Community challenged to help the reefs
(CNS Local Life): The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) is issuing a Healthy Reefs Challenge to get members of the community to complete specific activities each month to help protect and preserve coral reefs. The five-month challenge begins Monday, 17June, with both individuals and companies/organisations urged to register to participate.
“We want to encourage action and behaviour changes that make a real difference to the health of our coral reefs,” said Beth Chafin, CCMI development and communications coordinator, in a press release.
“With the Healthy Reefs Challenge, we invite people to join in a friendly competition where oceans and coral reefs benefit. People always ask what they can do to help our reefs, and CCMI is excited to give people guidance so they can feel like they are doing something real, something tangible to help protect local coral reefs.”
Registration closes Friday, 15 June, and the first Healthy Reefs Challenge communications will be emailed to participants the following Monday. Each activity will have a point value, and participants will report their efforts to CCMI throughout the challenge.
Additional monthly action themes and related activities will be sent to participants at the beginning of each month; the Healthy Reefs Challenge closes 18October. CCMI will release a list of finalists for both the individual and corporate/organisation categories in late October. The winner for each category will be announced at the annual Festival of Seas Gala on 16 November.
Those interested in participating can learn more at CCMI’s World Oceans Day event at the Camana Bay Cinema Saturday, 8 June. Information about the Healthy Reefs Challenge will be available at the Reefs Go Live registration table outside the cinema starting at 12pm and open until the broadcast starts at 1:45pm.
“Announcing the winners of the Healthy Reefs Challenge and our People’s Choice Award at our annual Festival of Seas Gala is a perfect way to recognise those in the Cayman Islands who are leading the way in best practices to protect and preserve coral reefs,” Chafin said. “At CCMI, we are optimistic that the necessary collective action and societal change to save coral reefs can happen. We can save coral reefs, if we act now.”
For more information about the challenge or to register, go to the CCMI website
Category: Environment, Marine Environment
