The East Wells mangroves are a nursery and breeding ground for most of Bimini’s marine life. They’re under threat from development. 

Watch the video by Save Our Seas Foundation explaining why this unique habitat must be protected. 

Here’s the description. “Bimini Island in the Bahamas lies just 48 miles from Miami, Florida and is an ecological wonderland. But for the past 17 years, Bimini has faced serious environmental threat in the form of a US-owned development. Much of the Island’s mangrove forest has already been dredged out to build luxury homes, a casino and most recently, a Hilton hotel. Just to the east of the development lies East Wells, Bimini’s only remaining pocket of pristine habitat, but the development is growing and the latest marketing brochures advertise a golf course which will be the final blow to the people of Bimini and the ecosystem on which they depend. A new government has just been voted into power. This video is an appeal from the Biminites for the declaration of a marine protected area that will protect their environment. We call on the Hilton Hotel Group to do the right thing and halt any development that will destroy East Wells – a critical nursery area for all marine life in this region of the Caribbean. 

According to BREEF the public advocate on Bahamian marine & fisheries, ‘In the Americas mangroves are being cleared at a faster rate than tropical rainforests, and more than 35% of mangroves around the world are already gone”. BREEF works with many organizations globally to try and turn this around for the better. 

The good news is that the US-based Nature Conservancy has also been key in creating 15 new marine-managed areas and expanding three more – that’s over 11 million acres of protected marine habitat. 

Read more about Save Our Seas