News

Nature Foundation Disposes of Illegally Imported Conch Shells after Seizure by Customs

Posted on by Melanie

The Princess Juliana International Airport, Customs Department and the Nature Foundation recently collaborated in the seizure and disposal of some two hundred kilos of conch shells imported by an inbound passenger. It is illegal to transport conch meat and shells and certain pieces of coral into and out of of Sint Maarten without the proper … Continue reading Nature Foundation Disposes of Illegally Imported Conch Shells after Seizure by Customs

Nature Foundation Calls on all Local Businesses for their Support

Posted on by Melanie
reefsupport

The Nature Foundation St. Maarten is in need of help from local businesses, tour operators, hotels and trade organizations in order to expose their donation page. Currently, the organization could use extra support and awareness from the tourists, tour operators and businesses on the island. The Foundation encounters challenges to receive structural funding in order … Continue reading Nature Foundation Calls on all Local Businesses for their Support

Nature Foundation Researches the Immense Impact of Coral Disease on St Maarten Reefs.

Posted on by Melanie

The Nature Foundation has been monitoring the impact of the Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease on St Maarten coral reefs since it was first discovered in October 2018. Recently, a more elaborate research from the Nature Foundation established on average a 60% infection and mortality rate of the most susceptible stony corals in the Marine … Continue reading Nature Foundation Researches the Immense Impact of Coral Disease on St Maarten Reefs.

Nature Foundation Requests Update From Parliament on Steps to Ban Single-Use Plastics

Posted on by Melanie

The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation has requested in writing an update from Parliament on steps currently being taken to ban single-use plastic products such as plastic bags, straws and cutlery and Styrofoam food containers in an effort to reduce marine litter and pollution on St Maarten. Single use plastic pollution is one of the biggest … Continue reading Nature Foundation Requests Update From Parliament on Steps to Ban Single-Use Plastics

St. Maarten’s Coral Reefs Are Dying Due to Disease, Poor Wastewater Infrastructure

Posted on by Melanie

The Nature Foundation St Maarten recently established the presence of ‘Tissue Loss Disease’ on several local coral reefs, the Foundation was able to establish through further investigation that in many locations some 90% of coral is either infected or dead. The disease is a relatively new issue that has been plaguing coral reefs in the … Continue reading St. Maarten’s Coral Reefs Are Dying Due to Disease, Poor Wastewater Infrastructure

Nature Foundation Records Harmful Algal Bloom in the Simpson Bay Lagoon

Posted on by Melanie

The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation over the past week has been monitoring the spread and extent of a Harmful Algal Bloom currently ongoing in the Cole Bay Corner section of the Simpson Bay Lagoon. Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae—simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control while … Continue reading Nature Foundation Records Harmful Algal Bloom in the Simpson Bay Lagoon

Nature Foundation Plants Mangroves in Mullet Pond to Restore Areas Lost Due to Hurricane Irma

Posted on by Melanie

The Nature Foundation St Maarten outplanted mangroves in Mullet Pond with the help of students from Milton Peters College and Jorakhae Freediving School last Friday. The entire day the students and volunteers worked intensively to enhance St Maarten’s environment and to assist nature in recovering from Hurricane Irma. The mangroves in Mullet Pond experienced and … Continue reading Nature Foundation Plants Mangroves in Mullet Pond to Restore Areas Lost Due to Hurricane Irma

Nature Foundation St Maarten cleans up Belair Beach with Tourists and Volunteers

Posted on by Melanie

The Nature Foundation organized a beach clean-up session with visitors and volunteers in order to clean-up Belair beach. A group of about fifteen tourists, which came to St Maarten to enjoy the island, decided to give back to our environment and spent a morning cleaning up the beach. The group was very motivated and collected … Continue reading Nature Foundation St Maarten cleans up Belair Beach with Tourists and Volunteers

Leonald Connor Primary School Students Clean up Mullet Bay Beach and learn about Coral Reefs with the Nature Foundation St Maarten

Posted on by Melanie

Last Friday the Nature Foundation St Maarten organized a beach clean-up session for students from the Leonald Connor Primary School which took place at Mullet Bay beach. About 25 students collected over 250 pounds of trash in just half an hour. The students learned about the impact of single-use plastics on our environment, marine life … Continue reading Leonald Connor Primary School Students Clean up Mullet Bay Beach and learn about Coral Reefs with the Nature Foundation St Maarten