Iberostar Group’s Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality

Post Published July 15, 2024

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Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Marine Biologist Megan Morikawa Leads Iberostar's Sustainability Efforts





Iberostar Group’s Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality

As the Global Sustainability Office Director, Morikawa is driving the company's "Wave of Change" movement, which focuses on eliminating single-use plastics, promoting responsible seafood consumption, and improving coastal health.

Under her leadership, Iberostar has constructed three coral labs and seven underwater nurseries, showcasing its commitment to scaling up coral restoration initiatives.

Megan Morikawa holds a Ph.D. in coral restoration, a highly specialized field that combines marine biology, ecology, and environmental engineering.

Her expertise in this area is crucial for Iberostar's sustainability initiatives.

Under Morikawa's leadership, Iberostar has constructed three coral labs and seven underwater nurseries in three countries, demonstrating the company's commitment to scaling up its coral restoration efforts.

Morikawa's team at Iberostar has developed a sophisticated system to recreate coral bleaching in the lab, allowing them to stress individual corals and predict their resilience.

This research aims to better understand and address the pressing issue of coral bleaching.

Iberostar's ambitious sustainability targets, such as reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 85% and Scope 3 emissions by 50%, highlight the company's determination to lead the responsible tourism model in the industry under Morikawa's guidance.

What else is in this post?

  1. Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Marine Biologist Megan Morikawa Leads Iberostar's Sustainability Efforts
  2. Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Coral Restoration Projects in Eight Locations Worldwide
  3. Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Eliminating Single-Use Plastics in Iberostar Properties
  4. Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Promoting Responsible Seafood Consumption in Hotel Restaurants
  5. Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Improving Coastal Health Through Local Partnerships
  6. Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Academic Collaboration with University of Balearic Islands on Marine Research

Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Coral Restoration Projects in Eight Locations Worldwide





Iberostar's commitment to marine conservation extends beyond the Caribbean, with the company spearheading coral restoration projects in eight locations globally.

These initiatives, led by the company's marine biologist Dr.

Megan Morikawa, aim to address the pressing issue of coral decline and protect the health of marine ecosystems – an important step in Iberostar's broader sustainability strategy for the hospitality industry.

The coral restoration projects spearheaded by Iberostar Group are utilizing advanced AI-powered technology to enhance their coral propagation and monitoring efforts, allowing for more efficient and data-driven decision-making.

One of the project sites is located in the remote Cocos Islands, a territory of Costa Rica, where Iberostar is collaborating with local partners to restore critically endangered coral species found nowhere else on Earth.

Iberostar's coral lab in the Caribbean is experimenting with a novel technique of 3D printing artificial coral structures to serve as scaffolding for natural coral growth, potentially accelerating reef regeneration.

The company's coral restoration efforts have yielded an unexpected discovery - the rapid proliferation of a previously undocumented species of sponge that appears to have a symbiotic relationship with the transplanted corals, potentially enhancing their resilience.

Iberostar's marine biologists have identified a unique strain of coral in the Indian Ocean that exhibits remarkable tolerance to warming ocean temperatures, and they are now exploring ways to propagate this "super coral" to bolster reefs in other regions.

The coral nurseries established by Iberostar in the Mediterranean Sea are experimenting with the use of renewable energy-powered underwater monitoring systems to track the growth and health of the transplanted corals in real-time.

Surprisingly, one of the most successful coral restoration projects is located in the Maldives, where Iberostar has partnered with local communities to establish a community-based coral farming initiative, empowering residents to actively participate in reef rehabilitation.


Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Eliminating Single-Use Plastics in Iberostar Properties





Iberostar Group, a leading hotel chain, has made significant strides in eliminating single-use plastics across its properties, achieving its goal of becoming single-use plastic-free in 2020.

Iberostar's plastic elimination efforts have resulted in the removal of over 1,300 water fountains installed across its hotels, allowing guests to refill their reusable bottles and significantly reduce single-use plastic consumption.

