Innovation in Marine Research


written by:
Dr. Carrie Manfrino, The Little Cayman Research Centre.

Although coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean surface, they have the highest biodiversity in the ocean, provide billions of dollars in economic benefit through tourism, protect beaches and are a source for food and drugs. But environmental pressures mean they are the most threatened and vulnerable of marine ecosystems.

The Little Cayman Research Centre is dedicated to improving and sustaining biological diversity through innovative research, education, and outreach programmes and is the Caribbean's newest biological field station offering both tropical science education programmes and facilities for research/meetings.

Uniquely, Little Cayman has world renowned coral reefs with well-established marine protected zones, with the deepest open ocean waters in the region, providing various ecosystems for research and education and a reference site for tropical biological and oceanographic research and education. With diverse, relatively undisturbed tropical flora and fauna the Cayman Islands is the ideal location for the new centre. 

The Little Cayman Research Centre is a project of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, an international non-profit and non-governmental organisation (with US, UK and Cayman Islands charity status). Programmes and projects are in support of (and do not duplicate) governmental education and scientific research.

Completed in summer 2005, the facility consists of meeting rooms, classrooms, laboratories, a library, and dormitories (for up to 28) all located on 1400 ft of beachfront adjacent to the Bloody Bay Marine Park. The facility includes the only ‘off-the-grid’ sustainable design facility in the Cayman Islands using the sun’s renewable energy to service utilities such as water heating. It also has composting toilets, gravity controlled water flow and a grey water garden integrated into the design, providing new ideas for sustainable living for everyday life especially for small developing island nations.

The Little Cayman Research Centre offers programmes for students of all ages currently during summer and winter months and provides college credits through several major US universities for a variety of tropical science short-courses.

The centre operates a summer abroad research internship and has a marine science and technology programme for interested young people. For the general public and professionals, it offers a unique ‘Dive with a Researcher’ programme throughout the year so that anyone can become directly involved in marine conservation by assisting in research on coral reef monitoring.

Special interest groups, teachers, and researchers are welcome to book their own conference, workshop or course. To learn how to enroll in the centre’s programmes or to book the centre, email: info@reefresearch.org or call (345) 926-2789.


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