June « 2010 « Green Antilles
 

Archive for June, 2010

andros coral reefs in good shape

June 30th, 2010

Soft coral, AndrosCoral conditions in the waters of the Bahamian island of Andros were recently assessed, and findings were largely positive:

The Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Centre (AUTEC) – the US Navy’s east coast in-water range of choice – released its 2007/2008 research report of Andros’ coral reef system and have determined that the organic matter is “healthy.”

Since the 1970s, AUTEC has been consulting near-shore environmental surveys of Andros’ coral reef system, which is considered to be one of the world’s greatest treasures.

The surveys included the assessment of population of sea life, significant bleaching events that may have occurred from 1998 and 2005, and the assessment of coral reef systems in comparison with the other Caribbean countries.

During a briefing held on the grounds of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) yesterday, AUTEC Scientist, Marc Ciminello, accompanied by fellow scientist Thomas Szlyk, revealed that the Andros’ coral reef system is “considerably healthy” due to low levels of man-made impact.

The study also considered possible impacts of the lionfish invasion in the Bahamas. Read more from the Bahama Journal.

[Photo: nashworld]

Leave a Comment

opposition to highway expansion in puerto rico

June 30th, 2010

Highway PR22Environmentalists in Puerto Rico are worried that the proposed expansion of a highway in the Karst region will have an adverse effect on both employment and the environment:

Environmentalists say that 120,000 jobs at pharmaceutical firms and dairies will be lost if the project to expand a highway in northwestern Puerto Rico passing through the Karst region goes through, a zone which contains the island’s main reserves of fresh water.

The planner and scientist for the environmental organization Ciudadanos del Karst (Citizens of Karst), Luis Jorge Rivera, told Efe on Monday that the jobs are at risk because the drug-makers and dairies depend on large volumes of clean water.

Rivera said the pharmaceutical manufacturers and dairy businesses have been established in northwestern Puerto Rico precisely because of the quality of water in Karst, which needs almost no treatment prior to use, a situation that reduces the operating costs of those businesses.

The scientist said that at the end of last week several amendments to the law protecting the natural area were approved that now must be ratified by the governor, and if that were done the PR-22 highway and a gas pipeline could be expanded in the region.

The Latin America Herald Tribune has more.

[Photo: burp4olive]

Leave a Comment

coral discovery in the usvi

June 30th, 2010

Hurricane Hole coral, USVIRecently discovered: an enclave of spectacularly healthy corals in the US Virgin Islands:

A snorkeling scientist has made a surprising discovery of 30 different species of coral tucked away and thriving among the red mangrove roots of Hurricane Hole in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“I was just amazed at what I found,” said Caroline Rogers, a coral reef ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). “As far as I know right now, the abundance and diversity of corals, the sheer number of different species I found in here, is unique in the Caribbean.”

The corals appear in a rainbow of colors along with the animals that use them as a habitat, with vibrant magentas, turquoises and neon yellows in profusion throughout the ecosystem.

The discovery of a hidden stash of apparently healthy corals, made in March 2009, is particularly surprising because in 2005, seawater temperatures in the Virgin Islands skyrocketed to the highest on record, and a bout of coral bleaching whitened and weakened many of the coral colonies in the area.

Read more here.

Previously on Green Antilles: Good and bad news about coral reefs and biodiversity, Marine research and education centre planned for St. Croix, and Restoring coral reefs in the USVI and the Florida Keys.

[Photo: Caroline Rogers/USGS via ouramazingplanet.com]

Leave a Comment

regional fisheries meeting held in svg

June 30th, 2010

DolphinRegional fisheries officials are concerned about the sustainability of the region’s fish stocks:

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) convened the Sixth Annual Scientific Meeting of Fisheries from June 7-16 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to examine the state of dolphins and flying fish. The two species are under threat from increased fishing for consumption and for recreational fishing activities, in which dolphin is regarded as a prized catch.

Fisheries experts from within the Region and scientists from Venezuela, Brazil, the French West Indies, Canada, and the United States met in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to discuss complementary management and conservation strategies for the fisheries resources and the industries which depend on them. The meeting also saw the incorporating of economic information into the fishery evaluations to provide more socially acceptable and practical management options.

