Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future
Value. Protect. Inspire As we celebrate World Wetlands Day 2025, let us reflect on the significance of this year’s theme ‘Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future.’ So, what are wetlands and why should we protect them? Defined by the Convention of Wetlands of International Importance, commonly known as the Ramsar Convention (signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran), wetlands are “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters” This definition is inclusive and encompasses...
Using Digital Twins of the Ocean to Build Capacity in theWider Caribbean Region
WHAT ARE DTOs AND HOW CAN THEY BUILD CAPACITY? By Ali L. Hochberg, Lorna Inniss, Joana Akrofi, Kadean Blake-Smithen, David A. Farrell, Magali Gonçalves, and Dr. Rahanna Juman An emerging technology for building capacity to make decisions in the ocean space is the development of Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs). A DTO is a virtual replication of the ocean environment, including its properties, behaviors, and processes (https://www. mercator-ocean.eu/en/digital-twin-ocean/). These digital replicas are created using a combination of real-time data collected from satellites and thousands of sensors deployed around the world, as well as outputs of advanced models and computer simulations. By consolidating and integrating...
Life interlaced with wetlands and people
Wetlands and people have been intricately connected throughout human history. Human well-being is irrevocably tied to the state of the world’s wetlands. For thousands of years, people have established settlements near wetlands for access to fish, shipping and trade, establishing tourism, freshwater for crops and livestock and other food sources. Wetlands are considered the Earth’s kidneys as their silt-rich soil and plants naturally filter and store freshwater, on which human existence relies. Wetlands helped support the development of civilised communities in the inundated and fertile floodplain environments of the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates Rivers, and played a major role in supporting large populations of people...
Recognising the Importance of Our Seagrass Meadows
March 1, 2023 marks the first-ever United Nations recognised World Seagrass Day. The day is being commemorated to raise public awareness on the importance of seagrass meadows and to recognise the importance of seagrasses to the health and well-being of the planet, as well as to the people, communities, flora and fauna that rely on them. Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that grow in the intertidal and subtidal zones along shallow tropical and temperate coasts. They are very productive, faunally rich and ecologically important marine resources that provide nursery habitats for several commercially important species such as conch, fish and lobster and a major food source...
Supporting Trinidad and Tobago’s
Transition to a Sustainable Blue Economy
The Sustainable Blue Economy Transition Framework Rapid Readiness Assessment Workshop was hostedat the Institute of Marine Affairs on October 18-19, The workshop, which was opened by the Honourable Pennelope Beckles, Minister of Planning and Development, was attended by stakeholders from across government, academia, non-governmental organisations and private sector with interest in fostering a sustainable blue economy for Trinidad and Tobago. Across the world, there is growing awareness about the blue economy as a potential source of economicdiversification and growth. The blue economy construct centres on developing ocean-based activity while emphasising improved human well-being, social justice and equity, ensuring conservation of natural resources and ecological sustainability....
Taking time to appreciate our Mangrove Forests
Our coastlines, especially the Gulf of Paria, were once lined with large trees with entangled roots beaming with wildlife, where our grandfathers and fathers hunted crabs to put in the Sunday callaloo, and for oysters sold in spicy sauce around the Queen Parks Savannah. Back then we did not fully understand he importance of these coastal forests, so as much as 50 % were cleared to build houses, businesses and ports. What are you talking about, you may ask? It’s our mangrove forests. Mangrove forests are spectacular and prolific ecosystems that are usually located on the boundary between land and sea. Mangrove trees are salt-tolerant trees, also called...
World Oceans Day 2022 – Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever’ Jacques Cousteau The economic and social value of the ocean to individual communities and societies is incalculable. It is where we work, we harvest food, we pray and we play. Wallace J. Nichols, a marine biologist, believes that we all have a “blue mind.” He described this phenomenon as “a mild meditative state characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment,” which is triggered when we’re in or near water. Mathew White, an environmental psychologist who studied how living near...
Sargassum – A Visitor to Our Beaches
While we are home, another visitor is washing up on our beaches, the Sargassum seaweed....