How low-input agriculture helps Cuba’s coral reefs stay healthy
The key takeaway from this bioGraphic article is “Every decision you make on land affects the ocean as well.” Especially for islands: [W]hen the Soviet bloc fell in the early 90s, it abruptly turned off the spigot for Cuba’s sugar subsidies and regular shipments of food, gasoline, farming equipment, synthetic fertilizers, …
Dutch Prime Minister escorts Lesser Antillean iguanas to their new home in the Netherlands
Four endangered iguanas got first-class treatment on a trip from St. Eustatius to the Rotterdam Blijdorp Zoo: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had some unlikely companions flying home Tuesday from the Caribbean — four lesser Antillean iguanas carrying the hopes of their endangered species with them. And because the politician’s …
Coral reef early warning systems deployed in the Eastern Caribbean
As part of a Climate Change Adaptation Project funded by the United States Agency for International Development, coral reef early warning systems (CREWS) are being deployed in the waters of Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and other countries of the eastern Caribbean: Access to local marine data has always …
Trinidad and Tobago aims to have the Main Ridge Forest Reserve designated as a World Heritage Site
The Main Ridge Forest Reserve in Tobago is the oldest legally designated forest reserve in the Western Hemisphere. The government of Trinidad and Tobago recently declared Main Ridge as a National Heritage Site, and are hoping that the Reserve will become the country’s first entry on the UNESCO World Heritage …
Research from the Eastern Caribbean shows that marine protected areas benefit coral reefs
Recently published research indicates that, contrary to the findings of previous studies, marine protected areas can increase coral reefs’ resilience to major ecosystems disturbances such as climate change: Reports in recent years that marine protected areas (MPAs) aren’t effective in saving coral reefs from the damaging effects of global climate …
Birding in Trinidad and Tobago: the economic benefits
In a post on the blog Wild Tobago, wildlife photographer Faraaz Abdool writes about birding in Trinidad and Tobago and the potential for economic benefit through avitourism: For a physically tiny country, T&T has an extreme wealth and diversity of birdlife. Clocking almost five hundred avian species, our twin islands …
Seeds of Love: replanting the British Virgin Islands
Lonely Planet reports on the British Virgin Islands’ Seeds of Love tree replanting programme: It took just a few hours for the lush greens, towering coconut trees and vibrant hues of hibiscus flowers to be wiped away from the British Virgin Islands landscape. Category 5 Hurricane Irma made a direct …