Fisheries officers in the New Providence office of the Department of Marine Resources now have additional gear in their efforts to conduct assessments and collect data on our marine environment thanks to a donation by The Nature Conservancy.

Scuba equipment for five officers were donated by the Non Governmental Organisation during a special meeting with Department officials recently. According to Shenique Albury-Smith, the donation will go a long way to fulfilling Outcome 2 of the partnership with the Department of Marine Resources under the umbrella of the Vibrant Oceans Initiative, that is “strengthen coral health by improving data collection and capacity building for marine law enforcement and monitoring of corals”.

The health of the Bahamian coral system is being closely monitored by officials following the recent issues in the South Florida coral systems due to coral diseases that can destroy entire colonies.

Thanking The Nature Conservancy on behalf of the Department, Acting Director of Marine Resources Gregory Bethel said his team will “put the gear to immediate use as we work towards maintaining the healthiest marine ecosystem possible for our people.” He also pledged the continued support of the Department of Marine Resources for the work being done by The Nature Conservancy and other organisations aimed at protecting our marine resources.