By Zach Hoffman
When I joined the Coral Reef Alliance, I knew our work spanned some of the most important coral reef ecosystems in the world. But knowing that on paper is very different from standing on the shore of one of those places for the first time.
My first visit to CORAL’s Eastern Caribbean Hub took me to an island nation I had long dreamed of seeing: Dominica. The island is breathtaking in ways that are hard to capture in photographs—steep green mountains rising directly from the sea, clear water that shifts from turquoise to deep blue, and communities whose lives and cultures are deeply connected to the ocean.
Recent History
Dominica is an island whose flora, fauna, and families have only recently put down new roots and found their footing.
Hurricane Maria devastated the country in 2017, stripping forests bare and damaging or destroying 90% of structures on the island and leaving most of the population without clean water or basic infrastructure for months. It took years and a lot of local muscle and international aid just to get back on their feet. In the years since, the country has rightfully prioritized investments in the essentials, like roads, schools, hospitals, and clean drinking water.
CFast forward to today. The debris is cleared, and the forests have reclaimed the hillsides. Communities are once again whole and thriving.
Everywhere I went, local people spoke with pride about the lush hiking trails and crystal clear rivers, about the new sperm whale sanctuary offshore and the influx of tourists arriving daily. The Dominicans I met are proud and positive. They are a community of 70,000 strong that is looking to the future.
Meeting the Stewards of Dominica’s Coral Reefs
One of the most powerful parts of the trip was meeting the local leaders and partners who are already working every day to protect coral reefs. Across Dominica, we spent time with marine managers, community leaders, government officials, and scientists who share a deep commitment to protecting their reefs for future generations.
In Dominica, conversations often returned to local pride in the island’s long-established moniker, the Nature Island of the Caribbean, and to a new vision of becoming the world’s first climate-resilient nation. Dominica’s coral reefs are central to that vision. Healthy reefs protect coastlines from storms, support fisheries that feed communities, and sustain tourism economies that many families rely on.
These conversations served as a powerful reminder of something that defines CORAL’s work: lasting conservation only happens through strong partnerships with the people who live closest to the reefs.
Turning Global Commitments into Real Protection
The Eastern Caribbean is at an important moment.
Countries around the world have committed to protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 – a goal known as 30×30. Dominica, Saint Lucia, and neighboring island nations are stepping forward as leaders in this effort.
But turning those commitments into real protection on the water takes more than drawing lines on a map. Marine protected areas need science, management capacity, financing, and community support to truly work.
That’s where CORAL comes in.
Through our Eastern Caribbean Hub, that work becomes very real, very quickly. In Dominica, it means sitting down with the team managing the Scotts Head Marine Reserve and talking through what it actually takes to keep a protected area running day to day—how fees are collected, who manages them, and whether there’s enough funding to keep people on the water.
It may not be the most visible part of conservation, but it’s one of the most important. When these systems work, protected areas stop being lines on a map and start functioning as something communities can rely on.
It’s complex work, but the momentum is real, and the commitment from local leaders is inspiring.
Tackling One of the Biggest Threats to Reefs
While marine protection is essential, it’s only part of the story.
Across the Caribbean, wastewater pollution remains one of the most significant threats to coral reef health. Untreated or poorly treated wastewater can introduce excess nutrients and harmful pathogens into coastal waters, stressing coral reefs that are already under pressure from climate change.
During our visit, we met with partners working on sanitation planning, water quality monitoring, and infrastructure solutions that can reduce pollution before it reaches the ocean.
In Roseau, we visited the Baytown Wastewater Treatment Plant—an impressive facility serving the capital and its surrounding neighborhoods and one that plays a critical role in protecting coastal water quality. However, like much of the island’s infrastructure, it has faced setbacks since Hurricane Maria.
When systems like this aren’t operating at full capacity, the effects move downstream into rivers, into coastal waters, and ultimately onto the reefs themselves.
[See Also : How Pollution Threatens Coral Reefs and What We Can Do About It]
Working with the Dominica Water and Sewage Company (DOWASCO) is about changing that trajectory. In the near term, we hope to partner with DOWASCO to upgrade critical pumps and lift station equipment to ensure the plant is operating at 100% capacity.
And long-term, together, CORAL and DOWASCO have a real opportunity to enhance the plant’s financial and climate resilience, as well as its capacity to serve the capital. Together we hope to explore other investments like upgrading lab capacity so water quality can be consistently monitored, and advanced treatment and nature-based solutions like constructed wetlands, all of which have the potential to make a big impact on the reefs and waters in Roseau.
Further south in Soufriere, the work takes on a different shape but works toward the same goal. There, we’ll be supporting the Dominica Solid Waste Management Company (DSWMC) and local community to strengthen waste management systems and maintain infrastructure like the soon-to-be-constructed wetland, which will filter pollution before it ever reaches the ocean.
Looking Ahead
Overcoming Maria and rebuilding their island has left the local community full of pride in their resilience and optimism about a future they know they can build for themselves. That future, it’s clear, is one in which Dominica continues to place a high value on nature and on sustainable development. You get the impression that Dominica will continue to exemplify how humans can thrive while protecting and sustainably managing their natural heritage. They are the Nature Island after all.
Traveling through Dominica during my first months with CORAL left me energized about the road ahead.
The Eastern Caribbean Hub represents an exciting new chapter for our organization. By working closely with governments, scientists, and community partners, we have the opportunity to help build a network of resilient reefs across the region—reefs that can continue supporting people, economies, and biodiversity in a changing climate.
Coral reefs face enormous challenges. But they also have powerful allies: the communities who depend on them, the leaders who are committed to protecting them, and the partnerships forming across the region to ensure these ecosystems endure.
I’m grateful to have seen the beginning of this work firsthand and even more excited to help support what comes next.
