CCMI was founded in 1998 by Dr. Carrie Manfrino and the flourishing Little Cayman Research Center (LCRC) was opened in 2005. LCRC is become the leading Caribbean Overseas Territory marine institute. The organization is a registered charity in the UK, US and Cayman Islands and is the only marine institute in the region. At the groundbreaking, HRH The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO dedicated the site and has championed the organization as their Royal Patron.
The reefs surrounding Little Cayman offer insight for coral reefs globally. They are among the most biologically diverse reef systems in the Caribbean and are located at one of the very few places in the world showing coral reef regeneration on a positive trajectory.
The talented research teams at CCMI have discovered new species and critical habitats for one of the most endangered predatory reef fish, the Nassau grouper. They are addressing global issues such as climate change and ocean acidification, threats to endangered species, invasive species, and are focused on finding solutions to improve reef resilience. More than 175 visiting scientists from nine countries have worked at the facility.
CCMI knows the secret to a healthy planet is a healthy ocean, and the life-giving and economic value of coral reefs to humanity is incalculable. At CCMI, we are committed to early career scientists and expanding research programs on a variety of topics coral reef resilience, sustainability, extinction risk, and innovative topics that may reverse their decline
Research Areas / Subjects of Interest:
coral reefs, marine protected areas, extinction risk, resilience, critical habitats, climate change, sea level rise, coral restoration, endangered, threatened and invasive species, solutions to declining ocean ecosystems.
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