Monaco Ocean week: MSC foundation teams up for ocean philanthropy

Thursday, March 21, 2024

During the annual Monaco Ocean Week on March 19, the MSC Foundation collaborated with the International Union for Conservation of Nature to co-host a comprehensive discussion on leveraging philanthropy for ocean conservation. The event, joined by the Velux Foundation and Filantropia Cortes Solari, aimed to explore the potential of various stakeholders in addressing oceanic challenges.

The panel, focused on tackling local issues with national significance, commenced with remarks from HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. Following this, the MSC Foundation presented its dedicated efforts towards coral reef restoration and conservation in The Bahamas through its Super Coral Program. Executive Director Daniela Picco highlighted the program’s steadfast commitment to scientific research and collaboration with institutional, academic, and MSC Group partners. Picco also elaborated on the establishment of a nursery for critically endangered elkhorn coral, which exhibited a remarkable 100% survival rate during the marine heat wave in The Bahamas in summer 2023. This success underscores promising indications of thermal resilience among coral reefs in the region, offering hope for their future.

“As a relatively young foundation that embodies the seafaring history and experience of the MSC Group and the founding family’s outlook on future generations, it’s critical to be active in these global discussions between local and international experts, the scientific community, public authorities, associations and the private sector in the spirit of exchange, experimenting and openness,” said Daniela Picco, Executive Director of the MSC Foundation. “The Foundation joined forces with IUCN a year ago and is supporting the 100 scientists from 30 countries involved in the rigorous scientific analysis of over 850 coral species worldwide needed to update the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. We have a dedicated program in the Bahamas for impact at the national level.”

In 2019, the Foundation initiated the Super Coral Program with the objective of revitalizing the coral reefs encircling Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. This endeavor was undertaken in partnership with the Bahamian government, prominent universities, marine scientists, and conservationists. Ocean Cay, which welcomed guests of MSC Cruises that same year after undergoing significant rehabilitation, saw the cruise line’s efforts extend to restoring the island’s ecosystems. This restoration effort involved the removal of 7,500 tons of scrap metal, the planting of nearly 5,000 trees, and the cultivation of 75,000 indigenous plants, flowers, and shrubs. Additionally, a rapid environmental assessment of Ocean Cay’s coral reefs was conducted as part of this comprehensive restoration project.

“I have witnessed first-hand, and been a part of, the transformation of Ocean Cay from an industrial wasteland to an island thriving with life. MSC Cruises’ environmental vision and commitment to meeting standards for the restoration of the island are unparalleled in the region,” said Dr Owen O’Shea, MSC Foundation’s Marine Program & Research Manager. “Implemented on the ground since 2022, our Super Coral Program is committed to future generations of Bahamians and marine scientists around Ocean Cay. Its designation by Mission Blue and Dr Sylvia Earle as a “Hope Spot” in December 2022, among over 150 other places scientifically recognized as critical to the health of the ocean, is a significant achievement.”

The oceans play a vital role in sustaining humanity, supplying a significant portion of our food, approximately 50 percent of the oxygen crucial for our breathing, and governing both weather patterns and the planet’s adaptation to climate change. Among the most diverse marine habitats are coral reefs, which serve as habitats for at least a quarter of all marine species.

“We are delighted that we have identified high thermal resilience in some genetic populations of corals, developed techniques to grow corals in open water nurseries and started to trial methods to outplant these corals in the environment,” said David Smith, PhD, Professor of Marine Biology, University of Essex (UK) and Chief Scientific Advisor on the MSC Foundation’s Advisory Board.

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