Can Building Resilient Coral Coastlines Help Protect Grenada?

TNC on site dive team contemplating the next moves- Boze Hancock, Phil Kramer, Chistopher Slade , Kemit Amon-Lewis (not shown). Nearly all the work was done on snorkel with scuba only needed for coral nursery transplantation. Photo credit: Kemit Amon-Lewis

Contributed by: Phil Kramer and Ruth Blyther, The Nature Conservancy

After two weeks of intense building, TNC Global Marine and Caribbean staff have completed the construction phase of the Grenada coral reef pilot project in Grenville. This new artificial reef is part of the At the Water’s Edge project. When built to full scale, these coral structures are intended to provide natural living breakwaters that will help to increase the resilience of Grenville, protecting its shorelines from eroding waves while providing additional benefits as coral habitat. Over the next 12-18 months, the project will be monitored and evaluated to ensure the structures are performing as designed, and that natural coral communities are beginning to recruit, survive and grow as expected. In addition, the team will capture lessons learned and share those lessons with others interested in this type of reef construction and shoreline protection. Once the reef is performing as expected, the site can be built out to full scale.

The AWE project also includes mangrove and coastal re-vegetation projects as well as work with Grenada Red Cross Society and the National Disaster Management Agency to develop a community resilience plan. When the project is complete, Grenada will become an important case study for building resiliency in the Caribbean, and an example for other island nations to follow.

Download and view this photo report so you can see the project in action and read more details about this significant work. Final field update for Grenada reef pilot project

Download and read the At the Water’s Edge Fact Sheet

Read more about the dual roles that coral play as breakwaters and habitat.