Atlantic Conservation Partnership

Atlantic Conservation Partnership is rated 3 out of 5 in the category higher education. Read and write reviews about Atlantic Conservation Partnership. The Atlantic Conservation Partnership (ACP) – formerly Friends of the Bermuda Aquarium – was launched in 1993 as a U.S. public charity that permits tax deductible contributions for U.S. donors consistent with IRS regulations. A majority of ACP Board members will always be U.S. residents, and the Board will always exercise full control over the expenditure of ACP funds. OUR MISSION As a member- and donor-supported 501(c)(3) not-for-profit group, the ACP is dedicated to promoting the collaborative study of our shared U.S., Bermuda, and Caribbean environment through support of regional research and education programs. The ACP achieves this mission in partnership with the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo (BAMZ) by providing support for: - research projects and field conservation efforts to address threats to marine and terrestrial biodiversity and to inform policymakers; and - educational initiatives to train the next generation of environmental biologists, educators, and advocates as well as to raise awareness and build capacity of local communities. OUR WORK The ACP supports conservation and research programs focusing on species with habitat ranges that include Bermuda and the Northwest Atlantic – thus encompassing much of the U.S. eastern seaboard.  Our objective is to better understand these populations and species in order to protect them.  - It is vital that we understand population dynamics and habitat range of marine turtles in order to conserve these migrating species. Hatchling green turtles leave a beach in Costa Rica to spend the next 20 years feeding around Bermuda. As mature adults, they return to their natal beach in Costa Rica to mate, lay eggs, and begin the cycle again. - North Atlantic Humpback whales spend their winters in the Caribbean where they mate and give birth. In the spring, they migrate north past Bermuda to feed off the coasts of Massachusetts, Maine, Newfoundland, Greenland, and Iceland. Little is known about the dynamics of the winter groupings in the Caribbean, their summer groupings in the north Atlantic, and the relationship between the two. - The Gulf Stream is a fast, warm current that passes just to the west of Bermuda and brings not only a mild climate but also marine organisms to Bermuda’s shores. Thus, the island has a rich diversity of subtropical habitats and is home to the northernmost coral reef system in the world, providing marine biologists with an unparalleled research site to address threats to biodiversity. The ACP supports education and training through - Internships for U.S. students in marine conservation research, conservation animal husbandry, and educational outreach; and - Courses for U.S. college students and professionals from around the world on conservation biology and management; and educational outreach to local communities to build their capacity for stewardship of the ecosystems on which they depend.