Unusual project undertaken by Cuba to save the underwater treasure

Cuba is committed to rescuing one of its own underwater treasures, the coral reefs. They have been damaged due to unmanaged fishing, pollution but also the effects of climate change. Coral reefs are one of the ecosystems with the largest and most important biodiversity on the globe. According to marine biology experts on the island, Cuba has the best protected underwater rocks in the Caribbean. In Guanahacabibes, the western province of Pinar del River, the state invested in projects to repopulate them from damage from global warming but also from human hands. Pedro Pablo Chevalier, who heads the Department of Biodiversity at the National Aquarium in Havana, explained the project's objectives. "This project that we have started, aims to help underwater rocks to recover ecological functions, ecosystem functions and increase coral biodiversity. This is the secret, the greater the diversity, the more likely the corals are to survive the rapid changes that are taking place in the marine environment. He points out that there are more than 500 fragments of coral scattered in the natural environment for coral cultivation, on an underwater rock that was destroyed by the storm. However, he said plastic waste, waste and cans pose a risk of killing corals. Chevalier also points out that one of the main problems of corals is related to the fact that they are exposed to high water temperatures. This process is also known as "coral bleaching", causing corals to remove algae and which causes significant mortality. "Climate change affects the ecosystem, it affects the whole life of the planet. In the specific case of coral reefs, rising sea water temperatures and, above all, tropical ones, have a direct impact on corals. Compared to other coral barriers in the Caribbean, many of the corals in Cuba are stunning. They expect larger varieties of species and in larger numbers. Also, the island's underwater rocks are considered virtually untouched by humans. Coral rescue in this area is important, above all for the unprecedented degradation of the environment. According to researchers, since 1970, the coral reef in the Caribbean has fallen by 50 percent. Without immediate and meaningful action, coral reefs are in danger of disappearing completely from the region, and unfortunately the situation is just as alarming in other parts of the globe. Healthy coral ecosystems in Cuba provide hope and serve as a living laboratory, to help protect and restore underwater rocks across the Caribbean.