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The Nature Foundation St Maarten would like to raise awareness about the harmful impacts of balloons on our environment, marine and wildlife and is asking the community to disregard the usage of balloons. Balloons have been the primary accessory of celebrations since the 1800s. They serve as a fun and pretty decoration for birthdays, weddings, … Continue reading Nature Foundation Calls on Community to Eliminate Balloons from the Environment: Our Celebrations are Wreaking Havoc on our Marine and Wildlife

Key West, August 1, 2019 – Experts from around the Caribbean region are meeting at the Eco-Discovery Centre in Key West to share information on an emerging and unprecedented threat to Caribbean coral reefs posed by a coral disease first documented in Florida and now being reported at sites across the region. Since 2014, the Florida Reef … Continue reading Sint Maarten Nature Foundation Joins Expert Meeting to Tackle New Coral Disease

Great Bay- The Nature Foundation carried out water quality tests at Great Bay Beach after the rainy conditions of the last week resulted in major runoff in the Great Bay Area. Runoff from the communities surrounding Great Bay as well as the opening of the floodgates of the Great Salt Pond resulted in a drop … Continue reading Water Quality Test Conducted by Nature Foundation at Great Bay Beach Shows Sewage Contamination

Great Bay – The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation on Tuesday tested water quality in the Great Bay Beach area after the heavy rains of Monday. As a part of the response to the heavy rainfall water from the Great Salt Pond was allowed to flow into Great Bay Harbor. “It is important after these heavy … Continue reading Nature Foundation Tests Water Quality at Great Bay Beach after Heavy Rains on Monday

Caribbean sharks have gained a new ally. On July 13th,  the eve of Shark Awareness Day 2019, SXM Shark Foundation was launched with a celebration on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten. The new foundation will work towards making Sint Maarten a leading country for shark conservation and management in the wider Caribbean region and around … Continue reading SXM Shark Foundation launched with pledge to improve shark conservation

Windwardside, Saba 14 July 2019, An international expedition for shark research to the Saba Bank in the Dutch Caribbean is taking place under the leadership of the Dutch Elasmobranch Society (NEV), the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) and the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten (NFSM) from July 15 to 25. Scientific projects will be carried out during … Continue reading Shark expedition to the Saba Bank

The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation was informed during beach assessments carried out as part of the monitoring of local sea turtle populations during nesting season that the development of a thirty-two room hotel is being planned for the area of Simpson Bay Beach between Karakter Beach Bar and White Sands Beach Club. The Foundation is … Continue reading Nature Foundation Concerned Over Rumoured Plans to Build 32 Room Hotel on Simpson Bay Beach. Has Asked the VROMI Ministry for Clarification

Last week, during St Maarten Shark Week, Nature Foundation staff visited several Elementary schools to educate children about sharks and their importance to both the natural and human environment. The Foundation visited the Oranje School, Seventh Day Adventist School and Helmich Snijders Hillside Christian School. The Shark Crew from the Nature Foundation taught about 400 … Continue reading Nature Foundation Visits Several Elementary Schools for St Maarten Shark Week

For the 4th consecutive year, the Nature Foundation St Maarten organized Kids Shark Day at Buccaneer Beach Bar last Saturday. About 130 kids attended the event and had lots of fun; they learned about the importance of sharks and their role in our ocean during Shark Day. The event is also designed to introduce children to … Continue reading Over 100 kids visited 4th Annual Kids Shark Day

During a working dive the Nature Foundation has recorded a turtle covered in numerous tumours. These tumours are related to the turtle being infected by the highly contagious, herpes-like virus called Fibropapillomatosis. The tumours covered a significant part of the turtle’s head and flippers, causing the animal difficulty in moving and feeding. The disease was … Continue reading Disease Linked to Poor Water Quality Affecting Island’s Sea Turtle Population