The Story of the First Coral Nursery in the Cayman Islands

ABOUT THE TOPIC

Join CCMI for this World Ocean Day FREE Reef Lecture as part of our Healthy Reefs Lecture Series. Learn more about CCMI’s coral nursery, which was the first coral nursery in the Cayman Islands!

CCMI’s coral nursery, created in 2012, was the first of its kind in the country. Today, it is home to more than 290 fragments of staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis). Once abundant throughout the Caribbean, this species is now critically endangered, and our nursery is home to some of the only living colonies remaining in the Cayman Islands. Following the significant losses caused by the 2023 mass bleaching event, maintaining and expanding the nursery has become more important than ever. Join us to learn more about coral restoration, the history of our coral nursery, and the resilience of these remarkable corals.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Nicole Rotelle moved around a lot growing up, living in 10 different states in the US and abroad in another country. Although her home was constantly changing, she always found her way back to the ocean.

During her undergraduate studies, Nicole spent a year on the island of Oahu in Hawaii doing sea turtle research. She also studied abroad in Copenhagen in a polar biology programme. After time in the Arctic, Nicole quickly realized she wanted to return to a warmer climate.

Nicole graduated from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science with her Master of Professional Science in Marine Conservation. She was a coral disease and restoration intern with the National Park Service in St. Croix, USVI, and she completed her master’s thesis project assessing reef changes in response to coral disease events. Nicole now leads CCMI’s Coral Restoration Programme.