With rising ocean temperatures likely to exceed the ability of reefs to survive in the coming decades, public-private partnerships are forming to preserve these vital ecosystems before it’s too late. Joining this effort locally, Peninsula Papagayo ownership is working in collaboration with Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment and a team of leading experts to begin the process of restoring coral reefs in Culebra Bay. The initiative is a partnership of Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment, the University of Costa Rica’s Oceanography and Limnology Research Center (CIMAR), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and Raising Coral Costa Rica—a local NGO led by a group of top scientists. Though growing coral is a long term proposition, there is cause for hope. In a period of 8-10 months, Raising Coral Costa Rica has been able to achieve an acceleration in growth that typically takes 12-15 years.
