Dead coral reefs, rethinking Caribbean tourism

Pool based Caribbean vacations?

It's almost ironic that 50 years ago resort developers across the Caribbean built developments that touted "the oceans" as one of their primary features.

Access to stunning natural reef systems, large and inquisitive groupers, and a lifestyle that was about what we call the, "Resort Tri-Fecta," Sun, Sand, and Ocean.

That was 50 years ago.

Today, most Caribbean resorts have all but abandoned the oceans, building more lavish and complex land based amenities instead. Resort developers look at the high tide mark as their last responsibility to any given property, everything after that is - dead space.

This has given rise to catastrophic and systematic near shore reef loss.

Over the past 50 years a whopping 70% of near shore reef systems across the Caribbean are considered dead, dying, or in serious trouble. A recent decades long study from the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) reported 50% of all Caribbean reefs gone, and we may be facing a massive coral extinction event as early as 2030.

The Caribbean is home to 9% of the world’s coral reefs, which are one of the most diverse
ecosystems on the planet. Caribbean reefs, spanning a total of 38 countries, are vital to the region’s economy. They generate more than US$ 3 billion annually from tourism and fisheries and over a hundred times more in other goods and services, on which more than 43 million people depend.

50 years of development indifference before/after

That's the bad news, the good news is we can begin to reverse the changes with smart and innovative technologies designed for both tourism and the environment.

Just because resort developers have abandoned the oceans, offering bigger and more intricate land based amenities as a substitute, does not mean the market for ocean based exploration has diminished. In fact, globally, the market for both scuba and snorkeling is a robust $3 billion dollar market.

This market is savvy. It's members are connected to social media, they are very environmentally conscious, and they will spend premium dollars in places where reefs are pristine and ocean wildlife is available to them as it once was in the Caribbean. The rise of Maldives tourism is a prime example.

The time for a reassessment of resort based engagement with the oceans is now.

Habitat tourism zone on resort waterfront concept

At Reef Worlds, we envision a "return to the oceans" by resort developers and resort management companies across the Caribbean.

For many resort developers the sudden discovery of two-five acres of "monetized space" comes as a shock to them.

These spaces beyond the high tide mark were once considered places where natural reefs would eternally provide "free entertainment" to guests. As these spaces have withered and died for lack of management, much like land based gardens which resort tend to on a daily basis, the rise of man made, "Art Parks and Habitat Tourism" zones designed to create habitat for a wide range of regional wildlife is just beginning. It is the solution to a 50 year old tourism blind spot. 

Artificial reefs work. In the State of Florida artificial reefs are the backbone to a $250 million dollar tourism juggernaut. They have proven over the years to create habitat, support fisheries, and create tourism opportunities.

Artificial reef design is exploring new ways to create both habitat and exciting diverse near shore sites designed for both tourism and the environment. We call this new design, Dynamic Reefs.

Resort development across the Caribbean sits in front of over 300,000 square miles of spaces that could be "rehabilitated" with Dynamic Reefs. Imagine these as mini marine protected zones that also acted as tourism centers, educational centers, and revenue centers for resorts.

The technology, tourism need, and now clear indication from years of research that unless we do something we will lose what is left have created a "perfect opportunity storm" for developers and resort management companies to act.

We could, in just a few years, create thousands of square miles newly monetized habitat spaces in front of developments now in operation, changing the underwater landscape for generations to come.

Or we could continue on the same path we are on now.