World Tsunami Awareness Day 2023: Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future
By Christopher Alexis, Oceanography & Coastal Processes Department Annually, the 5th November is celebrated as World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD). Events, activities and drills are organised globally, as a reminder of the ever-present threat of tsunamis. This is especially important where the frequency and intensity of natural disasters are increasing and impacting coastal communities. The theme of WTAD 2023 is “Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future”. A Global Call to Action The United Nations highlights the global need for preparedness, such as early warning systems and disaster risk reduction strategies. Tsunamis may be caused by an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption and on rare occasions, by...
Fashion Industry Hidden Secrets that Adversely Impacts our Ocean
By Tershyan Russell, OJT Library Assistant Did you know that clothing often poses a threat to the ocean? No? Think a bit! Clothing is often part of one’s identity. It represents unique lifestyle, preferences, and it gives an indication of the kind of weather most commonplace in the areas where we live. Clothing can also give insight into how environmentally sensitive a community is. More and more scientists are finding bits and remains of fabric in places of the marine environment where no humans live. According to CP3 Concordia (2023), the fashion industry, especially ‘fast fashion’, uses cheap, toxic textile dyes and synthetic fabrics in...
Don’t Spare Them, Spear Them… and Eat Them!
“You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying lionfish” Attala Maharaj, The Salty Dog Restaurant, Trinidad “Come and experience lionfish and do the seas a favour!” Sharon Taylor, Boathouse Restaurant, Tobago Authors: Dr. Farahnaz Solomon, Bria De Costa, Cherisse Persad Lionfish is closer than you know, Find out more below The invasive lionfish is “flying off” fishers’ spears and into markets, retail stores, and restaurants around Trinidad and Tobago. Whether you are looking for new seafood options to prepare at home or enjoy at a restaurant, lionfish is the perfect choice. This month October, which was National Seafood Month, the LionfishTT Project Team at the Institute of...
IMA Presents 45th Commemorative Anthology Publication to the UWI Alma Jordan Library
The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) presented fifteen (15) copies of its most recent publication titled, ‘Turning the Tide – Fostering Conservation and Sustainable Development: A 45th Anniversary Commemorative Anthology 1992-2023’ to The Alma Jordan Library at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus on September 26, 2023. Unveiled at a book launch on May 26, 2023, to mark the 45th corporate anniversary of the IMA at a Long Service Awards, the publication was edited by then Director (Ag.) Dr. Rahanna Juman and library staff and sponsored by Republic Bank. Exploring the challenges and issues that impact our oceans, coasts and marine resources,...
Consortium of Civil Society Launched in Support of the Spaw Programme of the Cartagena Convention
Press Release Oranjestad, Aruba (October 10, 2023)--The SPAW Consortium, a network of civil society organizations and experts allied in their support of biodiversity protection in the Wider Caribbean Region, was officially launched on October 4, 2023, at the 17th Meeting of Parties of the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) or Cartagena Convention. The Cartagena Convention is a regional legal agreement for the protection of the Caribbean Sea adopted in Cartagena, Colombia on 24 March 1983 and entered into force on 11 October 1986. The Convention is supported by three technical agreements or Protocols on Oil...
IMA, and Cuban firm Inversiones GAMMA, sign MOU for Technical Corporation
For Immediate Release 19th October 2023 Port of Spain - The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) is set to expand its research capabilities in the areas of coastal engineering, water resource management and other related fields, to address the challenges facing the marine and coastal regions. The IMA, on Thursday 12th. October 2023, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cuban firm INVERSIONES GAMMA S.A. The Cuban firm is a government entity reporting to the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment of the Republic of Cuba The MOU allows both parties to share technical expertise for sustainable marine and coastal management. ...
Coral Bleaching Alert for Tobago
In September, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Coral Reef Watch has placed Trinidad and Tobago under Bleaching Alert Level 2, where severe, widespread bleaching and significant coral mortality are very likely. Reports of moderate coral bleaching have been received from several sites around Tobago including Store Bay, South Coast, Mt Irvine, and Englishman’s Bay by marine users. Bleached boulder brain coral at Castara in August Bleached grooved brain coral at Mt Irvine in September As part of Tobago’s Bleaching Response Plan, the Institute of Marine Affairs has alerted all stakeholders that work in the marine environment, and have made an appeal for any observations of...
Grande Riviere Beach Shifting – A dynamic coastline that requires coastal zone planning
By: Christopher Alexis and Isabelle Chen Grande Riviere Beach is located on the scenic north coast of Trinidad and gets its name from the large river that empties into the Caribbean Sea at the eastern end of the beach. It spans approximately 1.2 km in length and is curved with varying beach widths (Figure 1). This Beach provides an important habitat for marine and coastal wildlife. It is one of the most important nesting sites for the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), which has been declared vulnerable on a global scale by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and World Wildlife Fund...