It has been recognised that increased fishing pressure on either dolphin or flying fish will affect the survival of the other, therefore measures to ensure their sustainability were critical. In this regard, the CRFM has led the charge of providing important outputs needed to drive new fisheries governance patterns.

Read more from Caribbean Net News. See also the website of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism.

(Note that the dolphin referred to in this article are dolphin fish (see accompanying photo), known in other places as mahi mahi or dorado, and not the marine mammal à la Flipper.)

[Photo: Christine Olson]

Leave a Comment

turks and caicos getting prepared in case oil reaches their beaches

June 30th, 2010

Oiled beach, Gulf Islands, USAIn the Turks and Caicos Islands, officials are getting prepared for possible local impacts from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico:

Despite the low risk of oil from the catastrophic BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico reaching Turks and Caicos Islands’ waters, the government wants to be prepared.

On June 18, a wide cross-section of government departments held an oil spill contingency planning meeting at the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics conference room in Grand Turk to examined the latest advisory for the Caribbean on any likely impact from the oil spill, discussing the best response options for the TCI.

According to an advisory from the Regional Activity Center/Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Information and Training Center in consultation with the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the probability that the oil spill will reach the Caribbean is low.

The advisory states that any possible impact is likely to be “tar balls” — about a coin size in diameter — reaching beaches in the Caribbean. Tar balls are small, dark-coloured pieces of oil which are usually hard and crusty on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside, and stick to your feet when you walk on them. They are not usually hazardous, and the national response to their presence usually involves manual clean up of the beach, preferably with trained volunteers.

Read the complete article at FP Turks and Caicos.

Previously on Green Antilles: Oil spill preparations underway in Cuba, CARICOM concerned about impacts of Gulf oil spill, Preparing for oil to reach Bahamian beaches, Effects of the Gulf oil spill on the Caribbean.

[Photo: Deepwater Horizon Response]

Leave a Comment

tree planting in anguilla

June 30th, 2010

AnguillaThe Anguilla National Trust is seeking to green Anguilla by means of a tree planting project. Here’s the news I received from the Anguilla Renewable Energy Office:

We are all aware of the changes that have been wrought in Anguilla’s landscape over the last few years by the boom in construction. While much emphasis has been placed on researching, protecting, and raising awareness about Anguilla’s coastal and wetland ecosystems, Anguilla’s forests and shrubland have not been afforded the same level of importance or attention. Land has been cleared (and burned) indiscriminately for development. The Anguilla National Trust (ANT) poses that this loss of land cover has led to soil erosion, flooding, coastal sedimentation, loss of shade, the loss of important habitat, and the unnecessary release of carbon into the atmosphere. To mitigate the loss of vegetation, the Anguilla National Trust is undertaking a project to establish a community-based native plant nursery that is based on organic planting principles.

Seeds of native as well as of culturally-important species of plants along with seedlings and plant cuttings will be collected and grown in a nursery on the property of the Department of Agriculture, Government of Anguilla. A composting facility will also be established that will support the nursery. No chemical fertilizers or pesticides will be applied to these plants. Seedlings will be planted across the island by a group of volunteers operating out of the Anguilla National Trust. Funding for this project has been granted by LIME through their “Go Green” initiative.

To find out more, you may contact the Anguilla National Trust using the details provided on their website or via their Facebook page.

[Photo: David Gilford]

Leave a Comment

2010 environmental performance index

June 29th, 2010

Environmental Performance Index 2010: the Caribbean

The 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks 163 countries on 25 performance indicators tracked across ten policy categories covering both environmental public health and ecosystem vitality. These indicators provide a gauge at a national government scale of how close countries are to established environmental policy goals.

Nine Caribbean countries have been included in the 2010 Environmental Performance Index. They are Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Of these the highest ranked country is Cuba, with an EPI score of 78.1 out of a possible 100.

See the EPI 2010 website for more. The EPI 2008 website may also be of interest.

The Environmental Performance Index is prepared by the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University.

