Barbudango Marks – This World Oceans Day, BarbudanGO brought the community together with purpose, pride, and a powerful reminder: our future is tied to the water that surrounds and sustains us.
Barbudango Marks World Oceans
As a UN-designated day, World Oceans Day 2026 gave BarbudanGO the perfect opportunity to help the Barbudan community become intentionally aware and conscious of the three bodies of water that provide essential eco-services to our island: the Caribbean Sea, the Codrington Lagoon, and the Atlantic Ocean.
This year’s theme sparked action when BarbudanGO took the community to the heart of the issue — the breach in the Codrington Lagoon. Since the sand bar broke during the passage of Hurricane Irma in 2017, that opening has widened considerably, changing water flow, salinity, and habitat in ways that affect fishers, birds, and the entire lagoon system.
“Too often we talk about the ocean in general terms,” said a BarbudanGO representative. “But for Barbuda, it’s personal. It’s these three waters. And right now, the lagoon is calling us to respond.”
BarbudanGO’s awareness campaign spanned three dynamic activities designed to reach across generations. We engaged 95 adults and 48 youth — fishers, teachers, students, elders, and young leaders — in experiences that were hands-on, thought-provoking and fun.
Interactive investigations had participants mapping changes to the lagoon breach, and learning how the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and Codrington Lagoon are all connected. Youth competed in eco-challenges and quiz competitions that turned science into excitement, while adults joined guided discussions on what adaptation looks like for Barbuda.
From identifying native mangrove species to debating solutions for coastal resilience, every activity was geared toward one goal: to stimulate a community response and issue a clear call for community-wide adaptation.
The energy was contagious. Students who had never visited that part of the lagoon saw it with new eyes. Fishers shared generations of knowledge about how the waters have changed. Elders spoke of the lagoon before Irma. And together, the community began to imagine what comes next.
World Oceans Day should represent action, concern and commitment.
BarbudanGO believes that when a community understands its waters, it protects them. When it sees the breach, it starts to plan for the bridge. When it feels the connection between the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic, and the Lagoon, it moves as one.
As we close out World Oceans Day 2026, BarbudanGO thanks WAIIT Foundation, GEF Small Grants Programme, and ProCaribe+, participants, and volunteers who made this possible.
The message from this year’s campaign is clear: Barbuda is paying attention. Barbuda is responding. And Barbuda is ready to adapt — together.
The conversations have started. The investigations have begun. Now, the work continues.
“Our waters give us life. Now it’s our turn to give back.”
