Green Antilles

Can the Caribbean survive climate induced impacts?

Robin — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:35:38 +0000

The UN Climate Change Conference 2012 is being held in Quatar this week. Caribbean 360 reports on concerns of survivability for Caribbean islands in the face of rising sea temperatures and levels:

The failure of the on-going UN Climate Change conference to address important issues will lead to serious consequences for the existence of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other vulnerable communities around the world, Barbados Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Maxine McClean said Wednesday.

“We are not fully convinced that our negotiating partners fully understand what they are requesting of us when they seek our acquiescence to their demands,” she said while addressing the high-level session of the conference now into its final week.

“If we are to do what is right, we cannot continue on our current path. The time for procrastination is over. We cannot afford the luxury of further denial. We must respond with ambition and at a pace that is now beyond urgent. The time for incremental and piecemeal solutions is long past, “said Mc Clean.

Jamaica’s Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Robert Pickersgill said climate change is attacking the economy and natural environment of the Caribbean country.

Since 2001, Jamaica has lost an annual average of two per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in damage and other losses associated with hurricanes, floods and drought. The cumulative cost of the damage and loss has been estimated at over one billion US dollars.

Caribbean countries, under the umbrella group, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) have called for more ambitious emission reduction commitments than that which are on offer by all developed countries including those undertaking a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and enhancing mitigation ambition to ensure countries are on track to achieve a goal below two degrees.

The Caribbean also joined with other developing countries in seeking clarity on the delivery of scaled up finance after the end of the Fast Start finance period in three weeks and have secured support from other developing nations in calling for an international institutional anchor to address loss and damage from climate change.

“Since we have no control over stopping impacts such as acidification or increased water temperatures, then it is only just and fair that those who continue to ignore the obvious signs and this impose this burden on us, begin to be held accountable for the havoc they are unleashing on us small islands, “said Pickersgill.

Recalling the recent World Bank report which points to a possible 4 degree world, the Jamaican minister said such a scenario will affect all countries of the world.

“You see my friends, we are all adrift in the same boat and half the boat won’t sink, the entire boat will. We are all in this together, “he said

Climate change is not something to be ignored, the lowest lying islands in the world are already experiencing the dramatic effects of an encroaching sea. Coastal people are having to relocate. Corals are being bleached and fish size is decreasing as the result of an increase in water temperature. Unsustainable carbon emissions are to blame. To read more about this story, visit Caribbean 360

Green Antilles interview: Salome Buglass, Masters student at UBC, asks Have Tobago’s corals survived mass bleaching?

Robin — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:44:19 +0000

Salome getting ready for a dive in Tobago

It is my joy to present the second Green Antilles interview. Salome Buglass is a Master’s student at the University of British Columbia. She spoke to Green Antilles about her research on coral reefs, what inspires her and her hopes for marine conservation in the Caribbean.

Green Antilles: Please introduce yourself and tell us where you’re from and where you work

Salome Buglass: I’m Salome Buglass, I am a graduate student at UBC in Canada. I have recently embarked on a research-based Master of Science programme and the focus of my studies coral reef ecosystems and climate change. I am a global citizen, as my mom is Trinidadian and Venezuelan and my father is British and German. I was born in Germany but I grew up in Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean and graduated at UCL, London. But I feel most at home in the Caribbean. I spent the last 3 years living in Trinidad & Tobago, where I got into SCUBA diving and developed a strong interest in coral reefs.

GA: Tell us about your research. How did you become interested in this field of marine conservation, and what motivated you to continue to do what you do?

SB: Most of my life I’ve lived near the sea. I’ve been swimming since I was five years old and snorkeling since I was six, and have always been passionate about marine life. In 2009 I volunteered at Coral Cay Conservation, a UK-based NGO dedicated to marine conservation in high-risk reefs around the world. There I got the opportunity to become trained to do SCUBA dive marine surveys and I learned to identify hundreds of reef species and gained an immense appreciation for coral reef ecosystems and the threats they face.

