Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity Foundation (previously The Caribbean Marine Biological Institute; commonly referred to as CARMABI Foundation or just CARMABI) is a research organization in

Curaçao Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coast ...

, former

Netherlands Antilles nl, In vrijheid verenigd"Unified by freedom" , national_anthem = , common_languages = Dutch English Papiamento , demonym = Netherlands Antillean , capital = Willemstad , year_start = 1954 , year_end = 2010 , date_start = 15 December , ...

. It is situated in Piscadera Bay, from the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

. Its education and research programs include the

ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

aspects of

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

and

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Co ...

sciences.

History

In 1955, the head of Curaçao's petroleum industry proposed funding for a scientific institution at Piscadera Bay as it was noted to be a perfect location for research; subsequently, plans were drawn to establish the institution. Originally named the Caribbean Marine Biological Institute (CARMABI), the station was founded in 1955 at the bay's open end. Its work centered on research in the field of

ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

—fisheries. As the bay front has extensive coral reefs, research in the field of coral reef science was initiated in 1969. Consequent to increased participation in the activities of the institute, the CARMABI facility was enlarged, adding a new building with laboratory facilities on the shore line. Residential dormitories were also constructed to house 30 persons. By 1970, its facility contained wet and dry laboratories, an aquarium, as well as four work rooms. In association with National Parks Foundation of the Netherlands Antilles (STINAPA), CARMABI has conducted terrestrial and marine projects, CARMABI being associated with research while STINAPA is associated with management. In 1999, CARMABI and STINAPA became a single entity, renamed as the Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity Foundation, although continuing to be referred to as CARMABI. CARMABI, the SECORE (SExual COral REproduction) Foundation and the Curaçao Sea-Aquarium jointly carried out a study in Curaçao, which involved developing the techniques needed to regenerate

depauperate A depauperate ecosystem is an ecosystem which is lacking in numbers or variety of species, often because it lacks enough stored chemical elements and resources required for life. Thus, depauperate ecosystems often cannot support rapid growth of f ...

''Acropora palmate'' in the entire area of the Caribbean. CARMABI Foundation, also associated with the management of the Christoffel Park and the Shete Boka Park, is "the largest field station in the

Southern Caribbean The Southern Caribbean'' is a group of islands that neighbor mainland South America in the West Indies. Saint Lucia lies to the north of the region, Barbados in the east, Trinidad and Tobago at its southernmost point, and Aruba at the most we ...

". Jacques S. Zaneveld of

Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (Old Dominion or ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and is now one of the largest universities in Virginia with ...

was a former director. In 2013, the Bonaire Deep Reef Expedition discovered 13 new species of sponges off the coast of Bonaire and

Klein Curaçao Klein Curaçao (English: ''Little Curaçao'') is a uninhabited island belonging to, and lying 10 km south-east of, Curaçao, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Dutch Caribbean. Description Klein Curaçao has a ...

. Of the new species discovered, '' Caminus carmabi'' has been named after CARMABI, and '' Plakinastrella stinapa'' after STINAPA.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * {{authority control Environment of Curaçao Fisheries and aquaculture research institutes Organisations based in Curaçao 1955 establishments in North America Buildings and structures in Willemstad