WILLEMSTAD - Scientists from the Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (Carmabi) started last Saturday with a sailing coral study around Curaçao. The research is being conducted in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research. For the research, the soil around Curaçao is being mapped. The researchers on board the vessel RV Pelagia are studying the coral growth and status. The Netherlands has earmarked 3.5 million euros for the project. A total of 47 researchers are involved in the project.
Dutch and Curaçao scientists are looking for the first time at how sewage and chemicals that spread from the land into the sea affect the coral reefs. According to the scientists, this knowledge is essential for the conservation of coral reefs and biodiversity, as well as for tourism and local communities.