In commemoration of World Ocean Month, Atlantis Paradise Island is constructing The Bahamas first coral gene bank to combat Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), which is destroying coral throughout the world.
“Nearly half of The Bahamas and Caribbean’s reef-building coral species are susceptible to SCTLD,” Atlantis Paradise Island officials said. “Of the 45 reef-building coral species within the region, more than half can catch the disease, including some of the slowest-growing and longest-lived species such as brain, pillar and star corals,”
“Coral survival rate of SCTLD is extremely low and once infected, corals can die within weeks.”
The initiative was forged in conjunction with Atlantis Paradise Island’s nonprofit organization Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, The Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs, Perry Institute for Marine Science and University of The Bahamas.
The resort will celebrate World Ocean Month in an array of activities through the month of June.
