According to Marisleys Castro, head of the “Rehabilitation of Dune Ecosystems in Jardines del Rey” project, the product—developed at the Ciego de Avila scientific institution itself—is highly effective for the germination of seeds from native plant species.

She noted that the components of this organic fertilizer support the reproduction of native plants in the nursery by stimulating growth and reducing the stress caused by the erosion to which coastal ecosystems are subjected.

Sand dunes—dynamic, highly fragile ecosystems vulnerable to both climate change and human activity—require restoration. This involves removing invasive species and replanting with native varieties adapted to salinity, wind, and shifting substrates; hence the importance of this organic fertilizer for the coastal vegetation of the Ciego de Avila region.

The project, which includes intervention sites at Playa Larga and Las Coloradas (on Cayo Coco) and Pilar (on Cayo Guillermo), helps recover areas that have experienced intensive tourism and significant pressure on their dune systems.

The expert pointed out that rehabilitation and climate-change adaptation efforts not only preserve coastal ecosystems but also promote the development of sustainable tourism.

The dunes located on the cays of Coco and Guillermo are classified as the highest in the insular Caribbean. They are marked by unique features: they are stabilized—meaning they do not migrate—and, according to researchers, they originated during the Holocene period, making them the oldest in the region.

Specifically, those near Playa Pilar reach a height of 15 meters above sea level and are well-known for bordering one of the most beautiful beach destinations in the Caribbean—and, indeed, the world. jdt/dfm/nmt