Coastal ecosystems are among the most biodiverse on Earth. This Global Biodiversity Day, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) is celebrating the completion of the first project to restore creek systems in East Grand Bahama. Working in partnership with the Bahamas Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs and with ongoing input from local communities, the excavation of an obsolete logging road has restored tidal flow to West Gap Creek along Grand Bahama’s North Shore.
“This is bigger than just a construction project,” said Rashema Ingraham, BTT Caribbean Program Director. “We are reopening tidal flow at places like West Gap Creek and now moving on to our next project at August Creek, because restoring the natural connection between the flats, mangroves, and the ocean has a significant impact on the environment and provides great value to our coastal communities.”
Healthy creeks provide habitat for bonefish, juvenile tarpon, and other wildlife; they support natural mangrove regeneration; they strengthen coastal resilience against erosion and storm surge, better protecting local communities from future storms and rising seas; and fishing guides and commercial fishermen benefit from greater access to healthy fishing grounds.
“This project highlights the importance of integrating environmental considerations into the planning and design of grey and green infrastructure,” said Charlene Collie of the Project Implementation Unit in the Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs. “Restoring natural hydrology not only benefits biodiversity but also improves coastal resilience and long-term sustainability for surrounding communities. This project is an example of what can happen when government agencies, environmental organizations, and local communities work together toward a common goal. We look forward to continuing these kinds of high-impact partnerships for the benefit of Bahamians and future generations.”
“Fittingly, the theme for World Biodiversity Day 2026 is ‘acting locally for global impact,’” shared Ingraham. “These local wins in Grand Bahama are a real example of how restoring one creek at a time contributes simultaneously to bigger national and global goals.” The Bahamas’ 2030 biodiversity commitments, made under the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, include restoring degraded ecosystems and supporting ‘30×30’, which aims to legally protect and effectively manage at least 30% of the world’s land, coastal, and marine areas by 2030.
BTT is eager to break ground at August Creek and to expand this initiative to additional creeks in need of restoration on Grand Bahama and elsewhere in The Bahamas.
To support these efforts, please visit BTT.org/Bahamas-Creeks.