Dear Friends and Supporters,

February was a month of action on the water and in the lab!

While we continue preparing for the construction of our research facility, this month proved something important: meaningful, relevant science does not wait for perfect infrastructure. It happens wherever there is commitment, collaboration, and a clear purpose. And those three things are plentiful around TC Reef!

From launching our coral genetic barcoding project, to expanding our in-situ nursery, to reinstalling moorings and welcoming students into the lab - February reminded us that progress is built step by step.

Let’s keep moving forward together one step at a time.

Yours truly,

Alizée Zimmermann
Executive Director
Turks and Caicos Reef Fund

Positive News & Updates

Representatives from Dominica, TCI, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Puerto Rico and Mexico together in Florida.

Participation in The Reef Institute’s Coral Husbandry RoundTable event.

Thanks to the support from the Atlantic Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) Caribbean Restoration Roadmaps CORDAP funded project, both Alizee and Gracie were able to attend the Coral Husbandry Rountable event hosted by The Reef Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida.

It was a fantastic event with organizations from across the region and across Florida represented. We dug deep into the knitty gritty of coral husbandry, had candid and raw conversations and got to spend time focusing on different aspects such as systems design and water chemistry.

DNA Sequencing Lab Operational

With the arrival of Dr. Michelle Taylor under our Darwin Plus Local grant, we officially launched the coral genetic barcoding phase of our living coral biobank.

Thanks to the Biodiversity Challenge Fund from the UK government, we’ve been able to equip ourselves with state-of-the-art lab equipment for DNA extraction, processing, and quantification.

Although our custom Module-T laboratory is still waiting to be assembled, we decided to build out a fully functional DNA sequencing workspace in the upstairs of the house at our new Long Bay property.

The view is so nice, no one is complaining!

This is an important milestone.

It demonstrates that:

High-level genetic science can be done in the Turks & Caicos Islands
Capacity can be built with limited space and resources
We do not need to export samples to build local data and knowledge.

Over the coming months, we will barcode every coral in our biobank to ensure maximum genetic diversity, eliminate duplicates, and strengthen restoration outcomes.

Reefsaver Back to Full Operations

Reefsaver was out two days a week all month, a strong start to the year. In February, we:

Reinstalled 8 moorings around Leeward, Northwest Point, and French Cay
Installed 5 new, larger-than-ever coral ladders at our in-situ nursery site, Thunderdome
Installed a 650’ swim zone in Grace Bay

Fieldwork is the heartbeat of what we do. February felt like the pulse returning strong.

Schools in the Lab

We continue to welcome school groups for free field trips. Contact info@tcreef.org to sign up for your class. Trips offered every Tuesday and Thursday 9:30-11:00am. First come first served for dates so book your class today!

Students learn:

How coral reefs function
How mangrove ecosystems protect our shorelines
What sands from around the world look like under a microscope
How marine science careers can begin right here at home

Two free field trips per week means up to 40 students gaining hands-on exposure to marine and environmental science building the next generation of ocean stewards.

Realities & Challenges We’re Facing

continued maintenance in tci

This month we reinstalled eight moorings, installed a massive swim zone and installed five new coral ladders at Thunderdome.

What that looks like in real life:

Frayed lines thick with algae, sponge and occasionally even coral!
Shackles fused with corrosion.
Ladders cracked under wave stress.
Fire coral and hydroids.
Salt in open skin.

Moorings don’t last forever. Nursery structures weaken. Metal rusts. Rope fails.

Conservation is maintenance.

Before we expand, we repair. Before we grow, we stabilize. This is the part of reef restoration that rarely makes headlines — the tightening, lifting, replacing, hauling. Over and over again. Healthy reefs don’t just need vision. They need consistent hands.

This is my ode to all the hands that help us every day. Thank you!