The main reason I want to do my research on Tobago’s coral reefs is because they are seriously threatened by marine pollution, overfishing and now coral bleaching as a result of climate change. If something is not done soon, all we will have left in Tobago will be zombie reefs, reefs that are no longer functional as cradles for fisheries and marine biodiversity. This is serious, as these coral reefs are not only amazing but vital to people’s livelihoods — they provide fisheries, shoreline protection against storms, build sandy beaches and attract tourism.

It seems ironic that I had to travel to Vancouver to study coral reefs off Tobago, but UBC has an excellent research programme and some of the world’s finest marine scientists. When I was accepted onto their Master’s programme I was given the opportunity to research my region’s reefs. What more could I ask for? My wish was to work on marine conservation in my home Caribbean region.

GA: With regards to your research, what are your current goals and projects? What are your ambitions and aspirations for the future?

SB: As a young scientist I think I am going through what many go through, which is the more you learn the more you realize that you need to learn even more!! My current goal is to continue learning about marine ecology, to gain a clear understanding of issues affecting marine ecosystem health, and to gather and create meaningful and legitimate reef data that can inform management and contribute towards ensuring marine livelihoods for people of this region. Often, when I stop and think about what I do, I feel as if I am only scratching the surface when it comes to researching these complex marine ecosystems. But this is how you start, before it gets a lot deeper!

My research objectives are specifically to study the impact of a devastating mass-bleaching event that struck Tobago’s reefs in 2010. I want to resolve whether the reefs still have the ability to recover and how long-term human induced threats are affecting recovery from such mass-bleaching events. The main goal of my research is to gather reef data and information that can support informed decision making for future marine resource management in Tobago.

GA: What are some of the areas or issues that most concern you in terms of marine conservation (or lack thereof) in the Caribbean?

SB: I worry about the lack of “marine conservation”. And about the dearth of knowledge and information for conservation specialist and among the public, who are the ones that need to advocate for protection of their marine ecosystems. The matter is urgent! Recently, studies have pronounced that in the Caribbean some 50 to 80% of coral reefs have already been destroyed i.e. rendered non-functional ecosystems.

I am concerned about the uncertain future coral reef ecosystems have; will my children get to see coral reefs like the ones I saw?

It greatly concerns me to see once vibrant and diverse ecosystems turn into ZOMBIE ecosystems. The causes being unregulated overfishing, waste water discharged directly into the ocean, unregulated coastal development and deforestation. The most worrying aspect is that all of these will only intensify with population growth. Then combine this with increasing impacts brought about by CLIMATE CHANGE: warming waters, increased ocean acidification and rising sea levels. The demise of coral reefs has already started. The frightening question is will we be able to save some corals, especially in the Caribbean?

GA: What are some of the developments or innovations in the field of marine conservation that you find exciting or encouraging?

SB: In the 21st century we are seeing an explosion of multi-media tools that enable us to share information about coral reefs and their risks with a greater audience.
Google Earth has started putting underwater cameras on reefs. You can see what’s happening on reefs around the world. This helps educate people about reefs and pin-point and observe ecosystem damage.
The use of cameras is facilitating the study of reefs. Instead of relying on doing everything underwater on slates and pencils in real-time, we can film a study site on a reef and do species counts in our own time on dry land.

GA: Finally, what advice do you have for the average Caribbean person looking to a more sustainable reef-friendly life?

Go out to the beach, borrow a snorkel and mask, see the creatures that live in our Caribbean Sea and remind yourself of the amazing life our natural environments sustain and how we need to help implement sustainable practices. These experiences hopefully can give people an appreciation for conservation science.

To watch a video about Salome Buglass and her Tobago reef research project visit the Rockethub site there’s also the possibility to sponsor some of Salome’s Tobago fieldwork – press on “Fuel this Project”. Plus you can follow Green Antilles on Facebook . Sincere thanks to Salome for her time for this interview.

World Ocean Assessment workshop for the Caribbean

Robin — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 23:00:20 +0000

On November 13-15, a World Ocean Assessment Workshop was held for the Wider Caribbean in Miami, Florida.

