Community-driven surveys across 19 reef cayes — tracking coral health, seagrass cover, mangrove structure, and the oral histories that make this reef system irreplaceable.
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.
Research starts and ends with community collaboration — co-designing policies that address climate challenges.
Measuring the true value of corals and mangroves: risk reduction, livelihoods, and cultural preservation.
Testing mangrove and coral restoration alongside hybrid green-gray infrastructure across diverse contexts.
Each dashboard draws from field surveys across the Placencia reef system. Click to explore the data.
Bleaching rates, disease prevalence, old mortality, and species composition across surveyed cayes.
Quadrat transect data measuring seagrass density, species composition, and cover across caye shallows.
Structure, extent, and condition assessments tracking mangrove health as coastal protection infrastructure.
Depth mapping of the Placencia reef system — visualising underwater topography and channel structure.
Voices from fishing communities, elders, and local leaders documenting ecological memory and change.
An immersive narrative weaving together science, community, and place across the Placencia Reef System.
Placencia's beaches are at risk. What can be done to save them?
Erosion, Reef Coverage, and Tree Canopy Change as Seen Through the Years
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.