Green Antilles

A recent scientific expedition in the forests of Suriname has uncovered 46 species that were previously unknown to science:

A scientific expedition into one of the world’s last pristine tropical forests has revealed incredibly diverse species and extraordinary cultural heritage, said Conservation International (CI) today, announcing the results of a scientific survey in southwest Suriname that documented nearly 1,300 species, including 46 species which may be new to science. The announcement comes as the global organization marks 25 years of science-based conservation, this month.
The three-week survey, an initiative of CI’s long-standing Rapid Assessment Program (RAP), explored three remote sites along the Kutari and Sipaliwini Rivers near the village of Kwamalasumutu from August to September 2010, in an effort to document the region’s poorly known biodiversity and help develop sustainable ecotourism opportunities for the local indigenous people. The research was conducted by a collaborative team of 53 scientists, indigenous Trio people, and students, who documented the diversity and status of plants, fishes, reptiles and amphibians, birds, small mammals, large mammals, ants, katydids, dragonflies and damselflies, aquatic beetles, and dung beetles.

CI scientist and Rapid Assessment Program Director Dr. Trond Larsen said, “Our team was privileged to explore one of the last remaining areas of vast, unroaded wilderness in the world. As a scientist, it is thrilling to study these remote forests where countless new discoveries await, especially since we believe that protecting these landscapes while they remain pristine provides perhaps the greatest opportunity for maintaining globally important biodiversity and the ecosystems people depend upon for generations to come.”

The findings of the expedition were recently published in the RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment series, titled “A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Kwamalasamatu region, Southwestern Suriname”. Among the many highlights, scientists report new species that include a large tree-frog, eight freshwater fish, and dozens of new insects such as aquatic beetles, dung beetles, damselflies, and katydids.

Read more about cowboy frogs, armoured catfish and crayola katydids, and see photos, in the full media release from Conservation International.

Previous related posts on Green Antilles: Video: Species protection in Suriname | Global Ideas and US scientist calls for conservation of Suriname’s “uniquely unspoiled environment”.

[Photo: Paul E. Ouboter, via Conservation International]

Suriname’s Seabob shrimp (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri) fishery has become the first tropical shrimp fishery in the world to be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council:

After a very intensive and profound assessment period, the Suriname Seabob fishery is the first tropical shrimp fishery in the world to be awarded the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certification and seafood ecolabel.

Heiploeg Group’s Caribbean Seabob Xiphopenaeus kroyeri is harvested and managed in a sustainable way, in compliance with the principles of the MSC.

Rupert Howes, CEO of the MSC, comments: “The certification of the Suriname Atlantic seabob shrimp fishery shows how the MSC programme encourages collaboration between stakeholders to meet market demand for certified sustainable seafood while realising a shared vision of healthy and productive marine eco-systems.”

“I congratulate the fishery and all partners involved in getting to this point. This has been a challenging process. The pre-assessment identified several issues that had to be addressed if the fishery was to meet the MSC standard. In resolving these challenges, the fishery, its partners and the Suriname government have implemented changes that will deliver environmental benefits and which provide a model for other fisheries in the region to follow”, Rupert Howes added.

Read more in this report from Fish Info and Services as well as on the Marine Stewardship Council website.

Healthy rainforests are key to the planet’s survival. But how exactly do these unique ecosystems work? What are the principles of carbon sequestration? How does biodiversity contribute to the flourishing of the forest? Conservation International has commissioned a research team to investigate these questions and many more. They’re studying flora and fauna and conducting ‘rapid assessments’ in the rainforests of Suriname.

The intention of this project is to demonstrate the utilization of solar energy as alternative to the traditional use of fossil energy.The project is located east of Suriname in the district of Sipaliwini, a district primarily inhabited by indigenous and maroon tribes.

This year, for the first time, Suriname will be an official participant in Earth Hour:

Suriname is turning off the lights for an hour on March 26, in solidarity with worldwide concerns regarding the future of the planet. “Our planet is in danger; we’re using too much energy, and it’s evident in climate change,” Dominiiek Plouvier of World Wildlife Fund *(WWF) Guianas told journalists in Wednesday at the launch of Suriname’s leg of Earth Hour, a WWF event that takes place annually all over the world since 2007. It’s the first time Suriname takes part.

To encourage Surinamers to turn off their lights on March 26 at 9.30pm, WWF has erected a billboard at Henck Arron Street. The billboard is also meant to make people more aware of wastefulness, said Plouvier.
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Media production company Chetskeys … also produced a television infomercial that is played on local television stations. WWF officials will … visit schools throughout the country to make students more aware of the importance of Earth Hour.

Environment Minister Ginmardo Kromosoeto has urged the community to participate in the initiative. “With our participation in this initiative, we’re showing our solidarity with people who have a heart for the earth,” the Minister said.

For more see the full article at Baigan Choka.

Previously on Green Antilles: Government endorses Earth Hour 2011 in Bermuda and Earth Hour 2011.