LA Film and TV Designers, Dive Site Developers, Marine Biologists Building Artificial Reefs

Los Angeles-based Reef Worlds, whose team includes film and television designers, dive-site developers, and marine biologists, are designing next generation sustainable reefs for tourism and the environment in a race to save inshore ocean habitat around the globe.

Environmental change has caused the loss of more than half the world’s reef building corals. Coral cover, a measure of the percentage of the seafloor covered by living coral, is now just 10-20 percent worldwide. The Caribbean, thought to be one of the more pristine global reef systems, has lost 80% of its coral cover in only the last 50 years.

CEO Patric Douglas notes that while scuba diving and snorkeling are a $3-billion-a-year business, most resort developments don’t offer much in the way of special underwater experiences. “Many five-star resorts have one-star waterfronts,” says Douglas. Reef Worlds estimates there are 500,000 square miles of resort oceanfront with limited appeal to adventurous tourists due to rampant habitat loss.

Worse yet, these zones have suffered decades of neglect as resort developers focused on land based amenities such as water parks and golf courses.

“Reef Worlds was established three years ago with the goal of working alongside resorts to create sustainable artificial reef systems that help reduce tourism pressures on natural reefs. Reef Worlds are fully monetized discrete mini-marine “protected areas” within the resort’s own footprint, allowing them to brand the signature underwater experiences of their guests while creating and fostering regional habitat,” says Douglas.

Reef Worlds have been promoting the economic and ecological benefits of what he calls “habitat tourism,” which would give resort owners a way to monetize the waters off their beaches, while relieving some of the pressure from aquatic tourists on natural underwater reef systems that are endangered or dying.

Artificial reefs have been around for decades. Most were created with everything from sunken battleships to old tires—and most, says Douglas, are boring. “Who wants to look at a concrete triangle?” he asks. Reef Worlds designs and creates “dynamic reefs” to attract sea life and tourism interest, making them places people actually want to explore, he says.

In Mexico, the company is developing an underwater art garden featuring 200 works of art that will take their cues from Mayan and Aztec iconography. Douglas calls this “Mayan Gods in 3D.”

Douglas says Reef Worlds will be able to bring in projects at 10-20% of the cost of a typical resort water theme park, which can run $70 million to build and $10 million a year to market and maintain. And unlike land based entertainment facilities Reef Worlds sites slowly transform over time into habitat for a wide range of wildlife and corals like a typical artificial reef.

Reef Worlds’ “Pearl of Dubai” project will be located in the waters around the World Islands development. Renderings suggest the park might be modeled after the mythic Lost City of Atlantis. Reef Worlds has five projects in varying stages of development in Dubai, Qatar, the Philippines, and Mexico.

Tourism Trend Setters – Attractions That Create Vacation Memories and Revenue

Global tourism is getting back on track and all indications are showing a return to vacation night stays at beachfront hotels and fractional ownership around the world. Once again the industry is grappling with the age old questions of consumer engagement and vacation memory creation branded to resort properties.

Artificial resort reef design

“It’s a no brainer for us,” says Dave Taylor Director of Development at Reef Worlds, an L.A based underwater design and development company.

“There’s an estimated 500,000 square miles of accessible ocean front sitting right off main stream hotel chains and fractional ownership resorts  that no one has built any engagement with. The resorts who own these spaces still consider the high tide mark their responsibility. The end result are waterfront spaces that no one wants to snorkel on, or dive on, worse yet spaces that wildlife, (the reason people engage with the water), are leaving because of environmental neglect.”

Dave Taylors design and build team are avid water users and have traveled extensively around the world to discover the state of resort waterfronts in 2012 and their report was not pretty. “We found old tires, garbage, sand bottoms, broken coral, and wildlife that was barely hanging on. In short not a place you would want to grab a snorkel kit and go explore and these were 5 Star developments and time share properties .”

Reef Worlds solution is simple. Take the concept of an artificial reef, typically rock tailings, rip rap, and or concrete shapes that had no tourism value and fundamentally redesign the concept to create entire worlds underwater for tourism and wildlife. Reef Worlds harnesses 5000 years of human design elements with a touch of Hollywood magic to deliver underwater experiential sites that capture and hold mass tourism within a resort developments own footprint while creating a haven for regional wildlife.

They are also designed as revenue generators from the day they are placed with on site.

