Reviving the Caribbean’s Largest Coral Nursery

Cancún, Mexico — Amid constant threats from marine diseases, bleaching, and hurricanes, a team of researchers, divers, volunteers, and staff from the Parque Nacional Costa Occidental Punta Cancún, Punta Nizuc e Isla Mujeres is carrying out intensive restoration work at the "Bajo Pepito" coral nursery, considered the largest in the entire Caribbean Sea.

This nursery, located in a strategic zone off the coast of Quintana Roo, has the capacity to hold up to 4,000 coral colonies and contains a collection of at least 15 different species, including Montastraea cavernosa, Acropora palmata, and Acropora cervicornis. It also preserves specimens of pillar coral, a species no longer found naturally in the region's reefs.

The restoration is part of a coordinated effort between the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (Conanp), certified divers, environmental guides, and various non-governmental organizations. Thanks to the application of coral reproduction techniques with up to a 90 percent success rate, the project aims to accelerate the recovery of the ecosystems that support much of the marine biodiversity of the Mexican Caribbean.

According to Claudia Padilla Souza, a researcher and former collaborator with the Instituto Mexicano de Investigación en Pesca y Acuacultura (Inapesca), the work of "underwater gardening" is essential to guarantee the survival of the reefs.

"The authorities cannot keep up with the care and reproduction, but this infrastructure of a nursery that can maintain up to 4,000 coral colonies in cultivation already exists," explained the specialist.

The "Bajo Pepito" nursery represents a tangible hope for the reefs of the Caribbean, ecosystems that are not only home to thousands of marine species but also serve as a natural barrier protecting the coast from the impacts of storms and hurricanes. With these actions, Cancún and Isla Mujeres reinforce their commitment to marine conservation and the environmental future of the Mexican Caribbean.