Florida Atlantic University (FAU) has announced a $2.8 million gift from Builders Initiative to help the university’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute establish a queen conch hatchery in Grand Bahama. 

The largest gift from a private funder to FAU Harbor Branch’s queen conch program will enable it to develop a conceptual master plan for a 25-acre innovation hub on Grand Bahama for researchers working to solve issues of island sustainability. Prized for its iconic spiral shell and meat, the queen conch is considered the cornerstone of the Bahamian culture and economy. Through partnerships, the project will work to develop new economic and environmental opportunities for the community, along with helping to replenish queen conch populations. Partners include Blue Action Lab, which will assist with permits, negotiations, and other collaborator relationships, as well as the Bahamas National Trust, the University of the Bahamas, the Perry Institute of Marine Science, and Nature Conservancy, which will provide expertise on habitat mapping for conch breeding sites in seagrass beds. 

The Grand Bahama queen conch hatchery is the fifth FAU partnership project focused on queen conch restoration across the Caribbean. FAU Harbor Branch has been working on restoration efforts since 2016 and has established other queen conch farms in Puerto Rico, Curacao, and Great Exuma Island, Bahamas. 

“We’re extremely grateful to Builders Initiative for their generous support of our queen conch restoration efforts,” said FAU president Stacy Volnick. “FAU Harbor Branch’s work in aquaculture is helping to meet the growing global demand for food, thanks to partners like Builders Initiative who share our belief in sustainable solutions to environmental challenges.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Camp Photo)