Leave a Comment

cef-5 successfully concluded

June 29th, 2010

Caribbean Environmental ForumThe 5th Caribbean Environmental Forum (CEF-5), held last week in Montego Bay, Jamaica, has been deemed a success:

Regional Project Co-ordinator for the Integrated Water and Coastal Areas Management Project, Vincent Sweeney, said the conference was a “resounding success in many ways when compared to the previous four.”

“Of particular interest this time around was the youth environment forum, where some 10 young persons from across Jamaica were integrally involved in discussions on key environmental issues. The young persons were so very involved during the conference, which made a broad review and assessment of sustainable energy, water supply, water resource management and waste management. The sessions went very well and were well received and I think that everybody is quite satisfied at the overall outcome of this event,” [said] Mr. Sweeney.

See the Jamaica Information Service for more.

Previously on Green Antilles: Golding: room for improvement in environmental protection in the region and Climate change at CEF-5.

Leave a Comment

looking for caribbean climate champions

June 29th, 2010


From the Jamaica Observer comes the news that the British Council and PANOS Caribbean are looking for Caribbean Climate Champions:

“A total of 100 Latin American and Caribbean climate champions will be selected in 2010,” said a joint release from the British Council and Panos Caribbean. “Ten of these persons will come from the Caribbean.”

“With our Climate Generation programme, we seek to contribute to raising awareness about climate change, limiting its impact and modifying the behaviour of future generations through education,” Pauline Samuels, director of British Council, Jamaica, noted in the release.

Climate champions will have access to training and information to begin the debate in their communities and develop projects that help people adapt to and mitigate climate change. Through the global network of young enthusiasts, knowledge, contacts and resources will be exchanged on how to act on climate change impacts and contribute positively to the lives of people. Climate champions may also seek financial support for their projects and exposure to national and international events, among them the United Nations COP16 meeting in Mexico
…
To participate, applicants must be actively working on a project to combat climate change. Also, they should upload a video to YouTube, fill out an application and attach two letters of reference as proof of their commitment and enthusiasm in the fight against climate change. The deadline to apply is July 8.

Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 35. See the British Council website to learn about the Climate Generation programme and to find out how to apply to be a Climate Champion.

Leave a Comment

epic announces winners of eastern caribbean seabird poster competition

June 29th, 2010

Winning poster by Jordan Simmons of AntiguaEnvironmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) has announced the winners of their recent poster competition, which was held to raise awareness among young people about seabirds and their importance to Caribbean ecosystems:

Three pupils from Dominica, Antigua and Martinique have secured their schools EC$300 for books on nature conservation. Emma Farley, Jordan Simmons and Christelle Brunot are the winners of Environmental Protection In the Caribbean’s (EPIC) Eastern Caribbean poster competition, ‘Why are Seabirds Important?’. The pupils will receive prizes of binoculars and the book ‘Birds of the West Indies’ by H. Raffaele et. al.

Emma Farley of Ross University Preparatory School, Dominica, wins the 6-8 year old category with her colourful collage of breeding terns. Lisa Sorenson, President of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB) applauded Emma’s lively poster, ‘this artist showed how the seabirds and humans alike are dependent on a healthy marine ecosystem to survive’.

Winner of the 9-11 year old category is Jordan Simmons, of St John’s Catholic Primary School, Antigua, with his striking depiction of a variety of seabird species and their relationship with mangroves. Nils Navarro Pacheco artist and coordinator of the Caribbean Wildlife Art Working Group praised the artist for his, ‘Interesting, creative and technical use of collage’.

Christelle Brunot of Collège Dillon 2, Martinique, wins the 12 + category with her bold poster of a Brown Pelican. Natalia Collier, President of EPIC, complimented the artist on her portrayal of the pelican gliding over a pristine sea and Christelle’s plea to Caribbean people to ‘protect our flora and fauna’.

Read more about the competition and EPIC’s work in the field of seabird conservation.

EPIC is a regional conservation organisation, with headquarters in St. Maarten. Previously on Green Antilles: EPIC environmental education in St. Maarten.

[Photo: Jordan Simmons/birdlife.org]

Leave a Comment

« Older Entries

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Subscribe to Green Antilles's feed.
Aggiornare Theme by GeekDesignGirl
Listed at Best Green Blogs