Cayman Islands Department of Environment

06/08/2026

Amber's journey continues. 🐢🛰️

After an incredible nesting season, Amber has now begun her migration across the Caribbean.

With 8 nests recorded, she was the most productive loggerhead turtle we tracked this season. Just 8 days after leaving the Cayman Islands, she reached Honduras and continues her journey east, helping us uncover the migration routes used by loggerhead turtles.

A huge thank you to CAYBREW (The Cayman Islands Brewery) for sponsoring Amber through their Amber Lagerhead beer, helping fund sea turtle research and conservation in the Cayman Islands. 🍺🐢

Follow Amber's live journey and the other tagged turtles:
https://doe.ky/turtletracker/

06/08/2026

Tune in tomorrow at 1pm for the National Conservation Council General Meeting!

Download the complete agenda
https://conservation.ky/download/17/agenda/3237/ncc-gm-agenda-7-august-2026.pdf

NCC General Meeting | 7 August 2026 - 1pm

The National Conservation Council will hold their next General Meeting on Friday, August 7th at 1pm.

The public are invited watch the meeting via YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/CaymanIslandsDOE

The complete Agenda may be downloaded at:
https://conservation.ky/download/17/agenda/3237/ncc-gm-agenda-7-august-2026.pdf

Comments may be submitted by email to [email protected] by Wednesday August 5th.

05/08/2026

First recorded spawning of pillar coral in Cayman waters.

Last weekend the DoE coral team jumped in the warm night sea to begin monitoring for spawning activity at our coral nursery.

With so little known about the spawning behaviour of this particular coral species the team didn't know what to expect, but they ended up witnessing the first recorded spawning of Pillar Coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) in the Cayman Islands!

Pillar Coral is listed as a critically endangered species and is highly susceptible to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD). We unfortunately have lost much of our local population to SCTLD and bleaching events over the past few years. Coral biodiversity is critical to reef health and the size and shape of Pillar Corals add depth to the reef's capacity for coastal protection. That's why doing everything we can to ensure their health and survival is a key focus for coral scientists.

This nursery is home to Pillar Corals from both Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands and spawning activity was observed from both male and female colonies. The timing of spawning activity for this coral species was previously unknown so it's even more exciting to have also gained this knowledge. These observations lay a strong foundation for future research and conservation efforts.

Thank you Georgina Healey for these amazing photos!

📸 Photo credit: Georgina Healey

31/07/2026

🛒 Shopping for seafood?

Be sure to stop by the seafood counter at Foster's, Hurley's, or Kirk Market and take 5 minutes to complete the Department of Environment's Seafood Survey! Your feedback will help us better understand what information people want to see when buying seafood in the Cayman Islands.

We'd love to hear from you! 🐟💙

Foster's Supermarket
Hurley's Marketplace
Kirk Market

31/07/2026

NCC General Meeting | 7 August 2026 - 1pm

The National Conservation Council will hold their next General Meeting on Friday, August 7th at 1pm.

The public are invited watch the meeting via YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/CaymanIslandsDOE

The complete Agenda may be downloaded at:
https://conservation.ky/download/17/agenda/3237/ncc-gm-agenda-7-august-2026.pdf

Comments may be submitted by email to [email protected] by Wednesday August 5th.

30/07/2026

Mini-Me is on the Move!

Mini Me, an adult female loggerhead turtle tagged on 29 June, has now completed her nesting season and begun her migration.

Unlike Atlas, who travelled north (Cuba), and Watts, who headed south (Nicaragua), Mini Me has started her journey east. Where will she end up?

Mini Me is the first of three sea turtles sponsored by airG Life a Lead Conservation Partner for this project. A huge thank you to airG Life & Mini-Me for making this work possible and for investing in the conservation of Cayman’s marine turtles.

Their commitment is helping us answer critical questions about turtle movements and identify the habitats they rely on between nesting seasons, providing valuable information to support future conservation efforts.

