Wave Attenuation: Natural Solutions with Elkhorn Coral (WANSEC)

WANSEC is a regional research and restoration project, profiled by the University of the West Indies at Mona, on whether thickets of elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) can serve as a natural coastal defence by taking energy out of waves and trapping sediment. It pairs coral restoration with coastal risk modelling and adaptive management tools at field sites in Jamaica, Barbados and Antigua & Barbuda, and is backed by US$2 million from the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.

In Antigua and Barbuda the National Parks Authority planted about 2,500 elkhorn colonies in Rendezvous Bay, inside Nelson's Dockyard National Park, at an average density of one coral per square metre, with the aim of growing dense stands that restore reef function over time; the same high-density approach was used on all three islands. Severe bleaching during the fourth global mass bleaching event killed much of the Antiguan nursery and parent stock, so the project shifted toward propagating colonies that survived the heat. It also trained community members in restoration and started doctoral research on the distribution and genetic diversity of elkhorn coral across the Eastern Caribbean.

The project's intended outputs are replicable restoration strategies, stakeholder training and policy guidance for coral-based coastal protection in Caribbean small island states. Details of the modelling work are not given on the pages read.

The Antigua and Barbuda component was announced complete on 26 August 2026.