REZDM Project

Coral Conservation Action Team

With Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) recently making its appearance in the Soufriere Scotts Head Marine Reserve (SSMR) in Dominica, there is an imminent need for a Coral Conservation Action Team to work at preserving as many of the vulnerable coral species as possible.

The only intervention for the protection of the affected coral in the Soufriere Scotts Head Marine Reserve until now had been daily applications of antibiotic treatment by a local dive shop, along with volunteers and one SSMR warden. However, the rapid progression of the disease confirmed that this limited approach is not sustainable or sufficient to prevent further reef loss.

Because of the urgent need for additional resources to increase the coral treatment areas, the FDL through its REZDM program has implemented a Coral Conservation Action Team project in order to immediately deploy a larger, dedicated group of people able to relieve and provide additional support for the on-going efforts of volunteers and the current single warden.

The REZDM website address is https://rezdm.org and the section covering the Coral Conservation Action Team is located at https://rezdm.org/projects/coral-conservation-action-team.