The Workshop for the Wider Caribbean is part of the larger Regular Process, an effort to regularly provide accurate information on the state of the marine environment to decision makers. This event was one of many workshops being hosted worldwide, under the auspices of the United Nations, as a key mechanism by which the first global integrated marine assessment will be accomplished and States can enhance their assessment capacity.

To learn more visit the WOA website

Economic impact assessment of recreational fishing in the Caribbean

Robin — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:44:12 +0000

Recreational fisheries are prevalent in most Caribbean islands, though to date, the socio-economic characteristics of this sector are poorly studied. World Fishing and Aquaculture comments on a Manual which will assess the economic impacts of recreational fisheries in the Wider Caribbean Region:

The aim of the manual is to increase awareness and understanding among decision makers and the general public about the economic importance of recreational fisheries. It also wants to help fisheries managers to contribute more to public policy discussions affecting management, conservation and economic policy.

Read more at World Fishing and Aquaculture

Weekend photos: peacock flounders

Thérèse — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 21:42:07 +0000

Peacock flounders

The peacock flounder changes its color and the pattern on its skin to exactly match the sea floor. One of the eyes recognizes the pattern of its surroundings. If this eye is covered by sand, the peacock flounder can’t camouflage itself. (Via)

These photos, both taken by Michael Buchanan, were entries in the first international Dutch Caribbean Nature Photo Competition.

Video: Building the future we want – the Caribbean Challenge initiative in Grenada

Thérèse — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 20:48:31 +0000

The video highlights activities of UNEP’s Caribbean Environment Programme, funded by the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to support the development of a biologically-representative, functional network of marine protected areas (MPA), capable of adapting to climate change.

Previously on Green Antilles: Video: Fishermen’s stories in the Grenadines and Grenada, Video: Protecting Grenada’s Marine Life, and New marine protected area in Grenada.

New project to improve Caribbean cocoa production

Thérèse — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 18:46:59 +0000

Scientists from the University of Greenwich, in cooperation with the University of Trinidad and Tobago and the Jamaica Cocoa Board will be carrying out research on ways to increase cocoa production in the Caribbean by improving pollination rates:

The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) [at the University of Greenwich] is collaborating with the University of Trinidad and Tobago and the Jamaican Cocoa Board to maintain the rich biodiversity that supports improved cocoa production in the Caribbean, in particular the insect pollinator population. This work is part of an African Caribbean and Pacific Science and Technology Programme initiative for Sustainable Development.

Funded by the EU Development Fund to help build scientific capacity in the Caribbean, this €500,000, 3 year project aims to improve yields of the commercial crop cocoa for smallholder farmers in the region. Currently the only option for farmers to increase production is to increase the land they cultivate, but this is detrimental to the environment, and unworkable in the very limited landmass of the Caribbean Islands.

NRI, with a wealth of expertise in insect behaviour, chemical ecology and pollination biology, will be looking specifically at how the cocoa plants are naturally pollinated, an area of research that has previously been overlooked.

Scientists Steve Belmain, Phil Stevenson and Sarah Arnold at NRI will examine the behaviour of insects visiting the cocoa flowers, to determine which species are the most important. Evidence from studies done decades ago suggest midges carry out most of the pollination, but research is needed to help understand their importance, ensure their survival and identify other potential pollinators.
…
One of the goals of NRI’s involvement in this project is to understand how to artificially breed midges that will increase yields of cocoa, thereby increasing farmer incomes without the need to expand cocoa plantations.

UN warns that over 1 million people in Haiti are threatened by food insecurity as a result of natural disasters

Thérèse — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:44:18 +0000

The United Nations has warned that natural disasters continue to exacerbate food insecurity in Haiti:

The United Nations food relief agency today warned that more than 1.5 million Haitians could remain at risk of food insecurity well into 2013 if they do not receive adequate assistance to recover from a series of natural disasters that have hit the country over the past six months, including a drought, Tropical Storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy.