Tourism Revenue 101

“Snorkel rentals have some compelling numbers behind them. A typical snorkel set rents for $20-30USD a day, and at just 100 sets a day you’re looking at close to a million dollars in revenue generation for the resort. Add to that habitat creation with the increase of bio mass and colorful fish to your waterfront. But the Holy Grail of Reef Worlds are the newly branded vacation memories for your clients and their entire family in a way that is practically maintenance free. Try getting all that from a land based water park.”

Reef Worlds is in design and build stage with several 20 acre waterfront sites with site openings in tandem with new developments at the end of 2014 and 2015.

“We’re breaking every tourism paradigm there is right now with Reef Worlds. Tourism is coming back in a big way and today’s client is not the same one we saw in 2007, they are networked, social media savvy, and want experiential adventures they can share easily with friends. They also want a return to wildlife engagement and that’s something we’re helping with one unique and iconic underwater site at a time.”

If You Build It

Habitat creation is important for regional wildlife. Many resorts worldwide are suffering from extensive habitat loss underwater. Reef Worlds builds the kind of large structures that attract soft coral growth, herbivorous fish, and schooling fish species. Reef Worlds design teams also employ marine biologists and fish ecologists to design underwater worlds that also act as instant habitat creation.

“The next decade will be all about who has the ability to create an emotional connection with their client base. After all, one beach is the same as the next beach and you can only add so many swimming pools and land based attractions before you start running out of space. Our message is simple, start building underwater and discover how easy it is re-engage your clients and get them to use social media to spread the word about your resorts.”

About Reef Worlds

At the intersection of art, science, and the environment is Reef Worlds. When a unique team of film and television designers, dive site developers, and marine biologists got together they dreamt of a better way to experience the undersea realm. 

The result was Reef Worlds. 

For more information about Reef Worlds:

Visit their website www.reefworlds.com
Call 323.863.5085
Send an email to developer@reefworlds.com

Waterfront Resorts Reborn: Discovering Dynamic Reefs and Revenue

It’s an open secret in the waterfront resort community. For the past 40 years resorts have considered little beyond the high tide mark. With the help of a unique environmental design team they are rediscovering acres of property, client engagement, and new sources of revenue.

Reef Worlds is my Los Angeles based Dynamic Reef Development Company, and we have recently discovered 500,000 square miles of premium resort development space sitting in front of some of the top luxury resorts on the planet.

After reviewing the state of resort waterfronts around the Caribbean we discovered 5 star properties with half star waterfronts, zones beyond the high tide mark where natural reefs, colorful fish, and habitat were essentially gone, replaced with some old tires, turtle grass, and dead coral and it is a global phenomenon.

Over the past 40 years while waterfront resorts have focused on land based amenities and water parks, the industry assumed the ocean, “would take care of itself.” Resort revenue areas that once attracted snorkelers and divers to the region would always be healthy and vibrant.

That’s just not the case, complex environments need to be looked after and tended to, the fact is the current state of waterfronts has never been worse and that affects the resort bottom line. People want to snorkel; they want to engage with the oceans and ocean wildlife and some of the most successful revenue building water programs involve wildlife like Stingray City in the Caymans for example. Today’s travelers want to create their own unique vacation content and share it via social media with their networks; no one wants to share images of an old tire underwater.

Reef Worlds Dynamic Reef teams survey resort waterfronts and wildlife potential and create made to order Dynamic Reef environments, harnessing 5000 years of iconic design elements create entire worlds underwater for snorkelers and divers to explore.

The fact is most resorts have at least 10-20 acres of usable space in front of their properties. Right now these spaces generate no revenue; they do nothing for social media, branding, or the regional environment. Now imagine these same spaces with carefully designed snorkel trails, environmentally safe habitat creation, and the look and feel of a Lost World to be discovered?

Dynamic Reefs vs Artificial Reefs

Dynamic Reefs allow waterfront resorts and developments to synergistically take design elements and branding from their property and place it in the oceans. Unlike artificial reefs, Dynamic Reefs focus on both the environment and tourism to create a conscious blend of revenue generation and environmental support. No two waterfront spaces are the same so the design and build must suit both regional wildlife and tourism needs.

This is how resorts will tackle the complex issues facing them over the next decade, by looking at their entire resort footprint and maximizing every aspect in a sustainable manner. At Reef Worlds we know what the underwater environment can look like and how habitat creation is good for not only colorful fish and corals, but increased tourism and engagement.”

