MIAMI, FL – Carnival Corporation & plc the world’s largest travel and leisure company, today announced that its first year of supporting The Nature Conservancy through its Carnival Foundation helped the conservation organization further some of its critical preservation activities. Highlights include:

• building new coral nurseries in the Caribbean

• transplanting 20,000 corals in the Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands

• installing new pilot reef enhancement structures to provide greater habitat for fish and a potential area for future coral growth in Grenada’s Grenville Bay.

These achievements were made possible through the Carnival Foundation’s $2.5 million gift over a five-year period starting in 2014, supporting The Nature Conservancy’s global marine protection priorities.

“The Nature Conservancy truly appreciates Carnival Foundation’s support for our global and Caribbean-specific oceans conservation work,” said Maria Damanaki, Global Managing Director for The Nature Conservancy’s Ocean Program. “Carnival Foundation’s five-year commitment to preserving the world’s vital marine resources – and the many benefits they provide – has a major impact on our efforts.”

Added Damanaki: “As we look ahead to the next four years, by supporting our Caribbean Challenge Initiative, Carnival Foundation’s support will help nearly triple the protection of the region’s iconic waters and coasts by helping conserve 21 million acres of these important areas. Through The Nature Conservancy’s Mapping Ocean Wealth project, Carnival Foundation’s support will also provide knowledge necessary to protect our waters and transform their management now and for generations to come.”

“As the world’s largest cruise company, we have nearly 11 million guests a year sailing with our 10 global brands on the world’s oceans and seas, so we have a deep commitment to protecting and sustaining the environment,” said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation, who also oversees the Carnival Foundation. “We continue to be proud to support The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s leading conservation organizations whose crucial work to preserve and restore the oceans directly aligns with our commitment to the oceans and seas around the world. As we expected, given its great work in the past, The Nature Conservancy strategically leveraged our support in the last 12 months to continue its mission of protecting and maintaining healthy oceans and seas, and we know its ongoing dedication will continue to create a positive and lasting impression on the environment.”

Carnival Foundation’s support has also helped The Nature Conservancy identify locations where industry and community are most dependent on marine and coastal resources — including key conservation priority sites where Carnival Corporation and its 10 cruise line brands operate. The Nature Conservancy’s work in these regions will help quantify the value of marine ecosystems and help develop mapping tools to guide investment decisions for conservation in the regions.

In addition, support from the Foundation in the first year of its agreement helped the Conservancy catalyze critical research on the benefits thriving oceans provide around the world. The Conservancy is publishing groundbreaking science, scaling coral restoration across the Caribbean region, integrating nature into climate and disaster reduction planning at the community level, and engaging a broad group of decision-makers to ensure that policies reflect the value of nature to communities and economies.