Carnival Foundation helps Nature Conservancy preserve oceans

The Nature Conservancy has been able to implement a number of ocean preservation programmes a year after Carnival Corporation & plc and Carnival Foundation pledged to donate US$2.5 million to the organisation between 2014 and 2019.

To date, Carnival Foundation’s support has helped the Nature Conservancy to build new coral nurseries in the Caribbean, transplant 20,000 corals in the Bahamas and US Virgin Islands. In addition, the Nature Conservancy has been able to install new pilot reef enhancement structures to provide better habitats for fish and a potential area for future coral growth in Grenada’s Grenville Bay.

“Carnival Foundation’s five-year commitment to preserving the world’s vital marine resources – and the many benefits they provide – has a major impact on our efforts,” said Maria Damanaki, global managing director for The Nature Conservancy’s Ocean Program. “As we look ahead to the next four years, by supporting our Caribbean Challenge Initiative, Carnival Foundation’s support will help nearly triple the protection of the region’s iconic waters and coasts by helping conserve 21 million acres of these important areas. Through The Nature Conservancy’s Mapping Ocean Wealth project, Carnival Foundation’s support will also provide knowledge necessary to protect our waters and transform their management now and for generations to come.”

Carnival Foundation’s support has also helped The Nature Conservancy to identify locations where industry and community are most dependent on marine and coastal resources. This includes key conservation priority sites where Carnival Corporation and its ten cruise line brands operate. The Nature Conservancy’s work in these regions will help to quantify the value of marine ecosystems and help develop mapping tools to guide investment decisions for conservation in the regions.

Also in the first year of the agreement, the Nature Conservancy has started to publish critical research on scaling coral restoration across the Caribbean region, integrating nature into climate and disaster reduction planning at the community level.

“As the world’s largest cruise company, we have nearly 11 million guests a year sailing with our ten global brands on the world’s oceans and seas, so we have a deep commitment to protecting and sustaining the environment,” said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation, who also oversees the Carnival Foundation. “We continue to be proud to support The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s leading conservation organisations whose crucial work to preserve and restore the oceans directly aligns with our commitment to the oceans and seas around the world.”