Follow Mini Me and the other tagged turtles at www.doe.ky/turtletracker.

29/07/2026

DoE Shark Research Team attends the world’s largest shark conference.

The world's largest shark conference “Sharks International” brought more than 800 researchers, conservationists, and policymakers to Sri Lanka from 81 countries - including two marine scientists from the Cayman Islands!

In addition to attending a number of talks and workshops, Dr. Johanna Kohler and Anne Veeder each individually presented to an audience of hundreds as part of the five-day conference. Dr Kohler shared Cayman’s latest discoveries of deep-sea sharks and the recurrence of a school of scalloped hammerheads. Anne Veeder presented DoE’s citizen science programme, the Sharklogger Network, highlighting how long-term monitoring, with help of volunteer participants combined with local Covid-19 regulations, was used to evaluate the human impact on shark populations in the Cayman Islands.

The team also participated in four specialised workshops on shark conservation challenges and solutions relevant to Cayman. Across panels, workshops, and conversations throughout the week, the team got to share experiences from Cayman and gain insights from lessons learned in other jurisdictions.

WATCH Dr Kohler's presentation on Deep Sea Discoveries:
https://youtu.be/hRNdho2l4xw?si=RfuYBQyky9Lw4-c8&t=5482

WATCH Anne Veeder's presentation on the Shark Logger Network:
https://youtu.be/JkHvL6_N1gA?si=CuUaYxPGwH_vy90L&t=3718

Learn more about Cayman's sharks and check out the scientific publications informing these presentations at www.doe.ky/sharks.

This work is made possible through the support of the CAYBREW (The Cayman Islands Brewery) via donations from sales of White Tip Lager, and through Darwin Plus funding from the UK government Biodiversity Challenge Funds.

28/07/2026

Mangrove Rules - Do you need a permit?

Did you know mangroves are protected under the National Conservation Act (NCA)? The Mangrove Conservation Plan outlines the rules which must be followed for trimming or removing them.

The DoE always recommends retaining mangroves wherever possible. Trimming instead of removing ensures they can continue to provide their critical roles of protecting our coastlines, supporting marine life, and storing carbon.

The Mangrove Conservation Plan covers all four mangrove species (red, white, black, and buttonwood), and includes the trimming guidelines ( www.doe.ky/mangrove ). You can trim mangroves following the guidelines without a permit, unless the mangroves are on Crown property. Trimming mangroves instead of removing them means you can keep your view and the mangroves can continue to thrive!

However, if you need to remove mangroves or do heavier trimming beyond what the guidelines allow and you don’t have planning permission or a Coastal Works Permit to do so, you’ll need to apply for a Section 20 permit - regardless of whether the mangroves are on private or Crown property.

In the case of mangrove trimming, Section 20 of the NCA allows the granting of an exemption so that heavier trimming or removal can take place. It’s free and straightforward to apply.

Help keep our mangroves healthy and thriving!

Reach out to the Environmental Management Unit at [email protected] to check whether you need a Section 20 permit BEFORE you begin your work. Our mangroves thank you!

Learn more at www.doe.ky/mangrove

27/07/2026

27/07/2026

🦈 Shark Research Team welcomes new Conservation Assistant - Ashleigh Chin!

Ashleigh Chin is the new Shark Research & Conservation Assistant at the Department of Environment. After successfully completing her BSc in Marine Biology & Marine Fisheries at university, Ashleigh joined the DoE Shark Research Team at the beginning of July.

A former voluteer with turtle conservation projects in Cayman and overseas, Ashleigh is eager to expand her knowledge and skills into shark research, especially with hands-on field research, shark conservation planning, and community engagement within the Cayman Islands. The internship role provides her with these opportunities and much more!

🦈 Welcome to the team, Ashleigh!

This internship position is funded by the UK Government through Darwin Plus Biodiversity Challenge Funds and CAYBREW (The Cayman Islands Brewery) through donations from sales of White Tip Lager.