Reef Worlds design teams imagine a world where miles of resorts coastlines around the world are transformed by Dynamic Reefs into mini marine protected areas that also serve tourism to create a better environment for future generations.

Reef Worlds help waterfront properties worldwide enhance their near shore waters, the ones closest to beach fronts with interactive and exciting man made designs elements placed underwater. Our vision is to create entire worlds underwater that inspire and are iconic. Reef Worlds are carefully placed in areas where resorts and developments have sand or grass bed bottoms that currently hold little interest to resort guests.

Our underwater sites are 100% neutral and do not harm the environment, rather they provide instant habitat for a wide variety of fish and coral life to begin near shore propagation. They can also be used as discreet set aside or mini marine protected areas capturing high volume tourism traffic while protecting natural reefs nearby.

About Reef Worlds

At the intersection of art, science, and the environment is Reef Worlds. When a unique team of film and television designers, dive site developers, and marine biologists got together they dreamt of a better way to experience the undersea realm. 

The result was Reef Worlds.

Visit us at www.reefworlds.com

Call 323.863.5085

Send an email developer@reefworlds.com

Coral Reefs of Florida to Disappear by 2030 Due to Climate Change

The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states now that the coral reefs off of Florida’s southern coast will disappear by 2030 due to climate change – 12 years earlier than previously thought. 

Even though Florida lawmakers attempted to expunge the terms “climate change” and “global warming” from the lexicon of the legislative agenda, they have not eradicated the fact that there is a dire threat facing the state’s coral reefs. 

According to the NOAA’s new study, scientists have found that by 2030, the ocean water around Florida will reach a temperature warm enough to kill off massive underwater mountains of coral reefs, endangering the coastline and scores of different species of ocean-dwelling creatures.

The NOAA scientists explained that coral bleaching will cause the demise of the reefs when oceans are warmed to uninhabitable temperatures due to climate change. The is warming will cause the algae that inhabits the area around coral reefs to vacate the area in search of better conditions, which make the coral lose its vibrant, beautiful colors. Thus, leaving the coral a deadening white hue. Coral bleaching has occurred at an ever-increasing rate throughout the last few decades, becoming more chronic in the last 20 years. A previous study was done to assess the health of coral reefs located in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, which were found to be in a status that will leave them bleaching in the near future.

Increasing ocean temperatures in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico will only aggravate the troubles Florida is facing in their coastal ecosystems. Frank Wasson, president of Spree Expeditions, stated the rising temperatures are very important, though they become more acute when knowing coral bleaching is going to be a serious factor in the future. Scientists state by mid-century, possibly even sooner, coral bleaching could affect the areas of Biscayne Bay, Dry Tortugas National Park, and the entirety Florida Keys. 

These are prime tourist destination areas that may suffer a decline in the years leading up to 2030 in visits when the coral reef become less vibrant than they are today, populated with a wide array of marine life and crystal clear waters, due to climate change.

Although it is one of the most vulnerable areas for rising sea levels and ocean temperatures, Florida citizens still remain on opposite sides of the political aisle when it comes to the debate on climate change. For example, back in March, Governor Rick Scott, a Republican, attempted to erase the terms “climate change” and “global warming” from being used by the Florida Department of Environmental Agency (FDEA) due to their association with artificial (man-made) global warming. 

Although the charge was not a formal eradication of the terms, those at the FDEA stated they were told to halt all rhetoric referring to the terms in official reports and at conferences. The ban sparked mass outrage among activists and scientists who deal with climate change across the county. They stated the political attitudes ignored a great scientific consensus.

Climate change does not only affect the coral reefs off the coast of Florida, but in many other areas around the world. Studies have shown that marine ecosystems in the Indian Ocean and western South Pacific waters have faced rising levels of coral bleaching outbreaks as temperatures become warmer. The NOAA stated climate change and the impacts it causes are the most dangerous threats to the world’s coral reefs and the corals maybe a thing of the past as of 2030.

The Science Of Why You Should Spend Your Money On Experiences, Not Things

Art inspired resort reefs = resort vacation memories

Most people are in the pursuit of happiness.

There are economists who think happiness is the best indicator of the health of a society. We know that money can make you happier, though after your basic needs are met, it doesn't make you that much happier. But one of the biggest questions is how to allocate our money, which is (for most of us) a limited resource.

