On January 11, Dr. Austin Borden Kerby, marine scientist and world specialist in coral reefs, presented his experience gathered in several regions of the planet in his address "Coral Reefs Ecosystems and their Importance in the Environment and the Sustainable Development of the Countries" in the conference hall of FUNGLODE in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Dr. Borden Kerby directs the Coral Gardens Project of Counterpart International, which will shortly be implemented in Punta Cana, in collaboration with the Punta Cana Foundation, and will start with a series of workshops training different sectors of the local area in the reforestation of corals. The initiative will be expanded in other parts of the country in collaboration with FUNGLODE.



This project is part of a joint effort involving FUNGLODE/GFDD, Counterpart International, the Ministries of Environment and Tourism, and local associations and NGOs. The purpose of the project is to stop the deforestation of the coral reefs and mangroves, restore the fisheries, and palliate the effects erosion has on the coasts. In only three years the results of the initiative are already visible and the volume of the existing coral reefs can duplicate in this period. The participation of the local communities in considered as indispensable, as the local population know better than anybody else the morphology of the area, have a historic memory and are well aware of the most damaged areas.