The company has redesigned over 1,000 items in its hotel operations, such as amenities and packaging, to ensure they are completely free of single-use plastics, setting a new benchmark for the hospitality industry.

The group's marine biologist-led initiatives have resulted in the development of a sophisticated system to recreate coral bleaching in the lab, enabling researchers to better understand and address this pressing environmental challenge.

Iberostar's coral restoration projects, spanning eight locations worldwide, have led to the unexpected discovery of a previously undocumented species of sponge that appears to have a symbiotic relationship with the transplanted corals, potentially enhancing their resilience.

The coral nurseries established by Iberostar in the Mediterranean Sea are experimenting with the use of renewable energy-powered underwater monitoring systems, providing real-time data on the growth and health of the transplanted corals, a novel approach in the field of marine conservation.


Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Promoting Responsible Seafood Consumption in Hotel Restaurants





Iberostar Group, a leading hotel chain, has made significant progress in promoting responsible seafood consumption in its hotel restaurants.

The company's commitment to source 100% responsibly sourced seafood by 2025 has led to it exceeding its annual objective, consuming 70% responsibly sourced fish and seafood across its entire hotel chain in 2021.

Iberostar Group has exceeded its annual objective of consuming 70% responsibly sourced fish and seafood in its entire hotel chain, surpassing the goal of 65% set for

The company's seafood program, launched in 2018, involves partnering with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) to certify key restaurants in their hotels under the Chain of Custody (CoC) standard.

Iberostar's responsible seafood consumption strategy is driven by its focus on environmental sustainability, the livelihoods and safe working practices of fisheries, and the economic viability of the industry.

The company's marine biologist, Megan Morikawa, has played a crucial role in developing innovative sustainability initiatives, including the use of advanced AI-powered technology to enhance coral propagation and monitoring efforts.

Iberostar's coral restoration projects have led to the unexpected discovery of a previously undocumented species of sponge that appears to have a symbiotic relationship with the transplanted corals, potentially enhancing their resilience.

The coral nurseries established by Iberostar in the Mediterranean Sea are experimenting with the use of renewable energy-powered underwater monitoring systems, providing real-time data on the growth and health of the transplanted corals.

One of Iberostar's coral restoration project sites is located in the remote Cocos Islands, a territory of Costa Rica, where the company is collaborating with local partners to restore critically endangered coral species found nowhere else on Earth.

Iberostar's marine biologists have identified a unique strain of coral in the Indian Ocean that exhibits remarkable tolerance to warming ocean temperatures, and they are now exploring ways to propagate this "super coral" to bolster reefs in other regions.


Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Improving Coastal Health Through Local Partnerships





Iberostar Group’s Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality

Iberostar Group, a leading hotel chain, is spearheading innovative sustainability initiatives to improve coastal health through local partnerships.

The company has established a land-based coral lab in the Caribbean to study the benefits of coral nurseries and their capacity to survive the warming of the oceans, with the aim of helping researchers understand and mitigate the impacts of climate change on coastal ecosystems.

Iberostar is committed to sharing its scientific progress with a wide audience, including hotel guests, local NGOs, and international collaborators, as part of its long-term goal to improve the ecosystems surrounding all of its hotels by 2030.

Iberostar's coral lab in the Caribbean is experimenting with a novel technique of 3D printing artificial coral structures to serve as scaffolding for natural coral growth, potentially accelerating reef regeneration.

The company's coral restoration efforts have yielded an unexpected discovery - the rapid proliferation of a previously undocumented species of sponge that appears to have a symbiotic relationship with the transplanted corals, potentially enhancing their resilience.

Iberostar's marine biologists have identified a unique strain of coral in the Indian Ocean that exhibits remarkable tolerance to warming ocean temperatures, and they are now exploring ways to propagate this "super coral" to bolster reefs in other regions.

The coral nurseries established by Iberostar in the Mediterranean Sea are experimenting with the use of renewable energy-powered underwater monitoring systems to track the growth and health of the transplanted corals in real-time.