There's a very logical assumption that most people make when spending their money: that because a physical object will last longer, it will make us happier for a longer time than a one-off experience like a concert or vacation.

According to recent research, it turns out that assumption is completely wrong.

"One of the enemies of happiness is adaptation," says Dr. Thomas Gilovich, a psychology professor at Cornell University who has been studying the question of money and happiness for over two decades. "We buy things to make us happy, and we succeed. But only for a while. New things are exciting to us at first, but then we adapt to them."

So rather than buying the latest iPhone or a new BMW, Gilovich suggests you'll get more happiness spending money on experiences like going to art exhibits, doing outdoor activities, learning a new skill, or traveling.

Gilovich's findings are the synthesis of psychological studies conducted by him and others into the Easterlin paradox, which found that money buys happiness, but only up to a point. How adaptation affects happiness, for instance, was measured in a study that asked people to self-report their happiness with major material and experiential purchases. Initially, their happiness with those purchases was ranked about the same. But over time, people's satisfaction with the things they bought went down, whereas their satisfaction with experiences they spent money on went up.

It's counterintuitive that something like a physical object that you can keep for a long time doesn't keep you as happy as long as a once-and-done experience does. Ironically, the fact that a material thing is ever present works against it, making it easier to adapt to. It fades into the background and becomes part of the new normal. But while the happiness from material purchases diminishes over time, experiences become an ingrained part of our identity.

"Our experiences are a bigger part of ourselves than our material goods," says Gilovich. "You can really like your material stuff. You can even think that part of your identity is connected to those things, but nonetheless they remain separate from you. In contrast, your experiences really are part of you. We are the sum total of our experiences."

One study conducted by Gilovich even showed that if people have an experience they say negatively impacted their happiness, once they have the chance to talk about it, their assessment of that experience goes up. Gilovich attributes this to the fact that something that might have been stressful or scary in the past can become a funny story to tell at a party or be looked back on as an invaluable character-building experience.

Another reason is that shared experiences connect us more to other people than shared consumption. You're much more likely to feel connected to someone you took a vacation with in Bogotá than someone who also happens to have bought a 4K TV.

"We consume experiences directly with other people," says Gilovich. "And after they're gone, they're part of the stories that we tell to one another."

And even if someone wasn't with you when you had a particular experience, you're much more likely to bond over both having hiked the Appalachian Trail or seeing the same show than you are over both owning Fitbits.

You're also much less prone to negatively compare your own experiences to someone else's than you would with material purchases. One study conducted by researchers Ryan Howell and Graham Hill found that it's easier to feature-compare material goods (how many carats is your ring? how fast is your laptop's CPU?) than experiences. And since it's easier to compare, people do so.

"The tendency of keeping up with the Joneses tends to be more pronounced for material goods than for experiential purchases," says Gilovich. "It certainly bothers us if we're on a vacation and see people staying in a better hotel or flying first class. But it doesn't produce as much envy as when we're outgunned on material goods."

Gilovich's research has implications for individuals who want to maximize their happiness return on their financial investments, for employers who want to have a happier workforce, and policy-makers who want to have a happy citizenry.

"By shifting the investments that societies make and the policies they pursue, they can steer large populations to the kinds of experiential pursuits that promote greater happiness," write Gilovich and his coauthor, Amit Kumar, in their recent article in the academic journal Experimental Social Psychology.

If society takes their research to heart, it should mean not only a shift in how individuals spend their discretionary income, but also place an emphasis on employers giving paid vacation and governments taking care of recreational spaces.

"As a society, shouldn't we be making experiences easier for people to have?" asks Gilovich.

Story here.

Florida's coral restoration to cost $250 million, when do you need the money by?

How to make money with the oceans and save it

A recent article in the LA Times caught our attention this week.

Apparently to save two species of coral in Florida the cost will be close to $250 million dollars - and take 400 years.

Cue the lamentations from the conservation crowd, "$250 million dollars!?"

Our response was more reasoned, "When do you need the money, oh, and when do you want to start?"

If one plugs in the typical way of doing coral conservation, $250 million dollars will take approximately 30 years to raise. The net effect will be diffused among 20-30 coral and oceans conservation groups and in the end little will be done with the exception of 70,000 lbs of shrimp being consumed at various fundraising events - that's a fair amount of shrimp.

Let's look at this same conservation fundraising issue through our lens.

