Scientists and community volunteers in Ciénaga de Zapata national park are developing innovative conservation techniques using recycled materials and freediving to protect pristine coral reefs facing threats from invasive species and climate change. The effort demonstrates how resource-constrained communities can advance ecosystem protection despite economic hardship and international sanctions.
Guardian Global Development · Saturday, 13 June 2026
With limited resources and sanctions tightening, conservationists are forced to find new ways to protect the coral reefs of Ciénaga de Zapata national parkAt 8am, scuba divers gather to collect plastic and drinks cans from the sea at Cuba’s Ciénaga de Zapata national park. Amid a power crisis that has virtually paralysed the country’s economy, they use an electric trailer to move to a designated spot. In only a few hours, they have collected five sacks of cans and waste.Lack of environmental awareness, invasive species and the climate crisis have long threatened the island’s pristine marine ecosystem but as US sanctions and economic scarcity take their toll on the country, scientists and community conservationists are working with even scarcer resources to protect a vital ecosystem for the Caribbean and the world. Continue reading...
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