Project Status

Our project is expanding! There has definitely been an increased amount of awareness spreading across the city about the consumption of lionfish. With organizations like Reef Check Dominicana having projects relevant to controlling their populations, there are more events that are featuring lionfish as their main dish. People are starting to realize that not only is it an environmentally conscious meal, but it can also be quite delicious! El Vesuvio, a local restaurant here in Santo Domingo, is even having a dinner on December 6th based around the lionfish. Our next goal is to bring it into our own school cafeteria! We will keep you updated as we continue to develop ideas in order to keep our project moving.

Sea Savers Travel to Brazil For GIN Conference

After a year of planning our long awaited conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the time finally arrived. On October eleventh, the Sea Savers boarded a plane with a destination of Brazil, excited to present everything we had so passionately worked on. We practiced on the bus, in the plane and the hotel. The conference, which took place in Graded School, a very welcoming and advanced school community, was filled with new ideas and innovations. We experienced the presence of key-note speakers such as Rob Thorough, Michael Furdyk, and John Liu various times throughout the week, which inspired many from all the different schools due to their varied ideas. Around twenty schools from the Americas went to the GIN conference and participated. Due to this fact student-lead workshops occurred four at the same time and those who were not presenting could chose whatever workshop they wished to attend. Cultures were shared and in a breakfast, lunch and dinner gathering at Graded School, we all learned plenty about the new friends met at Brazil. When the GIN conference came to a close, the Sea Savers were recognized due to their enthusiastic presentations of both the Adopt a Coral and Lion Fish Hunting workshops. The new ideas and motivation we carried back from the conference of 2012, will lead our way through many future projects such as our second annual Lion Fish Festival in February 2013 as well as more adopt-a- coral advancements. Sea Savers can’t wait to share with the public our new ideas!

Article by: Giovanna Diez

Lionfish Ambassadors - Sharkie and Spike

We now have two lionfish living at our school. Their purpose is to work as ambassadors for their species, but instead of trying to protect the lionfish, we are promoting eating them! You see, lionfish have invaded our seas, the Caribbean and Atlantic waters that surround our island have been invaded by these beautiful, carnivorous fish.

It all started three years ago, but the exact introduction is unknown. Most people blame the aquarium trade, some blame hurricanes, but no matter how the lionfish got here, the fact is, they are here. Lionfish are native to the Pacific, where they have natural predators and their populations are kept under control. Here in the Atlantic, where there are no natural predators, the lionfish are wreaking havoc! They are excellent at making babies. The females will squirt thousands of eggs into the water and the males will squirt their sperm on them and fertilization takes place. They can do this 3 times a month!


In addition to being excellent reproducers, they are excellent carnivores. They can eat hundreds of fish a day and are preying upon our herbivorous coral reef fish, the parrot fish. The herbivorous fish are vital to the coral reef ecosystem because they keep the alge on the corals in balance. The lionfish are devouring our herbivorous fish and the corals aren't being cleaned.

What can we do?

Here in the Dominican Republic the fishing industry is vital to the local economy and sustenance for local people. What fish do we eat? The parrot fish, and believe me, it's delicious, but guess what? Lionfish are also REALLY delicious. The plan... promote catching, selling and eating lionfish. Totally doable.

Follow us as we share how we are attacking this problem!

Feeding time for Sharkie and Spike

Our Lionfish Festival Planning

Getting back to school and starting up all of our GIN work again has been great for the group, and we are returning and jumping in to our biggest project, the lionfish festival.We are starting to get it all together and it looks like it's going to be a great event. We have got our location, some of our divers for the competition and we are currently working on getting our sponsors for the event and our costs. It's going to be a great day, with a lionfishing competition in the morning and a festival in the afternoon. We will be giving out prizes at the competition and we will have lots of food, drinks, and music at our festival and fair. It will be a lot of fun and I hope to see you all there. Stay tuned for posters showing up around CMS and Santo Domingo. Keep checking the blog for more information and like our Facebook page Sea Savers Dominican Republic to find out more information.

Article by: Maggie Baird

Snorkeling in the Dominican Republic

If you are searching to experience an amazing journey while snorkeling, the beaches of the Dominican Republic are definitely the place to be. Our coastline is filled with coral reefs, the home of some of the most beautiful and exotic creatures. There are many locations where snorkeling is a possibility, however the beaches of Punta Cana might not be as fulfilling as those of Sosua town beach which facilitates the experience and contains the better segment of the coral reefs. Many tours are available at these locations. These coral reefs contain many species of fish such as the blue tang, observed in 82.8% of the reefs, the four-eye butterfly fish observed in 74.9%, and the ocean surgeonfish seen in 76.2%. Different species of corals, sea anemone, and marine life can also be at sight. However old you are, snorkeling in the Dominican Republic is very rewarding, this is why we must try and protect this tropical location that contains so much value.

For more information on how to help, visit: http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/adopt-a-coral-dominican-republic/ 

Why Does Coral Matter

We might find ourselves wondering what part does coral play in the conservation of our coral reefs?. The answer took some digging since most of us aren't really aware of what coral does. All creatures, which form part of the underwater community near the reefs, work together to form a balance and cycle, which can easily maintain everyone’s well being. Corals are physically beautiful, yes this is true, but they are also extremely delicate when it comes to human activities, contamination and other unnatural substances. Keeping our coral in a clean and stable state is crucial for the animals, such as the parrotfish, that help our coral reefs to provide food, minerals, and shelter, produced by the coral to keep animals alive. Whether we know this or not, corals also work as barriers. Groups of attached corals maintain the rough currents, and in most cases, dangerous animals off the shore, protecting the beautiful beaches and coastal locations. I guess it is safe to say corals are the beautiful creations and protectors of the meeting between land and water. These natural pieces of mass are beneficial to all aspects of our world. 

Protect the corals for a better tomorrow!

Article by: Giovanna Diez