Community Research Symposium “Transforming Tobago: Understanding and Conserving our Natural Ecosystems.”
The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) hosted its 5th Community Research Symposium, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th October 2018. Addressing the communities of Betsy’s Hope, and Scarborough and environs over the 2 two-day period, the IMA, the Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago Project (IFPAMTT), and other stakeholders shared details about research conducted by the respective organizations on coastal and marine related issues such as beach/coastal erosion, The invasive Lionfish, Sargassum, and the status of coral reefs and the importance of other protected areas. In addition to...
10 SIMPLE GREEN CORPORATE RESOLUTIONS TO ADOPT
Prepared by Ms. Lorraine Barrow, Institute of Marine Affairs Our marine environment is a major and important source to support livelihoods, employment and income, address food security, alleviate poverty and contribute to economic growth and development. As business corporations we continue to see, every year, a number of extreme weather conditions caused by climate change, indiscriminate human activities and lack of legislative enforcement of environmental laws. We need to ask ourselves if we wish to continue seeing the ongoing destruction of our marine environment, or do we wish to make a change. The years 2017 and 2018 have already gone on...
World Environment Day 2018
Every bit of plastic ever made still exists By: Jeunisse Mohon, OJT, Institute of Marine Affairs “As much as 51 trillion microplastic particles – 500 times more than stars in our galaxy – litter the seas.”- The United Nations The themes this year for both World Environment and World Oceans Days, celebrated on June 5th and 8th respectively are centered on reducing plastic pollution. Plastics have become an almost essential item in today’s world. Their popularity stems from a host of desirable features such as resistance to corrosive chemicals and they are also known to be a good heat and electrical insulators. They are generally lightweight with...
THE IMA Celebrates 40th Anniversary
1978-2018 The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) is the only multi-disciplinary coastal, marine and environmental research organization in the CARICOM states, established to conduct inter-disciplinary studies. Mandated to provide advice to the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the IMA continues to conduct and foster research on the sustainable management of the coastal and marine spaces and resources of Trinidad and Tobago. The IMA is celebrating 40 years of providing reports, data and advice, through its robust monitoring and research programmes, on the marine environment, including land-based activities with an impact on the oceans, which must be managed more effectively to address the increasing...
The Institute of Marine Affairs is now a regional institute
On Wednesday 4 April, 2018, the Minister of Planning & Development signed an agreement to have the IMA recognized as Regional Activity Centre of the Caribbean Environment Programme of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). Planning & Development Minister told a captive audience that the “Parties [The IMA and UNEP] agreed that the IMA be the designated Regional Activity Centre for the English speaking islands of the Caribbean, undertaking activities aimed at implementing the Protocol on Land-Based Sources (LBS) of Pollution at the regional level. The LBS Protocol is a set of procedures developed to protect the marine environment and human health from land-based...
IMA’s 4th Community Symposium
Caroni to Pointe-a-Pierre "Conserving Our Coastal Environment" On March 28th 2018, the Institute of Marine Affairs held its fourth community research symposium under the theme, ‘Conserving our Coastal Environment’ at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation. In attendance were members of the EMA, Regional Corporation, Met Office, private citizens and other organizations. Opening remarks were given by Dr. Ahmad Khan Director of the IMA, Mr. Hayden Alexander, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the IMA, His Worship the Mayor of Chaguanas, Alderman Gopaul Boodhan and Malikha Henry on behalf of Mr. Henry Awong, Chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation. The feature address was delivered by Ms. Joanne...