Programs Blog

Wednesday, 25 March 2026

Noon Position: 18o 18.940 N 64o 46.262 W

Ship Heading: 229 o

Ship Speed: 0

Log: 1166 nm

Weather/Sail Plan at 1300: Sunny, sailing towards St. Croix under the four lowers

Description of location: Gallows Bay

Hi Everyone,

While on shore in Woods Hole, we learned about local conditions in Anguilla and possible improvements to be made. We began by researching a general overview of Anguilla’s history. We learned that Anguilla is a relatively small island (26km by 5km) with a population of about 15,000. The land itself is predominantly limestone and has no permanent standing water besides salt ponds. While the land is low-lying today, there is evidence of volcanic history.

Anguilla was first settled by the Arawak people, and the community has relied heavily on coral reef ecosystems surrounding the island ever since. Coral reefs are the backbone of life on the island, supporting coastal protection, the tourism industry, and local demand for food. In fact, local fisheries employ about 20% of Anguilla’s population. However, these reef ecosystems have faced challenges throughout history. Stressors like pollution, invasive species, unregulated fishing, hurricane damage, coral disease, changes in ocean acidification, and changes in water temperature are examples of challenges these ecosystems need to constantly overcome.

Anguilla needs their coral reefs, but their health is on the decline. Coral reef mortality harms the local people, the reef ecosystems, and Anguilla’s land itself. To combat the issue, possible solutions like fishing regulations, enforcement of MPAs, and human-implemented restoration are being explored. Currently, artificial reefs are being installed in Little Bay Marine Park by the Anguilla National Trust. On top of their efforts, Anguilla’s Department of Natural Resources are running education programs about coral conservation for local communities, gaining support behind the issue. Anguilla is working hard to conserve their coral reefs with ongoing expansion of marine parks and continuous opportunities for outreach and education.

During our visit to Anguilla, we got the chance to speak to people from the Anguilla National Trust and Anguilla’s Department of Natural Resources to hear about ways in which they built resilience in their communities.

When we spoke to Clarissa Lloyd from the Anguilla National Trust, we enjoyed hearing about the youth programs that get Anguillan School children, as young as primary school, engaged in educational activities about protection of the environment. When we spoke to Remone Johnson and Jasmin Ruan at the Department of Natural Resources the next day, it was a small surprise that when asked what got the speakers of the Department of Natural Resources involved, it was the youth programs in which they themselves had participated.

During that visit to the Department of Natural Resources, we also got the privilege to hear about the work they do, including the maintenance of Marine Protected Areas. Something that specifically stood out to us was also how their work is shaped by the size of the community in Anguilla and the need to build trust. Equally, they also highlighted how their efforts are part of global efforts to protect marine habitats such as the Blue Belt Initiative. However, a large challenge to effective coral reef conservation that came up during our conversation was the lack of funding for conservation projects. Specifically, when there are diverging interests between the needs of the local communities and the requirements for global funding initiatives. In particular, we heard about how the no take zones in MPAs that are often part of global funding requirements are contested by local communities that depend on fishing.

We hope you have a nice day and enjoyed hearing about our time in Anguilla! – Carla and Kate

Carla Schmidt, B Watch, Trinity College; Kate Straka, B Watch, Cornell University