The Deep Green Foundation (Fundación Verde Profundo) has quietly but firmly been networking over the past two years to get stakeholders and community involved in bringing back the splendor to Boca Chica Beach. In a report in the newspapers 15 May 2019 print issue on the effort, Diario Libre calls it “giving Boca Chica a second chance.”
Dominican marine biologist and Boca Chica long-time resident Tasha Gough says the objective is to restore the marine ecosystem in Boca Chica through conservation efforts. She said the organization has worked closely with the Fundación Ecológica Magua, Fundación MarAzul, Codopesca RD, the Armada, the Santo Domingo Yacht Club. They also have the backing of the Asociación de Pescadores de Boca Chica, local diving schools and many volunteers and members of the Boca Chica community.
Gough was born and raised on Boca Chica. Her father came to the area from the United States in 1963 and has been witness to the environmental degradation both on land and at sea of Boca Chica. He is working with his daughter in this effort. Tasha Gough has been studying the local ecosystem for the past 15 years and is convinced that adequate management of fishing and contamination can make the difference.
The strategy has been to create micro-sanctuaries on the beach. In one year they have planted 1,600 mangrove plants, of which 20% have not survived. The idea is to form micro sanctuaries mixing the mangrove plantation with seagrass and coral restoration of different species. With these three elements in place, fish and invertebrates are added to the area, making the micro sanctuaries a kind of nursery for the biodiversity that has been lost in recent years.
The Goughs have met with local fishermen to identify threats and seek solutions together. Tasha Gough told Diario Libre that this is a model of sustainable management for an unprotected area that is used in some regions in the Pacific.
As a way to generate resources, the Deep Green Foundation hosts students from the United States through EF Service Learning to participate in the cleaning of the coasts, planting of mangroves and corals. They also work with schools in Santo Domingo and Boca Chica.
Read more:
Diario Libre
Fundación Verde Profundo
16 May 2019