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...
Marine Macroalgae; Its Pivotal Role in Three Major Tropical Ecosystems
Algae are grouped into three major divisions based on pigmentation, (green, red and brown) and play key roles in the development and maintenance of marine ecosystems. ...
The Great Conservation Story of the Leatherback Turtle in Trinidad and Tobago: Collaboration, Community and Conservation
It is 10 pm and the moonlight is beaming in the horizon and the waves are crashing onto the shores of the North East Coast of Trinidad. There in the distance, what looks like a rock in the water, is not a rock at all but an ancient gentle giant of the sea – a female leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)- slowly making her way up the beach to begin digging a hole to lay her eggs. As this majestic creature lays her eggs, I will continue the great conservation story about the leatherback turtle in Trinidad and Tobago. As mentioned in Part One of...
Valuing a precious commodity – Water
Krystal Ganaselal – Information Officer/Public RelationsInstitute of Marine Affairs The water that exists today has been around for hundreds of millions of years, and the water you drank earlier, may perhaps have been the same water that quenched the thirst of dinosaurs sixty-five million years ago! Celebrated on 22nd March annually, World Water Day 2021 is themed ‘Valuing Water’ and asks people ‘What does water mean to you? How important is it in your home and environment?’ We are all dependent on this precious resource for daily tasks and use it for a variety of purposes. Having personally experienced the result of a harsh dry...
IMA donates Books to The UWI Alma Jordan Library
Lorraine Barrow - Librarian Institute of Marine Affairs On February 23, 2021, the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) presented The University of the West Indies (UWI) Alma Jordan Library with three copies of its most recent publication titled, Mangrove Forests of Trinidad and Tobago, reinforcing its commitment to public education and awareness. Unveiled at a virtual book launch on February 2nd 2021 to commemorate World Wetlands Day, the publication describes, inter alia, the various types of mangrove trees that are indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago with a comprehensive depiction of the geographical distribution of this wetland ecosystem in our twin-island republic. This book, which was written by...
IMA Presentation of Mangrove Forests of Trinidad and Tobago Books to NALIS
By Lorraine Barrow, LibrarianInstitute of Marine Affairs On February 23, 2021, the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) presented the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) with 162 copies of its most recent publication titled, Mangrove Forests of Trinidad and Tobago, reinforcing its commitment to public education and awareness. Unveiled at a virtual book launch on February 2nd 2021 to commemorate World Wetlands Day, the publication describes the various types of mangrove trees that are indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago with a comprehensive description of the geographical distribution of this wetland ecosystem in our twin-island republic. Written by the Director (Ag.) of the Institute of Marine...