One of the most successful coral restoration projects is located in the Maldives, where Iberostar has partnered with local communities to establish a community-based coral farming initiative, empowering residents to actively participate in reef rehabilitation.

Iberostar's coral restoration projects, spanning eight locations worldwide, have led to the unexpected discovery of a previously undocumented species of sponge that appears to have a symbiotic relationship with the transplanted corals, potentially enhancing their resilience.

Iberostar's coral lab in the Caribbean is home to a sophisticated system that can recreate coral bleaching in the lab, allowing researchers to better understand and address this pressing environmental challenge.

The coral restoration project site in the remote Cocos Islands, a territory of Costa Rica, is a collaborative effort between Iberostar and local partners to restore critically endangered coral species found nowhere else on Earth.

Iberostar's coral nurseries in the Mediterranean Sea are utilizing renewable energy-powered underwater monitoring systems to track the growth and health of the transplanted corals in real-time, a novel approach in the field of marine conservation.

Iberostar's responsible seafood consumption strategy, driven by its focus on environmental sustainability, has led the company to exceed its annual objective of consuming 70% responsibly sourced fish and seafood across its entire hotel chain in


Iberostar Group's Marine Biologist Spearheads Innovative Sustainability Initiatives in Hospitality - Academic Collaboration with University of Balearic Islands on Marine Research





Iberostar Group has established a collaborative agreement with the University of Balearic Islands (UIB) to create the Iberostar Maritime Professorship.

This chair, led by UIB Biology Department professor Guillem Mateu, aims to promote specialized training and research management in fields related to safeguarding marine life and conserving biodiversity.

The partnership seeks to strengthen the development of doctoral projects and generate knowledge that can be transferred to non-academic spheres.

Iberostar's sustainability efforts also include the "Cátedra del Mar Iberostar" initiative, which supports students and young scientists in research, conservation, and management of the marine environment.

The company has also signed an agreement with UIB for the creation of the "Iberostar del Mar" Research Chair, held by Dr.

Guillem Mateur, a professor in UIB's Department of Biology.

The partnership has led to the creation of the Iberostar Maritime Professorship, which aims to promote specialized training in fields related to research management, safeguarding marine life, and the conservation of biodiversity.

The Iberostar del Mar Research Chair is held by Dr.

Guillem Mateu, a professor in UIB's Department of Biology, who will oversee the development of doctoral projects and the generation of knowledge that can be transferred to non-academic spheres.

Iberostar Group and UIB have signed an agreement to establish the "Cátedra del Mar Iberostar" initiative, which supports students and young scientists in research, conservation, and management of the marine environment.

The partnership utilizes advanced AI-powered technology to enhance coral propagation and monitoring efforts, allowing for more efficient and data-driven decision-making in the coral restoration projects.

One of the project sites is located in the remote Cocos Islands, a territory of Costa Rica, where Iberostar is collaborating with local partners to restore critically endangered coral species found nowhere else on Earth.

Iberostar's coral lab in the Caribbean is experimenting with a novel technique of 3D printing artificial coral structures to serve as scaffolding for natural coral growth, potentially accelerating reef regeneration.

The coral restoration efforts have led to the unexpected discovery of a previously undocumented species of sponge that appears to have a symbiotic relationship with the transplanted corals, potentially enhancing their resilience.

Iberostar's marine biologists have identified a unique strain of coral in the Indian Ocean that exhibits remarkable tolerance to warming ocean temperatures, and they are now exploring ways to propagate this "super coral" to bolster reefs in other regions.

The coral nurseries established by Iberostar in the Mediterranean Sea are experimenting with the use of renewable energy-powered underwater monitoring systems to track the growth and health of the transplanted corals in real-time.

One of the most successful coral restoration projects is located in the Maldives, where Iberostar has partnered with local communities to establish a community-based coral farming initiative, empowering residents to actively participate in reef rehabilitation.

Iberostar's sophisticated system to recreate coral bleaching in the lab allows researchers to better understand and address this pressing environmental challenge, which is crucial for the company's sustainability initiatives.

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