1. Florida resort hotels account for the largest single use group of natural nearshore reef systems.

2. Less than 1% of Florida resort hotels have coral reef protection or mitigation programs.

3. The primary reason Florida resort hotels do not invest in their near shore reefs is "monetization." (They have not figured out a way to make money from their nearshore reefs directly.)

4. Art inspired artificial reefs not only rebuild habitat, they are also fully monetized from day one.

5. If 10% of Florida resort hotels adopted art inspired artificial reefs they would generate an estimated $470 million dollars in tourism revenues a year.

What could be done with $470 million dollars a year in additional tourism revenues?

A lot of coral restoration with a timeline of 10-20 years for project completion.

We need to start thinking differently in regards to oceans, conservation, and the way we create oceans solutions. Numbers like $250 million should spark ways of thinking that take us outside our comfort zones and into the places where innovation and inspiration give us answers.

Who's in?

The Value of Saving Coral Reefs Now

Biodiversity – the range of species we share our planet with – is important, but can we put a value on it? And can we estimate the benefits and costs of conservation?

Professor Anil Markandya and two other economists (Luke Brander and Alistair McVittie) have written three new, scientific papers for my think tank, the Copenhagen Consensus.

They find that not only can we estimate the costs and benefits for some projects but also that conservation can be a great investment.

A target to preventing the loss of coral reefs will for each dollar spent deliver at least $24 of environmental benefits. Likewise, the researchers find that reducing future loss of forests by half would likely do about $10 of good for each dollar spent.

In Egypt, about 0.1% of the country is forested. The economists also find that increasing protected areas is likely to be a poor target, an important point as 11.2% of Egypt is already protected. This matters because the global community, spearheaded by the UN, is currently working to formulate a set of key targets, which will guide how resources are used from this year until 2030. These follow on from the Millennium Development Goals, an ambitious set of targets that directed hundreds of billions of development dollars since 2000.

The problem is that, right now, most interest groups understandably battle to include their favourite targets, but having more than a thousand potential targets leaves the world with no priorities. That is why the Copenhagen Consensus is helping by asking top economists to analyse what works and what we can afford. Of course, some of the obvious issues relate to adequate food, clean water and better schooling and healthcare.

But humans don’t live separately from the natural world. Rather, we rely on it for many different benefits or what experts call “ecosystem services”. For example, forests don’t just provide timber and firewood, but also provide flood protection, because they can soak up intense rainfalls – for instance, a big part of the reason Pakistan had such hugely damaging floods in 2010 was because large parts of its upper forests had been cut down.

Here, forests could have protected many of the poor that now saw their homes flooded or even their kids perish. Forests also provide residents near-by with beauty experiences, while drawing in tourism, generating more benefits. At the same time, growing forests take up carbon dioxide from the air and lock it away for decades or even centuries while producing oxygen. Forests also provide refuge for enormous numbers of bird, animal and plant species, especially found in tropical rainforests.

 All of these benefits can be valued.

Timber has a commercial price, so that is straightforward. Locking away carbon can be priced based on likely costs of avoided climate damage, and likewise flood protection value shows up as reduced future floods. There is also a value for recreation and tourism, but not all of this is paid for by the users. Moreover, preserving species clearly have a benefit, but typically not one we pay for. This is where putting a price on natural resources become more difficult, and economists have to fall back on surveys which ask people how much they are willing to pay to keep forests in place. That makes it more difficult to put a firm value on a hectare of forest, but the academics all agree that spending a dollar is likely to do more than a dollar worth of good. The most likely outcome of a series of cost-benefit analyses shows that setting the goal “reduce global forest loss by 50%” is likely to do about $5-$15 worth of social good for every dollar spent.

 The same kind of analysis suggests that preserving wetlands could be a good deal. The economists show that reducing global wetland loss by 50% will very likely do more good than its cost and most likely fall in the same range of about $10 back on each dollar.

More spectacular is the analysis for coral reefs, which act as both fishery hatcheries and fishing resources while storing abundant numbers of species. At the same time, coral reefs possess an amazing beauty, which both shows up in large tourism revenues but also in most individuals saying they are willing to pay a certain amount to make sure they continue to exist for our grandchildren. Coral reefs are found in 109 countries, but significant reef degradation has occurred in 93, according to the conservation organisation WWF.

