East Caicos

Conserving East Caicos wilderness area

East Caicos is the largest uninhabited island in the Caribbean. Together with our partners, we’re helping to secure the future of this biodiversity hotspot.

Biodiversity in East Caicos

The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) is a UK Overseas Territory located in the northern West Indies and Atlantic Ocean. It consists of 40 islands, and has an approximate population of 45,000. There are many uninhabited islands in the TCI, and its largest – East Caicos – is the focus of this project.

East Caicos is approximately 47 square kilometres, low-lying and has a range of sea and land habitats that support a plethora of stunning wildlife. From some of the most intact coral reef systems in the Caribbean region, to carbon-capturing seagrass beds, mangroves, dry forests and wetland expanses, these fragile habitats are home to threatened biodiversity including sea turtles, sharks, rays and passing whales.

It also provides critical nursery habitats for commercially important fisheries such as queen conch, Caribbean spiny lobster and various fish species that underpin local livelihoods. East Caicos is home to eight plant species that are found nowhere else in the world, and hosts globally important populations of Reddish Egrets and American Flamingos too.

However, only 18% of the island is protected. As East Caicos is quite remote and difficult and expensive to get to, it has resulted in the majority of TCI’s population having never set foot on or experienced the island.

East Caicos sandy coastline

East Caicos coastline  |  Image credit: Kathleen Wood

Looming threats to the area

The Turks and Caicos Islands’ main economy is tourism, and this industry has been rapidly growing over the last few decades, especially in the economic centre of Providenciales. This development has undoubtedly caused environmental damage, and it has provided little benefit to local communities.

Due to the remoteness and isolation of East Caicos though, it has so far remained development-free. However, with TCI’s population growing there is increased pressure to expand the economy. Therefore, there is a need to cultivate a future for East Caicos that avoids the mass tourism model while ensuring adjacent communities are central to and prosper from its conservation.

The East Caicos wilderness area project

The Marine Conservation Society is currently working with project partners to develop a community-based management plan for East Caicos. The project, led by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Turks and Caicos National Trust, is using a combination of biological research, social science and community engagement to develop a plan that seeks to safeguard the island while also ensuring community values and needs are reflected in the vision for the future of the island.

Our Community Voice Method has involved extensive engagement with people around the TCI so we can listen to and take account of their views, values, experiences and local knowledge regarding East Caicos and its future. Together with our local partners, we'll consider all this information to develop a management plan for East Caicos that places local communities at the heart of its conservation.

A hand holding a green turtle hatchling

Green turtle hatchling excavated out of a nest on north side of East Caicos  |  Image credit: Amdeep Sanghera

What we know

A presentation has been produced by project partners the Turks and Caicos National Trust. It provides the scientific information about the environment of East Caicos, as well as the values, local knowledge systems, and cultural practices associated with East Caicos’s past and present-day use.

East Caicos - Our Past, Present and Future Presentation
A room of adults listening to a presentation being given. The screen reads "Fishing"

A Community Voice Method Presentation at East Caicos  |  Image credit: Emily Bunce

Watch the film

This Community Voice Method film features the views and opinions of local people about the future of East Caicos. The film was not made to tell what to think, but to stimulate thought and discussion.

This film puts the topic of East Caicos into local context and explores possible future management scenarios for the island.

This project is funded by the UK Government’s Darwin Plus scheme, which helps deliver long-term strategic outcomes for the unique biodiversity, the natural environment and improving resilience to climate change within the UK Overseas Territories.

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Report a wildlife sighting

We want to hear about the wildlife you spot at the coast and at sea, especially marine turtles and jellyfish in UK and Irish waters.
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Find a beach clean

Join one of our beach clean surveys and help keep Britain's beaches beautiful and our ocean safe for wildlife.
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Arrange a community talk

Enjoy a talk in your local community to learn more about the work of the Marine Conservation Society.