Research Centre opens on Little Cayman

Research Centre on Little Cayman.

Tuesday, July 5, 2005

The Cayman Islands is now home to the Caribbean's newest biological field station offering both tropical science education programmes and facilities for research or meetings with an educational focus.

�What makes us unique from similar institutions is that Little Cayman has world renown coral reefs with well-established marine protected zones juxtaposed to the deepest open ocean waters in the region providing excellent clean water and a variety of ecosystems for research and education,� Dr Carrie Manfrino, President of the centre said.

�This setting provides an excellent and much needed reference site or control site for tropical biological and oceanographic research and education.�

Dr Manfrino envisions the Little Cayman Research Centre becoming a premiere education and scientific research centre by providing exemplary tropical biology programs and conducting excellent research aimed at solving global issues facing coral reefs.

It is a project of the Grand Cayman based, Central Caribbean Marine Institute, an international non-profit organisation (with US, UK and Cayman Islands charity status). The facility consists of meeting rooms, classrooms, laboratories, a library, and dormitories for up to 28, all located on 1400 ft of beachfront adjacent to the Bloody Bay Marine Park. It includes the only off-the-grid� sustainable design in the Cayman Islands that incorporates solar power, composting toilets, gravity controlled water flow and a grey water garden that provide a model for sustainable living for everyday life.

The Little Cayman Research Centre is the only facility of its kind in the Cayman Islands, offering college credit for programs for students of all ages through several major U.S. universities. The centre runs a summer abroad research internship for college students and the Caribbean Sea Camp, an academic program for international and local high school students.

For the general public and professionals, they offer a unique, �Dive with a Researcher� programme so that anyone can become directly involved in marine conservation by assisting in the coral reef research.

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