Fall 2025
Newsletter

Dear Friends of the Reef,

This fall, I’m filled with gratitude and renewed optimism. What a year it has been for the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund and it’s not over yet! Just a few months ago, we weren’t sure whether the Darwin Plus Local program would continue, but not only has it been renewed, TCRF was awarded three new Darwin Local grants for 2025/2026! Together with our ongoing Ellerman Foundation grant, this support represents an extraordinary endorsement of our team’s dedication and the importance of the work being done here in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Each of these projects strengthens a different piece of the puzzle. From scaling our coral restoration capacity through DNA sequencing, to advancing field-based research and 3D modeling of our reefs, to working with the watersports community to increase positive stewardship and responsible usage of our marine spaces.  These wins affirm that small, local teams can have big impact when passion meets persistence.

But growth also brings challenges. As our reach expands, our need for space, staff, and infrastructure grows alongside it. Our team remains small, yet the scale of the work we’re tackling continues to increase. This is why our focus now turns to strengthening our Infrastructure Fund and operational budget, which will enable us to establish a permanent home for TCRF — a place where research, education, and conservation can flourish side by side.

We’ve always said that protecting our reefs is a community effort. I invite you to be part of this next chapter with us - to help build the foundation, quite literally, for the future of coral reef conservation in Turks and Caicos. Whether through volunteering, spreading the word, or donating to our Infrastructure Fund, every contribution helps us move closer to realizing a permanent home base for our organization, one that will allow us to keep fighting the good fight.

With hope and endless determination,

Alizée Zimmermann
Executive Director
Turks and Caicos Reef Fund

Our Positives:
A Season of Growth & Recognition

This season has brought incredible affirmation of the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund’s mission and impact. While our last newsletter shared uncertainty about the future of the Darwin Plus Local program, we’re thrilled to now announce that TCRF has been awarded three new Darwin Local grants — all designed to strengthen our scientific capacity, technological innovation, and community engagement.

1. Barcoding critically endangered corals
to maximise biobanking efficiency

This project in collaboration with Dr. Michelle Taylor will expand our coral biobank’s scientific depth by allowing us to genetically sequence endangered coral species. By understanding the genetic diversity within the species in our living collection, we can identify the most genetically diverse colonies and strategically select corals for future assisted reproduction efforts, ensuring that every colony counts toward the survival of the species.

2. Bolstering Benthic Baselines:
Equipping ourselves for long-term monitoring

With this grant, TCRF will acquire the computing power and analytical software needed to create digital twins of our study sites. These 3D reef models will allow us to track subtle changes in coral growth, structure, and health over time. In this project we’ll also be collecting tissue samples in the field for both genotyping and histopathology, continuing to contribute to the regional understanding of our  reefs, their connectivity and their susceptibility or resilience to modern day threats. This grant will transform how we monitor and understand the reefs’ recovery and resilience.

3. Conservation Connections:
Advocating for Responsible Usage of Marine Spaces

Reef protection extends beyond the lab. This project focuses on engaging the watersports community — from sunset cruisers, to divers, snorkel guides and tour operators. This project aims to foster shared responsibility for the reef. Through workshops, videos, signage installation  and co-created best practices, we’ll work together with major stakeholders to ensure that recreation and conservation thrive side by side.

Together, these grants represent far more than funding, they mark an evolution in how TCRF connects science, technology, and community to safeguard the reefs we all depend on. 

TCRF FEATURED IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER MAGAZINE

We were proud to be featured in National Geographic Traveller (UK)’s August 2025 article, “Discover the Wild Side of Turks & Caicos,” which spotlighted our coral restoration efforts and the growing movement for reef conservation in the islands.

Writer Sarah Lee visited our coral lab, describing it as “a living archive where nursery specimens of coral types including staghorn, star, and brain grow and feed — each contributing to research and repopulation efforts across the islands.” As Alizée shared, “We started seeing massive tissue loss, as if someone had poured acid over the reef. No coral can come back from that.”

The feature highlights both the urgency and hope driving our work — and the commitment of small, local teams working every day to protect these fragile ecosystems.

Read the full story on National Geographic Traveller UK.

knowledge From Mexico to TCI:
Coral Spawning Training for 2026

Another amazing positive over the past 2 months has been our opportunity to spend 10 days learning and training with Dr. Ania Banaszak’s Coralium Lab at the University Autonoma de Mexico.

During this immersive course, Alizee was offered a fully funded opportunity to learn all about in-situ spawning, gamete collection, fertilization, and post-settlement larval care.

This training was offered to us through the CORDAP Caribbean Restoration Roadmap grant facilitated by the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA). Being able to integrate fully into a team that’s out there doing the work day after day was galvanizing.

We’re excited to be able to start this work in TCI for the 2026 spawning season!

Our Challenges:
Growing Pains of Progress

Laying the Groundwork for Long-Term Impact

As our projects expand and recognition grows, so too does the need for space, hands, and resources.

Our team remains small but mighty. Saying that, we’re reaching the limits of what can be achieved without a larger facility and additional staff. Securing a permanent home for TCRF through our Infrastructure Fund remains a top priority, as it will allow us to consolidate our operations, house our biobank and lab systems, and create space for education and outreach.

Empowering the Next Generation of Reef Stewards

We’re also preparing to welcome new talent into our team. In the coming months, we’ll be advertising for a Turks and Caicos Islander to join us as our Education and Communications Officer. This expansion of our team represents a vital role that will help us strengthen our connection with the community, schools, and partners while sharing the stories of the reefs we protect.

Growth brings challenges, but it also brings opportunity and we’re ready to meet both head-on!

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