CARMABI has managed a 21.7km marine park along Curacao's southeast coast since 1983, sheltering 65+ coral and 350+ fish species; since 2015 Reef Renewal Curacao has grown its nursery from 20 to 40 coral trees and outplanted over 15,000 threatened staghorn and elkhorn corals.
21.7 km
Marine park length
65+
Coral species in park
350+
Fish species in park
20 -> 40 coral trees
Coral nursery size (since 2015)
15,000+
Corals outplanted (since 2015)
Details
Maturity
Established
Promoter
CARMABI Foundation; Reef Renewal Foundation Curacao; Curacao Government
The Curacao Marine Park stretches 21.7 kilometres along the island's southeast coast, established in 1983 and managed by the CARMABI Foundation, home to over 65 coral and 350+ fish species; in 2021 it gained SPAW Area 1 designation under the Cartagena Convention.
Activities
Since 2015 the independent non-profit Reef Renewal Foundation Curacao has run a coral-outplanting programme, with technical guidance from the founder of Florida's Coral Restoration Foundation.
Results
The nursery has grown from 20 to 40 coral 'trees', and more than 15,000 critically endangered staghorn and elkhorn corals have been outplanted onto degraded reef sites.
Conclusions
A 2024 peer-reviewed PLOS ONE study found sexually propagated 'assisted' coral recruits showed markedly greater bleaching resistance than wild colonies during the 2023 Caribbean heatwave, while also documenting active coral disease in surveyed Curacao colonies.
Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k) — CARMABI Foundation (marine research institute) and independent non-profit Reef Renewal Foundation Curacao; specific programme budgets not published.
Time to results
Long (> 3 years) — Marine park established 1983; coral-outplanting programme running since June 2015.
Staffing & skills
CARMABI Foundation marine researchers, Reef Renewal Foundation Curacao restoration divers
Conditions for success
formal 1983 park establishment plus 2021 SPAW Area 1 designation
technical guidance from Coral Restoration Foundation (Florida) founder
Common failure modes
outplanting totals self-reported, not independently audited for long-term survival
active coral disease documented in surveyed colonies (2024 PLOS ONE study)
Commonly funded by
Philanthropic / foundation funding
Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.
Do you run this practice?
Claim it —
verified implementers get a public contact pathway and can propose corrections.
Data sources
Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.
Since 2011, fishers and the GoldenEye Foundation have co-managed a no-take marine sanctuary at Oracabessa Bay, Jamaica. NEPA-monitored herbivorous fish …
