Diver Overcomes Fear of Sharks to Save Coral Reefs from Deadly Disease
Reginald Beckford, once afraid of sharks, now protects coral reefs in the Turks and Caicos Islands from a deadly coral disease.
In 2019, the islands were confirmed to have stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), affecting marine life and livelihoods.
Reginald and a team of volunteers, part of the TC Reef Fund, apply antibiotic paste to sick corals to slow the disease’s spread.
Other volunteers, like former teacher Arenthia Baker, have changed careers to join the fight. Despite challenges like coral bleaching, there’s hope with recent probiotic discoveries and innovative reef restoration efforts.
The team’s work, highlighted by the BBC, aims not only to save reefs but also inspire future conservationists among island schoolchildren.(Source : BBC)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-67647402