The economists’ analyses illustrate that reducing global coral loss by 50% may cost about $3bn per year but the total benefits likely run to at least $72, or about $24 back for every dollar invested. However, economics also reveals poor targets: focusing to substantially increase protected areas is likely to cost so much – close to a trillion dollars – that it will generate less environmental benefit than the cost. Of course, as we look to the next 15 years, we have to spend most of our focus on the obvious wrongs with billions of people that are poor, lack food, water, health and education.

But these analyses suggest that carefully crafted, environmental targets should also be a part of this solution. Our job is to make sure that economic arguments are heard so we pick the smart targets but drop the poor ones, to make sure the next 15 years help the world and its inhabitants as much as possible.

Dr Bjørn Lomborg, an adjunct professor at the Copenhagen Business School, directs the Copenhagen Consensus Center, ranking the smartest solutions to the world’s biggest problems by cost-benefit. He is the author of The Skeptical Environmentalist and Cool It. His new book is How To Spend $75 Billion to Make the World a Better Place.

Tourists Could Be a Key to Healthier Coral Reefs - Study 2015

Annapolis, Md — Overfishing, coastal development, pollution, and climate change threaten more than the colorful fish and towering coral pillars of the Caribbean’s reef systems.

They also put an important part of the region’s $49 billion tourism industry in direct peril.

Tourism is the lifeblood of much of the Caribbean economy, and particularly of coastal tourism. Yet as human activities push coral reef health to decline, the snorkeling, SCUBA diving, and recreational fishing that attract visitors from all over the world will most certainly also suffer. In addition to the subsequent loss of tourism-generated income, coral reef decline could severely compromise the livelihoods, food security, and culture of impacted coastal and island communities.

A new study by David Gill, postdoctoral fellow at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), quantifies how the loss of reef fish communities could impact the Caribbean’s tourism economy. It also accounts for how reef-related tourism could, in effect, help save itself by financing the conservation of reef ecosystems.

“Divers come to the Caribbean to see healthy, abundant fish life,” said Gill, “but coral habitat in the Caribbean has drastically declined in many parts of the region since the 1970s. We need to identify ways to protect both coral reefs and the region’s reef tourism economy—because the demise of one could mean the demise of the other, and the preservation of one could mean the preservation of the other.”

Gill interviewed more than 500 tourist SCUBA divers at seven sites throughout Barbados, Honduras’s Bay Islands, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. He found that tourists are less likely to pay for dives with fewer and/or smaller fish, but that they are willing to pay more for dives with more abundant and/or larger fish. The findings suggest that while declines in coral reef fish populations could result in significant economic loss for the region, improvements in fish populations could result in significant economic gains.

“If tourists perceive that the quality of reefs in the Caribbean is in decline, they may consider alternative dive locations in the Red Sea or Pacific, for example,” explained Gill. “To safeguard its economy, which is heavily dependent upon tourism dollars, the Caribbean needs to ensure the quality of its market product—the health of its coral reefs.”

For higher quality dive experiences, surveyed tourists indicated a willingness to pay above current dive prices—revealing a potential source of revenue that could be directed toward the conservation of reef fish resources, such as personnel salaries and equipment purchases for marine reserves.
Healthier reefs and more vibrant fish communities could encourage more tourist activity, and, accordingly, even more dollars for conservation.

A scientific paper based on the research, which Gill led while working on his doctoral degree at the University of the West Indies, was published online January 28 in the journal Ecological Economics. The paper’s co-authors include Peter Schuhmann, professor of economics at the University of North Carolina, and Hazel Oxenford, professor of marine ecology and fisheries at the University of the West Indies.

Tourist activity has itself contributed to the degradation of fragile coral reefs through, for example, direct physical damage from snorkelers and divers, sewage pollution from resorts, and the construction and operation of tourism-related infrastructure. But income generated by tourism activity could be used to mitigate those impacts and preserve reefs to natural and social benefit alike.

The researchers say that if even a small user fee per diver were instituted, the cumulative revenue would likely result in a large, untapped potential for financing the conservation of the Caribbean’s coral reefs. These monies could be used to monitor reefs and prevent actions that degrade reef resources.

One of the most surprising findings from the research, Gill said, was that across sites most of the tourists surveyed expressed a stronger preference for seeing large fish over large numbers of fish on dives. It’s an interesting and informative result, he says, because some parts of the Caribbean no longer have many of these larger fish, such as snappers and groupers, due to a history of overfishing that continues today.

