Wave Attenuation: Natural Solutions with Elkhorn Coral (WANSEC)

The University of the West Indies at Mona profiles the project.¹ The question is whether thickets of elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) can act as a natural coastal defence by taking energy out of waves and trapping sediment.¹ The work pairs coral restoration with coastal risk modelling and adaptive management tools, backed by US$2 million.¹

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

The intended outputs are replicable restoration strategies, stakeholder training and policy guidance for coral-based coastal protection in Caribbean small island states.¹

The Antigua and Barbuda component was announced complete on 26 August 2026.²