All posts tagged: coral reefs

Top 5 Reasons To Love The Ocean

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Today is World Water Day, and in honor of that we are dedicating this post to showing some love for the ocean.  Our oceans are an incredible natural resource, one that we cannot take for granted.  We need healthy oceans to ensure our survival just as much as for the survival of the life that thrives in the ocean.  Major threats against our oceans include: plastic pollution that causes harm to marine life and coral reefs, climate change, rising ocean temperatures, icecaps melting, ocean acidification and coral bleaching, just to name a few.  Our oceans are invaluable as are the marine life and coral reefs that call the ocean home.  We can all do our part to contribute to helping protect our oceans.  Even committing to a simple act of taking part in beach cleanups regularly, removing plastic from beaches and the ocean will have a positive impact.  Other simple acts to show our love for the ocean include, wearing ocean-friendly sunscreen, being mindful of coral reefs (don’t touch them), and respect marine life.   …

Ellen Cuylaerts: A Legend in the making

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Today, marks International Women’s Day.  A day to celebrate the accomplishments of women and to empower others. On Women’s Day I think it is important that we take time to support one another and acknowledge those who each day are doing their part to make a positive impact in the world, support those who are lifting others up, support those who are working hard to improve the lives of others and their communities, support those who use their voices to speak up about issues that matter to them and embrace their calling and passion to make a positive difference in the world.  They are every day heroes and legends.  We rise by lifting others up and there is so much power in unity.  There is so much beauty in supporting and celebrating the accomplishments of those who inspire and empower us.  I am so proud to see so many of the strong women in my life, from my sister to friends and my personal heroes, all who I admire for working so hard to achieve …

Ocean-Guard: Save The Reefs

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Eco Chic Cayman is proud to team up with Eco Divers Reef Foundation to help raise awareness about their coral nursery program.  Eco Divers Reef Foundation is a non-profit organization. Founders Brittany Balli and Aaron Hunt, are a husband and wife team devoted to restoring fragile and damaged reefs in the Cayman Islands.  The heart of their coral conservation efforts is to maintain local coral nurseries and coral out plant sites throughout the Cayman Islands.  Their ethos is coming together as a community in a united effort to preserve Cayman’s reefs to ensure a positive future for these precious ecosystems.  This will allow future generations the opportunity to enjoy Cayman’s reefs as we have done.  Eco Divers Reef Foundation is dedicated to protecting our reefs, and educating the youth and community about the important role coral reefs play in our oceans. Why Reefs Matter   Coral reefs have inartistic value and are important to the health of our oceans, tourism, economy, fisheries and provide costal protection.  We need healthy coral reefs to continue to provide …

Cayman Islands Coral Watch Programme

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On 23rd September 2017, the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE) documented the first reports of a new coral bleaching event in the Cayman Islands.  Scientists have been investigating how widespread and intense the bleaching is across all three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.  A particularly striking find was on Andes Reef, north coast of Grand Cayman, where there were sightings of coral bleaching happening up to depths of 50 meters.  This year’s coral bleaching event has been meticulously monitored and documented by the DOE and they continue to gather data, photos, videos and conduct surveys to fully assess the impact.  As the DOE documents this stress response, they are paying close attention to 3 particular factors: 1.       Which locations of coral reefs are affected by the bleaching 2.       What species of coral are affected and which are remaining healthy 3.       What depths are bleached corals found For instance, some coral reefs on the west side of the island in shallow depths currently …

Birthday Wishes, Give With Love, xo

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On 13th October 2013, I started a birthday tradition, whereby I selected a group of charities to raise awareness and funds for.  I asked friends and family to kindly make a donation in lieu of gifts.  In my twenties, I had reached a point in my life where I no longer needed to accumulate more things.  I love presents just as much as anyone, but the truth was I didn’t need them.  I would rather friends and family give what they would have spent on a birthday present to a charity instead.  So, with that in mind, I used my blog as a platform to help raise awareness for the selected charities over the years.  This year, the theme is blue.  It is the commonality between all three charities I would like to highlight this year.  Blue is representative of the ocean, which directly correlates to both Force Blue and Grand Cayman Eco Divers: Coral Nursery Conservation Program.  Having spent nearly my entire life living on an island, I am drawn to the ocean.  I …

FORCE BLUE: A Call of Duty to Heal the Ocean

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I had the honor of meeting U.S RECON Marine Sergeant Rudy Reyes and listening to him share his story about his experience as a former combat diver and now a veteran on a mission to help protect and restore the marine environment. I cannot truly capture in words how profound his story is or the eloquent way he spoke about his life’s journey. Nor, can I begin to fathom the magnitude of the experiences he has been through and endured as a combat diver. All I can humbly offer is that listening to him speak with such humility, eloquence and passion I was incredibly moved by his words and a part of me was changed forever by his heartfelt story. His life’s journey has lead him to a new call of duty, dedicating his life’s work to empowering other Special Ops veterans to join FORCE BLUE’s conservation efforts to help restore critical marine ecosystems around the world. While on his first trip to the Cayman Islands two years ago, diving off the shore of Sunset …