Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI)

The Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI) is a non-profit foundation on the island of Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean. CARMABI was established in 1955 as a marine research institute. Now the organization has 4 pillars: marine and terrestrial research, park management, nature and environment education and consultancy.

CARMABI’s primary goals are:

• to conduct or carry out scientific research for nature management, nature conservation, nature restoration and nature development;
• to acquire, conserve, protect, manage, restore, and develop natural areas, and the sites and objects contained therein that are valuable from the point of view of geology, archeology or history, in the broadest sense of the word;
• to raise awareness among the population in general, and school-aged youth in particular of the contributions they can make to promote sustainable development.

Marine and Terrestrial Research
On a yearly basis, CARMABI host around 250 (ecological) researchers and students that want to study Caribbean coral reefs, terrestrial systems or geology. The organization has a fully functional research station which has a wet lab with running seawater and 30 80x40x40 cm aquaria, and two large dry labs with all basic laboratory equipment (e.g. fumehoods, microscopes, drying ovens, scales, basic chemical supplies etc) with 50m of available bench space.

CARMABI also conducts terrestrial research to improve our understanding of nature. An important component of the terrestrial research focus is the study of the terrestrial ecosystems of Curaçao. Research is also conducted and applied to other natural areas of Curaçao and the wider Caribbean. For this, Carmabi extensively works together with universities and research facilities in the region and around the world to further the knowledge on our terrestrial ecosystems.

Park Management
CARMABI is responsible for various nature parks and area’s, the largest area’s being the Christoffel National park (1860 ha.) and Shete Boka National Park. A team of dedicated park rangers monitor nature and assist tourists when visiting the park.

The Savonet Museum, which is located in the Christoffelpark and housed in a 19th-century plantation house, tells the story of the Savonet Plantation; one of the oldest plantations on the island. The focus of the museum is the lives of the former slaves and later ‘workers’ of the Savonet Plantation, the lives of the owners, and the interaction between these two groups.

Nature and Environment Education
One of the primary goals of CARMABI is to inform the youth and the public about the importance of nature. The Foundation does this by providing programs in the field and at schools. All schools on Curaçao can join the educational programs for Elementary Education (Funderend Onderwijs) and Secondary Education (Voortgezet Onderwijs). CARMABI also provides educational materials for schools and thus makes information more accessible for the youth.

Consultancy
CARMABI’s Advice and Consultancy department offers various services related to the environment; from marine and terrestrial biological inventories and ecological research to developing and reviewing nature management plans. Research conducted during the 65-year history of CARMABI has resulted in countless scientific publications on a range of biological and ecological topics.

The following are part of the services Carmabi Environmental Consultancy Services provides:

• Terrestrial and marine biological inventories and ecological research
• Determination of conservation priorities
• Development and reviews of nature management plans
• Visitor surveys
• Restoration and reforestation of ecosystems with indigenous species
• GIS mapping services