MSC Foundation Grows Over 600 Corals at Ocean Cay Center
Ocean Cay shows how private cruise destinations are being recast as conservation platforms, linking guest education with local science partnerships in reef restoration.
The MSC Foundation, MSC Group’s philanthropic arm, grew more than 600 corals in an underwater nursery and outplanted over 250 corals to nearby reef areas in the first year of its Marine Conservation Center at Ocean Cay. Ocean-education programming reached more than 17,000 visitors. The center opened in April 2025 on MSC Cruises’ private island in The Bahamas.
The center operates as both a guest-facing education site and a working base for coral restoration, student training and research partnerships with Bahamian institutions.
Coral work expands from the Ocean Cay center
The Marine Conservation Center is the hub for the MSC Foundation’s Super Coral Reefs Programme at Ocean Cay, where work includes coral propagation, reef monitoring, research and education. The program focuses on identifying and growing resilient coral species, including critically endangered elkhorn coral.
Earlier this year, the MSC Foundation and the Perry Institute for Marine Science, a Bahamas-based marine conservation nonprofit, hosted a coral species exchange at Ocean Cay intended to strengthen reef resilience. The center also includes a bio lab, lecture space and coral nursery functions supporting the Foundation’s restoration work.
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, near Bimini, is a regular Caribbean itinerary call for MSC Cruises, with ships docking directly at the island rather than tendering passengers ashore. The destination occupies a former industrial sand-mining site that MSC restored as a marine reserve and private island destination.
“Our work in The Bahamas is grounded in partnership, science, and shared responsibility,” said Emeline Bouchet, MSC Foundation marine program manager based at Ocean Cay. Bouchet said the Foundation’s Earth Day message was that restoration efforts should also build local knowledge and involve Bahamian students and communities in research, education and environmental stewardship.
Training and Bahamian partnerships
The Foundation said more than 20 marine science students received hands-on training during the center’s first year. That included week-long courses at Ocean Cay for 16 participants from the University of The Bahamas and The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute, covering coral propagation, reef monitoring and restoration techniques.
The Foundation also supported community initiatives in Bimini, including a beach cleanup, and deepened its collaboration with the University of The Bahamas by supporting development of a dedicated marine science laboratory.
Daniela Picco, MSC Foundation executive director, said the next phase will focus on “translating this momentum into measurable, long-term impact.” She said the Foundation will continue building partnerships and investing in local capacity as it supports marine conservation and sustainable development work in The Bahamas.
