Cuba Conservancy

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Because of the decades-old U.S. economic embargo of Cuba, scientific collaboration between U.S. and Cuban scientists has been exceedingly difficult. Even though research is a permitted activity and U.S. scientists are allowed to travel to Cuba, the harsh logistical and political realities have prevented all but a few U.S. institutions from successful collaborative projects in Cuba.

The Cuba Conservancy, a program of Ocean Doctor, is built on more than 12 years of work of Ocean Doctor president, Dr. David E. Guggenheim, who directs the program.

Strong collaboration between Cuban and American scientists and conservation experts is at the core of our program

Photo: Abel Valdivia

At the core of Cuba Conservancy’s mission is to establish sustained collaboration between Cuba and the United States to:

ensure enduring, locally-supported marine research and conservation programs in Cuba.
contribute to major advances in the scientific understanding of Cuba’s natural resources.
achieve meaningful, long-lasting conservation for Cuba’s marine ecosystems and shared ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico.
forge long-term collaborative relationships with our Cuban colleagues.
help train the next generation of Cuban marine scientists.

The Program builds upon a strong foundation of scientific research, which accounts for the majority of our budget. Research not only serves the purpose of advancing science and informing conservation policy efforts, but also helps forge strong, long-term collaborative relationships and credibility, facilitating efforts in the policy arena. Further, collaborative scientific research is a long-supported activity by both the Cuban and U.S. governments, presenting fewer political hurdles for licensing, approvals and permits.

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Coral reefs are healthy and abundant in Cuba, like this Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) which has declined by 95% in the Caribbean (Photo: David E. Guggenheim)

Coral reefs are healthy and abundant in Cuba, like this Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) which has declined by 95% elsewhere in the Caribbean (Photo: David E. Guggenheim)

Gardens of the Queen

Cuba Conservancy is working with partners in the Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) Archipelago, one of the largest no-take marine protected areas in the Caribbean, to focus on research, management and economic issues related to what are considered the most healthy and extensive coral reefs in the Caribbean region.We are working closely with the Cuban Center for the Study of Coastal Ecosystems (Centro de Investigaciones de Ecosistemas Costeros, CIEC) and the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research (Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, CIM) to study this unique ecosystem and its surrounding “life support systems,” such as the virtually unexplored Gulf of Ana Maria, in order to better understand why these marine ecosystems have been able to thrive in a world of corals that are dead and dying. We are also working with our Cuban partners to assess the economic and social value of such a healthy ecosystem. Finally, we are working to research and protect the unique and pristine ecosystems of Jardines de la Reina in order to ensure that these protections will endure in perpetuity, serve as a compelling model for marine protected areas (MPAs) worldwide, dramatically advance human understanding of how healthy coral reef ecosystems function, and yield critical insights to inform management decisions for protecting coral reefs globally.

Our work in Cuba’s “Gardens of the Queen” was featured
on an award-winning segment of the CBS news program,
60 MINUTES hosted by Anderson Cooper.

Training the Next Generation of Marine Scientists: Our joint research is serving as the basis of Master’s and Doctoral research for dozens of students at University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research, the only institution in Cuba where marine scientists are accredited

Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico

Since 2003, we have collaborated closely with CIM on Proyecto Costa Noroccidental (Project of the Northwestern Coast), a comprehensive multi-year research and scientific exchange program for Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico coast. The project exemplifies the level of collaboration possible when long-term relationships are forged. Once the least-explored region of Cuba’s marine environment, the project has yielded the first detailed maps of Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico marine resources, identifying and describing the principal human uses and threats, provides recommendations for the conservation of the region’s ecosystems particularly coral reefs, fish and sea turtles, and establishing a framework for long term collaboration between the United States, Cuba and Mexico that addresses important cross-boundary marine environmental issues. This work is helping support the Master’s and Doctoral theses of dozens of students at CIM, the only institution in Cuba where marine scientists are accredited.

Watch Cuba: The Accidental Eden on PBS. See more from Nature.

Our work in Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico waters was featured on the PBS series, NATURE.

Representatives from Cuba, Mexico and the U.S. convened in Sarasota, Florida for the fourth meeting of the Trinational Initiative

Trinational Initiative

Ocean Doctor president Dr. David E. Guggenheim led the creation of the Trinational Initiative for Marine Science and Conservation in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean (www.TrinationalInitiative.org) that is successfully elevating collaboration in marine science and conservation among Cuba, Mexico and the United States. The level of support from participants in all three countries has been exceptional. Cuba Conservancy continues its participation in the Trinational Initiative toward implementing an international plan of action and disseminating important scientific results.

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