The predicament of trying to balance anthropogenic pressures, such as increasing demands for seafood and tourist infrastructure, with marine ecosystem health underscores the need to establish fish sanctuaries and marine reserves that protect and restore communities of large fish. “Not only are these larger fish important for ecological reasons, but they’re important for the vitality of dive tourism and fishing livelihoods, as well,” said Gill.

But resource managers may be hard-pressed to garner funding for conservation efforts. The researchers point out that tourism dollars could easily offset some of the costs of conservation, without discouraging many tourists by initiating fees they’re unwilling to pay.

“The Caribbean has been feeling the effects of the global economic crisis these past few years, and environmental agencies find themselves competing against other agencies such as education and health for public funds,” said Gill. “This study demonstrates why conserving coral reefs should be an economic, as well as ecological, priority—and it provides policy makers with a possible roadmap for sustainably financing that conservation.”

Media Contact

Melissa Andreychek
mandreychek@sesync.org
(410) 919-4990
@SESYNC

The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, funded through an award to the University of Maryland from the National Science Foundation, is a research center dedicated to accelerating scientific discovery at the interface of human and ecological systems.

The Marine & Oceanic Sustainability Foundation Partners with Reef Worlds to Promote Geotourism and Dynamic Reef Projects

Wilmington, DE—January 29, 2015-- The Marine & Oceanic Sustainability Foundation (MOSF) today announced its partnership with Reef Worlds to develop and promote near shore resort reef tourism projects that improve marine habitats. MOSF and Reef Worlds share a common goal of providing tourism-based projects that respect and embrace the local culture, environment and economic welfare of the area.

“MOSF’s focus has always been on the advancement and development of marine conservation and sustainability initiatives,” stated Jennifer Pitzer, MOSF Managing Director. “After numerous discussions it became clear that there are strong synergies between our two organizations. Reef Worlds’ unique approach to dynamic reef development and habitat tourism is a win-win opportunity for marine conservation, local communities and the tourism industry.”

“Our goal is not just to create awareness that coral reefs, specifically near shore reef systems off resorts, are dying and gone, but to try to move the needle resulting in significant regional change,” said Patric Douglas, Reef Worlds CEO.

As defined by the National Geographic Society, geotourism is tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well being of its residents. MOSF and Reef Worlds are engaging in geotourism projects that encompass key sustainability principles and highlight a destinations geographical character. Projects are designed to emphasize the distinctiveness of the locale and benefit visitors and residents alike.

Using eco-friendly materials designed to be a haven for marine life, Reef Worlds develops Dynamic Reef projects that merge marine science, art and culture. These structures not only draw tourism, but they also alleviate the pressure on existing natural reefs, which are experiencing devastating losses. Due to the unique nature of Reef World designs, tour operators and resort managers quickly realize a return on their investment and attract tourists to their location. Reef World is already engaged in Dynamic Reef development projects in Dubai, Mexico and the Philippines.

MOSF and Reef Worlds will initially focus on key destinations in the Caribbean. The opening of Cuba to U.S. tourism is anticipated to cause a profound shift in Caribbean tourism. While this may be a daunting prospect to tourism operators in the region, there is also an opportunity to differentiate themselves and benefit from the spillover effect of increased traffic. More than ever, today’s tourists not only expect, but also demand, unique and authentic travel experiences. For many, this includes selecting vacation experiences that enable engagement in activities that benefit the environment.

MOSF and Reef Worlds will work with existing and new tourism operators to identify coastal areas and resort operations that will benefit from the development of dynamic reefs. Both organizations will engage with coastal communities, at a grassroots level, to establish solutions that are locally managed, environmentally and economically sustainable, and culturally relevant.

About the Marine & Oceanic Sustainability Foundation

Founded in 2013, the Marine & Oceanic Sustainability Foundation (MOSF) is a Delaware non-profit dedicated to the positive global promotion of successful marine conservation and education initiatives. MOSF researches and documents proven, successful marine conservation projects that balance ocean health and human prosperity. With the support of public and private sector partners, projects are selected for documentation and replication based on a model that evaluates financial feasibility, long-term sustainability, and the use of scientifically sound practices. MOSF engages coastal communities, at a grassroots level, to ensure that project implementations are culturally sensitive, community-driven and receive the support they need to thrive. For additional information, please visit our website at 

www.mosfoundation.org.

