The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), has collaborated with the Sandals Foundation to host a travelling exhibit entitled Our Reefs: Caribbean Connections between June and August 2010. The travelling exhibit will be placed at several locations across Jamaica and is designed to promote awareness, understanding and stewardship of coral reefs among peoples of the wider Caribbean.

This exhibit coincides with the United Nations’ declaration of 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB). Jamaica has a rich biodiversity; that is a wide variety of plants, animals and organisms. Throughout the Caribbean, coral reefs which form a critical part of the biodiversity in Jamaica are in decline. Education is needed to increase awareness and understanding of why they are deteriorating and what actions can be taken to reverse current trends.

The travelling exhibit began at the Island Village in Ocho Rios, St. Ann between June 8 and June 12, before moving to the St. Ann Parish Library between June 14 and June 21. It is scheduled to arrive in Kingston on June 23 at the Institute of Jamaica and then move to the Coastal Area Management Foundation in Clarendon from June 28 until July 13. The exhibit will then return to the northern side of the island to be mounted at locations in Negril, Westmoreland and Montego Bay in St. James from July 13 to 21 and July 21 to July 30 respectively. These final two rotations will be accommodated by the Negril Area Environmental Protection Trust and the Montego Bay Marine Park.