Coral reefs are a very important part of the ocean, acting as natural barrier providing habitats for thousands of fish species, shellfish and corals.
Unfortunately, coral reefs all around the world are in danger of extinction. Catalonia Hotels & Resorts in the Dominican Republic join a program in order to restore corals in both Catalonia Bavaro Resort and Catalonia Gran Dominicus.
Thanks to various local foundations, we have been able to receive numerous lessons for all our volunteers, professional divers and marine employees around the area. This has both captured and has created awareness throughout all our employees as well as clients.
The purpose of this project is to save and preserve coral barriers in the Dominican Republic. Currently, we are restoring the most endangered species in the world called the Staghorn Coral; composed of calcium and carbon whose skeleton can be re-used to regenerate other reefs.
This project has been carried out by creating small reproductive coral communities, planted right where they were previously removed.
With this program, we aim to restore and save the front coastlines and coral reefs of our Resorts.
We build small coral gardens in the Bayahibe area, where Catalonia GranDominicus is located, and at Punta Cana, where Catalonia Bavaro Beach and Catalonia Royal Bavaro are located as well.
We believe in raising awareness about the importance of our planet and ecosystem.
UPDATE: We are very happy to announce that a mass nesting of the Acropora cervicornis took place at the reef nurseries in Bayahibe.
Experts confirm that the sexual reproduction happened at the nurseries, which shows that the restoration efforts of everyone involved are paying off at the Dominican Republic.
During several nights, various dives where done to the reef nurseries to document the large spawning. The coral species Acropora cervicornis, is of great importance to the nurseries in the area.
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UPDATE: We are very happy and full of satisfaction. We are celebrating the Restoration Reef Program, which started a year ago in Bayahibe and Punta Cana areas in the Dominican Republic.
Abundant results have arisen from this labor. In July 2014, 1,132 square inches of coral were planted, now there are 6,018 square inches: This means that in only one year there was an increase of 4,886 square inches of the coral area.
Congratulations to the participant institutions and to Catalonia Hoteles & Resorts for their great commitment and constant support to the reefs.
We will keep working to make this project bigger!