About Reef Worlds 

At the intersection of art, science, and the environment is Reef Worlds. When a unique team of film and television designers, dive site developers, and marine biologists got together they dreamt of a better way to experience the undersea realm the result was Reef Worlds. The global issue of coral reef habitat loss is a real challenge. As a “out of sight, out of mind” conservation problem the challenge is to reengage people with reefs and oceans in a tangible way. Reef Worlds resort based Dynamic Reefs create a sustainable way to educate, inspire, build habitat and revenues that can be used for additional conservation projects like coastal Mangrove rehabilitation. For additional information, please visit our website at www.reefworlds.com.

Sudden Reef Loss, Tourism Disaster or Opportunity?

Resort tourism reefs in decline

Coral reefs are the building blocks of coastal marine life. Whether they protect developed areas from storm systems, create diverse fish stocks, or support a global multi-billion dollar tourism industry. The ever increasing loss of these complex systems is acutely felt, and 2015 will usher in the largest geographic loss of corals ever recorded according to climate scientists and marine researchers.

For waterfront resort developments around the world the loss of coral reefs has been largely ignored for the past 50 years. Resort developers have abandoned any development beyond the high tide mark. Look at any typical waterfront resort development in 2015 and you'll find deep investments in land based infrastructure with intricate pools and water parks, gardens, and almost no engagement with the oceans beyond a few kayaks, a ubiquitous sail boat, and a struggling dive program that has long been sub contracted out to a private company.

90% of global waterfront resorts feature C and D class reef systems and their immediate future as productive ecological spaces is waning. With their loss goes a worldwide $3 billion dollar dive and snorkel tourism market, increasingly migrating further afield creating new development in regions still considered pristine. The Maldives would be a prime example of this destination trend.

Artificial Reefs

Artificial reefs are a proven technology to rehabilitate regions suffering from coral loss and habitat degradation. The creation of artificial reefs at strategic locations offers new habitat opportunities attracting fish, coral, and tourism. Over a short time frame, submerged structures decrease demand on over-used and over-stressed natural coral reefs in tourism regions and allow for developers to create inexpensive water engagement spaces on their own resort footprint.

The State of Florida has one of the most robust and forward thinking AR programs on the planet and by any metric, both tourism and habitat rehabilitation, the decades long program has been wildly successful becoming a $253 million dollar cornerstone for Florida tourism.

Latest Trends, Innovation, Style

Uniquely designed "habitat tourism" site concept

The latest developments in artificial reefs have taken the concept of static and solely fish habitat based structures with little tourism interest and radically changed the paradigm. New technologies and artists are leading an Artificial Reef Revolution into a new phase called - Dynamic Reefs.

This artful design for underwater engagement comes from the need to create sustainability loops where the artificial reef becomes "the tourism attraction" and increased tourism revenues help add more habitat and sustain regional projects like Mangrove replanting.

Leading this revolution are a series of unique sites from Mexico to Dubai that are building for both the environment and tourism and the industry is taking notice along with green media, social media, and traditional media outlets.

The rapid global decline of coral reefs is having stunning ecological and economic consequences that will resonate over the next decade and beyond. Healthy coral ecosystems support local businesses and economies, as well as provide jobs through tourism and recreation.

Every year, millions of scuba divers and snorkelers visit coral reefs to enjoy their decreasing sea life.

Unprotected/monetized reefs

Even more tourists visit the beaches protected by disappearing reefs. Local economies receive billions of dollars from these visitors to reef regions through diving tours, recreational fishing trips, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses based near reef ecosystems. One estimate places the total global value of coral-reef based recreation and tourism at $9.6 billion (NOAA 2013) of the total global net benefit of coral reefs.

It is in this environment that billions of development dollars are being spent on waterfront resort projects that refuse to acknowledge anything past the high tide mark.

Think about that for a moment.

Resort developers typically ensure that every square inch of land based development property has a propose. Water parks, restaurants, rooms, entertainment facilitates, golf courses, and yet around the world millions of acres of waterfront resort space is turning into broken graveyards of dead coral, few fish, and garbage - yes garbage.

The time for a change is here, the recognition that resort developers have an additional two to five acres of revenue generating spaces past the high tide mark is the start of an undersea revolution. One where developments look past the high tide mark into unique underwater engagement projects that benefit both the oceans and their bottom line.

With the help of the next generation of marine engineers, artists, and industry visionaries, over two million square miles of global waterfront resort development spaces can become productive and sustainable.

Welcome to the Future of Tourism.