, are more resilient to disease and other dangers. Longstanding support from our partners over the past decade, including vital contributions that helped establish The Bahamas Coral Gene Bank at Atlantis Paradise Island, has been essential in making this national effort possible.”
The Coral Gene Bank at Atlantis Paradise Island is a pioneering initiative to ensure that no coral species in The Bahamas is lost due to disease, bleaching, or other environmental stressors.
