Below the Blue; Exploring the Caribbean Deep and Harnessing its Benefits
Virtual Distinguished Lecture and Panel Discussion - 8th June 2021 ...
The Door to Happiness opens into Nature!
Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once commented, “The door to happiness opens outward.” Given Kirkegaard’s reputation for being somewhat broody, it is doubtful whether he was talking about the literal outdoors. He did not seem like the outdoorsy type. However, to grossly miscontextualise Kirkegaard and to take this quote literally, I agree. The door to happiness does indeed open outward because outward is where we find nature, outward is where we find biodiversity....
Fishing for Cutlassfish
Persons driving into Chaguaramas in December 2020 and January 2021 were greeted with the sight of numerous fishing vessels operating close to shore in the vicinity of Alcoa and in William’s Bay. Enquiries by any curious onlooker would have revealed that they were fishing for “cutlassfish” in the late evenings, nights and early mornings. I myself was intrigued by this activity having never seen so many vessels operating in that area. On one occasion, I counted as many as 80 pirogues. Since then, I have fielded numerous questions from both colleagues and the public about the particulars of this fishery and the role of...
Another ‘Golden Tide’ on our Shorelines
By Rahanna Juman, Director (Ag.)Institute of Marine Affairs For yet another year, massive quantities of Sargassum are seen washing up along our coasts and is causing concerns among fishers and other beach users. This new source of sargassum is now linked to climate change and ocean eutrophication, and these are likely to continue supporting significant sargassum blooms into the future. As such, annual mass influxes of sargassum into the Caribbean Sea are now being considered as the 'new normal', requiring sustainable management responses and long-term adaptation (Desrochers et al. 2020). Pelagic (free-floating) sargassum, a brown alga from the equatorial Atlantic, comprises a mixture of two or...
Beyond the Blue – Season 3 Episode 1
Episode 1 - Introduction to Beyond the Blue Season III; Theme-Ocean Literacy For the next twenty-four weeks, the Institute of Marine Affairs brings you all things marine and ocean in a bid to improve your ocean literacy. What’s ocean literacy you ask? Join us to find out more.'Beyond the Blue' is a radio broadcast of the Institute of Marine Affairs.Sponsored by the Power to Make a Difference Programme of the Republic Bank Limited ...
The Great Conservation Story Leatherback Turtle Conservation in Trinidad and Tobago: Community and Conservation
This is the third and final part of a three-part series on the Great Conservation of the Leatherback Turtle in Trinidad and Tobago. We last learnt how Nature Seekers started in 1990 with the assistance of the Forestry’s Wildlife Section. Since then, Nature Seekers has continued to grow as a Non-governmental organization (NGO) in membership and recognition both here and abroad. Nature Seekers has been recognised for their great work and contribution to protecting the leatherback turtles, and as an excellent example of how education and a love for these charismatic creatures can change people’s perspective on how to wisely use their natural resources. The...