News

World Oceans Day is celebrated across the globe on 8 June each year, and the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) is bringing the festivities to Cayman again in 2019. Friends of all ages are welcome to join CCMI in local celebrations of oceans on World Oceans Day through our Healthy Reefs activities at the Camana Bay Cinema on Saturday 8^th June 2019.

Healthy Reefs Resolutions

Many coral reefs are threatened by human activities, so an important part of this World Oceans Day is to highlight how everyone can contribute to keeping coral reefs healthy. CCMI will be asking attendees to make a Healthy Reefs Resolution on camera, where people can share their plans on how they can help coral reefs in the Cayman Islands. It’s an easy way to show how you are committed to protecting coral reefs.

The Healthy Reefs Challenge

In addition to the Healthy Reefs Resolutions, CCMI will launch the Healthy Reefs Challenge, a five-month effort that will run through 15^th October 2019. The challenge is set up so both individuals and companies/organisations can participate in a series of challenges each month where the activities will make a difference to our oceans and promote healthy coral reefs. Participants will report on their efforts every month, sharing photos and results from the challenge items on the list. Efforts will be assigned points, and the winners of both the individual and company/organizational Healthy Reefs Challenge will be announced at the Festival of Seas Gala on 16 November 2019. Register for the Healthy Reefs Challenge at reefresearch.org/challenge.

Reefs Go Live

At 1:45pm, registered participants will join CCMI scientists and educators in Little Cayman on a special ‘virtual dive’ during the popular Reefs Go Live broadcast. The audience will be taken on a virtual underwater experience in Little Cayman, learning about why ‘We Love Healthy Reefs’ as our dive team showcases some of the most beautiful coral reefs during the live dive. CCMI’s team will talk about why coral reefs are important, some of the threats our reefs are facing, and what CCMI is doing to protect and restore corals reefs in the Cayman Islands. Everyone will leave with some great ideas about how they can each do their part to ensure Cayman continues to have some of the healthiest coral reefs in the Caribbean.

Attendees are encouraged to arrive shortly ahead of the Reefs Go Live broadcast at the Cinema in order to make their Healthy Reefs Resolution and learn more about the Healthy Reefs Challenge. After checking in at registration and making a resolution, participants can enter the Cinema for the Reefs Go Live broadcast, which will run from 1:45 – 2:30 pm. Snacks are available for purchase from the Cinema concessions.

Participation in the World Oceans Day event is free thanks to event supporters Stuarts Walker Hersant Humphries and Dart, as well as Healthy Reefs sponsors Ogier, Fosters Food Fair, Aureum Re and Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.

While the event is free, CCMI requests registering participation through an online site: https://donate.reefresearch.org/worldoceansday2019.

For more information about CCMI’s research projects, coral restoration efforts, and other upcoming Healthy Reefs events, such as the Reef Lecture series, visit www.reefresearch.org or like CCMI’s page on Facebook.