Community-Centered Solutions
Research starts and ends with community collaboration — co-designing policies that address climate challenges.
Placencia Reef, Belize · NSF CoPe Grant #2209284
A Caye in a Day
Science Initiative
Community-driven surveys across reef cayes — tracking coral health, seagrass cover, mangrove structure, and the oral histories that make this reef system irreplaceable.
Explore the Dashboard →34+
Survey Cayes
200+
Colonies Surveyed
5
Layers In Progress
Strong Coasts
Solutions with Nature and People
Strong Coasts partners with coastal communities to face climate hazards together. By listening to those most affected when seeking Nature-Based Solutions, we build resilient coasts that protect both ecosystems and livelihoods.
Quantifying Nature's Benefits
Measuring the true value of corals and mangroves: risk reduction, livelihoods, and preservation.
Piloting Designs
Testing mangrove and coral restoration alongside hybrid green-gray infrastructure across contexts.
Reef Explorer
The Reef Explorer Dashboard
One dashboard drawing from field surveys across the Placencia reef system, being built out layer by layer.
Little Water Caye · Coral Health
Coral health data is live now.
Coral health, seagrass, mangroves and bathymetry across surveyed cayes, in one dashboard. Coral health data is live now; the other layers are being built out as surveys come in.
Coral health ·
Seagrass · Mangroves · Bathymetry
Story Map
Placencia's Erosion Problem
Placencia's beaches are at risk. What can be done to save them?
See the Story Map →
Placencia Reef System
All Survey Cayes
Abigail
Baker's Rendezvous
Bird Island
Bugle
Bullock
Buttonwood
Cat
Colson
Coral
Dickary
Dolphin
East Funk
Elkhorn
False
Frigate
Gladden
Ivan's
Jack
Jeremy
Kanu
Lark
Little Bugle
Little Water ✓
Loggerhead
Long Coco
Moho
Mosquito
Round
Saddle
Scipio
South of Dolphin
South Saddle
Spider
Whipray
Strong Coasts
NSF Coastlines and People
This initiative is part of a large-scale CoPe project reducing climate risks with equitable nature-based solutions, engaging communities on reef-lined coasts. Partners include USF, University of Miami, UC Santa Cruz, Stanford, Boston University, ECU, WWF, and Fragments of Hope.