“At the moment, one of our biggest worries is in areas that are still isolated after Hurricane Sandy, where women and children face worsening nutrition,” said the UN World Food Programme’s (WFP) Director in Haiti, Myrta Kaulard. “At the same time, it is crucial to help Haitian farmers so that they can plant crops for the small December season and for the main agricultural season in the spring.”

Beginning as a tropical storm in late October in the Atlantic Ocean and then evolving as it progressed, Hurricane Sandy grew into what some media reports described as a “once in a generation” storm, causing death and destruction across the Caribbean region and the eastern seaboard of the United States. In Haiti alone, 54 people died, and hundreds of thousands of people were hit by floods and heavy winds.

WFP responded by distributing food to some 14,000 people during the first week after Hurricane Sandy struck. In a news release, it added that it would continue to assist 20,000 of the worst-affected households, with almost 800 tons of food during the month of November.

The agency also stressed that its activities in the Caribbean nation would focus on preventing and treating malnutrition for 100,000 women and children, as well as on ‘Cash for Assets’ projects to provide income to 170,000 people working on rehabilitation of agricultural land, flood control and watershed managements, among other activities.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is also offering support to help restore agricultural production in Haiti:

The IDB expects to approve a $17.5 million grant before year-end to help the government finance the reconstruction of roads and bridges washed away by last month’s flooding and mudslides, particularly in southern Haiti.

Resources from existing IDB-financed agriculture projects will be redirected to support government efforts to assist rural communities in the worst-hit areas. Authorities are currently assessing the needs for replanting lost crops and other urgent tasks. The government will also prioritize public works to reduce erosion and flooding in key watersheds.

Follow the respective links above for more information.

[Photo: United Nations Photo.]

Barbados government planning to award offshore oil exploration licences

Thérèse — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:42:20 +0000

The government of Barbados has announced its attention to award offshore oil exploration licences to BHP Billiton:

Barbados will soon be awarding offshore oil drilling licences to energy firm BHP Billiton, the government announced in a release Tuesday.

The licences will be for the Carlisle Bay and Bimshire blocks.

Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart said recent debate in the House of Assembly, along with two pieces of offshore petroleum legislation, had paved the way for oil exploration.

“It is expected that these Acts, when proclaimed, will usher in the development of a new era in the utilization of Barbados’ untapped natural resources,” Stuart said Monday. “The government is committed to ensuring that Barbados establishes the appropriate structures necessary to ably manage the establishment of an offshore petroleum sector.”

Stuart said that, based on the projections of experts, there was evidence to support the existence of hydrocarbons in the country’s offshore petroleum acreage.

Several Caribbean countries have begun exploring their offshore resources, notably Guyana and Cuba.

“The government of Barbados has received several unsolicited offers from a number of companies to purchase seismic data as well as to undertake speculative seismic surveys in the area,” Stuart said.

The process will involve developing the right tools to manage health, safety and the environment, as well as an effective management of the government’s take of energy profits, he said.

Source.

Have Tobago’s corals survived mass bleaching?

Robin — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:41:38 +0000

Via Rockethub, Salome Buglass provides information about her university research project, which is searching for the answer to this critical question.

In the late summer of 2010 Tobago’s reefs suffered a massive coral bleaching event. An immediate assessment done at the time by local scientists revealed how at least 50% of corals become bleached across most of the island’s reefs. However, since then, no more research has been carried out. How, and to what extent coral reefs have recovered in the meantime is unknown. The aim of a University of British Colombia Masters student, Salome Buglass, is to find out:

(a) The state and recovery of Tobago’s major coral reefs, three years after the devastating 2010 mass bleaching event, and;

(b) If the recovery and mortality of corals is different at reefs that were exposed to stronger disturbances than others.

Losing these coral reef ecosystems also means the loss of a myriad of unique marine flora and fauna relying on these reefs as their habitat. Additionally, the destruction of Tobago’s coral reefs comes at a huge cost to the local people of Tobago, whose livelihoods are directly or indirectly related to these reefs.

Learning about coastal and marine ecosystems resilience is critical for resource managers as they can apply this information to sustain these ecosystems and the services they provide.

To learn more and support this research project visit Rockethub.