Saint Lucia is one of five Caribbean islands selected for the installation of an oceanographic buoy which is part of a network of Coral Reef Early Warning Systems for the Caribbean.
The system falls under a project being implemented by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center head quartered in Belize, that seeks to measure the effects of climate change on coral reefs.
The oceanographic buoy being erected off the coast of Soufriere is the third of its kind to be established in the waters of the Caribbean with two systems already erected in Antigua and St Kitts and following the local installation, two others will be established in Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Coral reefs in Caribbean waters have, in recent years, endured much bleaching and have been placed under stressors, which in some cases cause death to the reefs. The new system will help monitor these conditions and will help to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on reef systems.
The Coral Reef Early Warning System is part of a USAID sponsored project with each system being erected at a cost of USD $25,000.